Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cutler Bay updates: Legacy Park moves into remediation and construction planning; playgrounds closed pending grants
Summary
Stantec reported Durham approvals for Legacy Park soil verification and exfiltration trench locations, while parks staff announced closures at Saga Bay playground and plans for inclusive playgrounds, a $100,000 Veterans Park remediation grant and voluntary cleanup tax credits for Blue Heron.
Town officials told the council that multiple parks projects are advancing while the town pursues grants and addresses remediation needs.
Emma Jones, owner’s representative with Stantec, said the Legacy Park Municipal Complex made key progress: Durham approved the project’s soil verification report and exfiltration trench locations, allowing the team to finalize civil stormwater plans and move toward the vertical construction GMP (GMP‑3). Jones said the design team aims to present GMP‑3 to council by the end of August and that on‑site mobilization and remediation work are already underway.
Parks staff reported safety and remediation developments across several parks. A certified playground safety inspection found the Saga Bay playground unsafe; staff closed the playground July 9 and will pursue a Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) grant, contingent on the state budget. The town currently has $200,000 in matching funds identified for the project should the state award not materialize.
Alan Hughes and parks staff also showed conceptual renderings for an inclusive playground at Bel Air Park and outlined plans to demolish an unsafe structure there and pursue restroom and facility grants to replace portable restrooms.
Veterans Park received a $100,000 Florida Department of Environmental Protection property cleanup and remediation grant after soil sampling identified elevated lead and arsenic in parts of the site; staff said the state contractor will assist with the cleanup and future construction drawings for a passive memorial park.
Blue Heron Park, designated a brownfield, is receiving clean fill and tree‑protection measures; staff secured $802,000 in voluntary cleanup tax credits to offset cleanup costs. The town described the brownfield designation and voluntary credit sales as an important financing tool for costly remediation work.
On the pool decommissioning item, staff said the originally authorized contractor closed business and the town negotiated with the next lowest responsive bidder, Millers & Myers Inc., for $74,000 to decommission the pool; council moved to ratify that action at the September meeting.
Taken together, staff said the parks work relies on a mix of state grants, voluntary cleanup credits and town matching funds, and they flagged future agenda items where formal approvals and ratifications will return to the council.
