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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/20/2024 Item 5e, Horn and Long - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum City of San Luis Obispo Council Agenda Correspondence DATE: August 20, 2024 TO: Mayor and Council FROM: Matt Horn, Public Works Director Prepared By: Erica Long, Capital Projects Manager II VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager SUBJECT: ITEM 5e – AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE LAGUNA LAKE DOG PARK REVITALIZATION PROJECT, SPECIFICATION NUMBER 2001068 In support of the Council Agenda Report for the Laguna Lake Dog Park Revitalization project, staff is providing additional clarification regarding the design and bid items in response to questions received, shown in italics. 1. How is the site being treated for initial weed abatement? Preemergent will be applied to ground cover and mulch areas in accordance with the City Standards. The Contractor will be placing 3-inches of mulch as required by the project plans. Landscaping maintenance and plant establishment will be the responsibility of the Contractor for three months following work completion, at which time maintenance responsibilities will transfer to City Parks Maintenance staff. Landscape maintenance will include weed abatement activities. 2. How long will the project take? Can the project be phased so that dogs can continue to use a portion of the park? The project contract duration is 5 months from the start of construction, not including unanticipated weather delays. Construction staging is not a part of the contract, and the dog park will be closed until the construction is complete. Staff do not believe construction of the project can be efficiently phased to allow concurrent use of the park because many elements affect the entire 3-acre dog park (such as grading, ADA pathways, irrigation, and landscaping), and the contractor will need to operate across the entire site during construction. Furthermore, a phased approach would require Council to reject and readvertise the project with phasing included in the contract. This would further delay implementation of the project and likely result in higher costs as it would extend the total duration of work at the site from 5 months to likely 10 months (if the project were split into two construction phases). Item 5e. Award Construction Contract for Laguna Lake Dog Park Revitalization Project Page 2 3. Why does the design propose to further flatten the site grading? Could the design be modified to reduce this cost? The proposed site grading provides a level and ADA accessible connection from the ADA parking areas, through the entrance plaza area, and to the turf play areas. ADA access is also provided to the existing restroom building. The turf play areas have been leveled by increasing the slope in the buffer landscaping between the play areas. The existing contours in the open space areas have been smoothed to create a more inviting and functional natural landscape. In general, the proposed grading follows existing contouring and preserves historic drainage patterns across the site. The cost of grading and import is roughly 17% of the total cost of construction and staff believe this accurately reflects the value of grading work to the overall site improvements. 4. Could the irrigation/grass and concrete entry design be modified? The layout of the site including sizing of the grass area was formulated from community and Parks and Recreation Commission feedback. The grass area was reduced in size to minimize overall cost and maintenance while maximizing this desirable feature. The landscaping of the dog park site, including grass areas, will utilize a recycled water connection that already exists at Laguna Lake Park, reducing an additional strain on potable water resources. It is not recommended to defer grass installation, as this would result in an additional cost of bark mulch ground cover in these areas, as well as future cost of removal of bark mulch to support eventual turf installation. Staff initially considered using pavers at the park entrance, but pavers frequently experience differential settlement. This problem could be exacerbated by the shrink and swell of the clay subsoils at Laguna Lake, increasing the ongoing maintenance of shifting pavers, which also creates a potential for tripping hazards. Staff opted to design the entrance using reinforced concrete, which does not see this issue. However, Council might decide to have staff explore this option further. This would necessitate a new outreach effort, additional staff time, and volunteers, potentially delaying construction and leading to future ADA compliance issues. If Council would like to pursue memorial pavers, staff recommends that this be implemented in a separate area and in an area that would have less pedestrian use. For instance, pavers could be used as a decorative border against the concrete ADA pathways, and easily installed over time by volunteers. Item 5e. Award Construction Contract for Laguna Lake Dog Park Revitalization Project Page 3 5. Would the City consider breaking the project into several pieces or acquiring outside assistance to construct and implement elements of the dog park? Staff would like to clarify the use of external resources, including individuals, non- profit groups and service organizations. During the design phase, elements suitable for volunteer work and fundraising were deferred. The remaining elements included in the project recommended for Council award require a licensed contractor to ensure compliance with state codes, standards, and safety, reducing liability and ensuring quality construction. Amenities like picnic tables, benches, trash receptacles, dog bag dispensers, and pet rinsing stations will be reused or provided post-construction. Parks and Recreation is engaging with service organizations for support after construction. This includes potential for fundraising, donations, and service projects for amenities not requiring a contractor license. Both irrigation and landscaping are part of Alternate A, and irrigation must be installed for any landscaping to occur. Council could approve awarding the base bid only and components of landscaping could be phased in through volunteer tree planting and hand watering; however, irrigation would be necessary for a fully landscaped dog park as shown on the project plans. If Alternate B is not awarded, shade sails will be phased in, potentially funded through fundraising and readvertised. Shade sails would require installation by a licensed contractor subject to public bidding and contracting requirements. 6. What Laguna Lake Dog Park Revitalization project funds are restricted park funds vs. unrestricted? To help clarify the funding section within the staff report, the funds that were approved at the April 2nd Council meeting are reflected in the report. On April 2nd, when the Council authorized staff to advertise the project for construction bids, Council directed staff to use the Laguna Lake Improvements account 2000057-01 as the primary source of funding, providing $1,039,290 in Parkland In-Lieu Funds (Quimby) from the San Luis Ranch Development fees. The 2000057-1 funding would be considered “restricted funds”. The additional funding comes from the remaining funding in the Blueprint account 2000526, which comprised of $279,393 in Capital Outlay and $50,000 in Parkland In-Lieu Funds (Quimby) which both are considered “unrestricted funds”. These funding sources have been transferred to the account 2001068 specifically for construction of the Laguna Lake Dog Park Revitalization Project. Staff have included in the report a recommendation to utilize additional funds (restricted) from the 2000057-1 account (Laguna Lake Improvements) of $485,000 for the Base Bid and Alternate A. In summary, if Council awards the project as recommended by staff, $1,524,290 will come from restricted funding, and $329,393 will come from unrestricted funds. Item 5e. Award Construction Contract for Laguna Lake Dog Park Revitalization Project Page 4 7. Should the Laguna Lake Dog Park Project be awarded as bid, even though only one bid was received? Despite receiving only one bid, staff believes it offers the best value, with work divided into a base and two alternatives to provide options. Deferring work could increase design and construction costs and delay completion. Previous Park projects, such as North Broad Neighborhood Park and Cheng Park, also faced higher-than-estimated bids due to limited contractor availability. Dog owners can walk their dogs on a leash, visit the Olde Port dog beach in Avila Beach, El Chorro Regional Park dog park (across from Cuesta Community College), or use other nearby dog parks in the county while the off-leash dog area is closed for construction. This underscores the project's importance to the community in providing a legal, fenced-in formal dog park in the City.