Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Park Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pleasant Prairie park commission backs design work for year-round 365 gathering area at Prairie Springs Park
Summary
The commission recommended reallocating budgeted design funds to focus on a year-round '365 area' at Prairie Springs Park after staff reported only one bid on two RFPs and warned projects may be underbudgeted; the motion passed with no opposition recorded. Staff will bring the recommendation forward for administrative and budget consideration.
The Pleasant Prairie Park Commission voted to recommend reallocating design funding to a proposed year-round “365 area” at Prairie Springs Park, after staff presented two planning requests for proposals (RFPs) and said bids came in lower than expected for one project.
Brock, the director of parks, told commissioners the village issued two RFPs: a master plan design for lakefront parcels near Carroll Beach and a focused engineering and design contract for the 365 area in Prairie Springs Park. “We only received 1 bid for the 1 of the 2 RFPs,” Brock said, and staff said feedback from firms indicated the projects were likely underbudgeted.
The commission heard that the 365 area would aim to provide a dedicated location for festivals and community events — with possible amenities including a splash pad, an amphitheater and covered vendor space — and that engineering documents from the design phase would help make the project more “shovel ready.” The Director of Recreation reported on recent park activity, noting the ball-field project recently completed was a “2 and a half million dollar project” and that opening weekend attracted 34 teams, 59 games and more than 1,000 attendees.
Staff presented three options for the two RFPs: (1) combine the two budgeted amounts and prioritize one comprehensive project, (2) work with current bidders to stretch available funds, or (3) defer one or both projects to the 2027 budget cycle for additional funding. Commissioners debated trade-offs including community engagement at the lakefront parcels and the scale and phasing required for the 365 area.
Multiple commissioners urged that doing nothing was not an option and argued in favor of pursuing the 365-area design now so the longer planning process could begin. Commissioners also asked for additional market or ROI data; staff said firms typically provide generalized market data but a detailed ROI study had not been completed. Staff noted an approximate cost estimate mentioned in discussion for the 365-area was described in the meeting as “roughly $1,000,000 or $11,000,000” without the playground included; the phrasing in the transcript was unclear and staff did not present a definitive single figure. Separately, staff said one external estimate discussed for the lakefront work was about $2,122,000.
The commission then moved to recommend option 1 — reallocating the combined design funding to the Prairie Springs 365-area design project. The motion was seconded and the chair called for the vote: commissioners voted in favor and no members voiced opposition on the record. The commission’s action is a recommendation to administration; staff said they will bring the commission’s preference forward to the village board and to future budget planning.
Commissioners closed the meeting after a brief discussion about ensuring the lakefront parcels remain on the radar for future budgeting and community engagement. The meeting also included announcements that staff expect to schedule a ribbon-cutting for the new ball fields and playground area in early June and that 15 more tournaments are scheduled for the season.
What happens next: staff will take the commission recommendation to administration and the village board as part of the budgeting and design-approval process. The commission did not adopt final construction funding at this meeting; any build decisions and timelines will depend on subsequent budgeting, procurement and further design work.
