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Lake Forest awards design contract for Kavanaugh Park improvements, council asks phased notice‑to‑proceed
Summary
The council awarded a professional design contract to Rick Engineering for Kavanaugh Park improvements (not‑to‑exceed $589,107) and requested phase‑specific tasks and a notice‑to‑proceed approach so phase‑2 work can be delayed until the I‑5 El Toro interchange timing is certain.
The Lake Forest City Council approved a contract with Rick Engineering on July 7 for professional design services for Kavanaugh Park improvements (project 25P08), authorizing a not‑to‑exceed amount of $589,107 for two design phases. Staff described a two‑phase approach: Phase 1 would deliver the majority of the park improvements and many of the environmental and coordination tasks, while Phase 2 would address areas impacted by the planned El Toro I‑5 interchange (estimated OCTA impact window 2032–2035).
Council members expressed concern about paying for design for portions of the park that may not be constructed for several years and asked staff to structure the contract with explicit, phase‑specific tasks and to utilize a notice‑to‑proceed so the city can authorize Phase 2 design later if appropriate. Staff confirmed the contract is a not‑to‑exceed agreement and said Rick Engineering estimated most work is for Phase 1 with Phase 2 design approximately $70,000; the council approved the contract with the requested phasing/notice‑to‑proceed approach and will review a 50% design package before construction authorization.
What this means locally: The project is intended to coordinate park improvements with a multiyear OCTA interchange project; the council asked staff to minimize payments for design that would sit idle and to return for council input at mid‑design so neighborhood use, interim improvements and long‑range coordination can be refined.
