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DATE: |
October 23, 2024 |
03 |
SUBJECT
Title
AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE AND AWARD A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENT AT CACTUS PARK AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (DISTRICT: 2)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego (County) Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) enhances the quality of life for county residents and visitors of all ages. In support of this mission, DPR operates more than 100 playground facilities throughout the county, promoting health and wellness opportunities for youth and families across the region. To ensure these amenities remain available for future generations to enjoy, DPR regularly reviews its playground inventory to identify those that have reached or are approaching the end of their useful life. These reviews are then used to prioritize the replacement of the most highly used and oldest playgrounds within its inventory. Depending on the age and frequency of use, routine maintenance and repairs alone are, at times, not able to prolong the serviceable life of some playground structures and more substantial improvements, including full replacements, are needed. The new preschool playground and shade structure at Cactus County Park in Lakeside, CA will replace the previous playground that was removed because it was broken beyond repair and was not accessible to all children. The new baseball-themed playground will contain baseball-oriented playground equipment that will highlight various items that are found within the baseball fields that surround the playground. The improvements will enhance the user experience and exceed the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), thereby increasing access for children of all abilities. Cactus Park will also include other improvements such as new fencing for the ballfields, restoration of the dugouts, and converting the boardroom to a snack bar.
Today’s proposed action will authorize the Director, Department of Purchasing and Contracting to advertise and award a construction contract and to take any action authorized by Section 401, et seq. of the Administrative Code for the procurement of equipment and the construction to install a new Playground Replacement at Cactus Park for an estimated replacement cost of $580,000 including contingency. If approved, project construction is anticipated to begin in Summer 2025 and be completed in Fall 2025.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Find that today’s actions for Playground Replacement at Cactus Park are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301, 15302, 15303, and 15304.
2. Authorize the Director, Department of Purchasing and Contracting, to advertise and award a construction contract and take any other action authorized by section 401 et seq. of the Administrative Code with respect to contracting for the construction of Playground Replacement at Cactus Park.
3. Designate the Director, Department of Parks and Recreation, as the County of San Diego Officer responsible for administering the construction contract, in accordance with Board Policy F-41, Public Works Construction Projects.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The playground replacement at Cactus Park will ensure the continuation of accessible recreational amenities for families and youth throughout the region. It is anticipated that the playground replacement will have a positive health impact on all demographics in the county by ensuring that playgrounds remain open and accessible. The Department of Parks and Recreation will continue to use available data from the 2020 Community Needs Assessment, Capital Investment Model, community feedback meetings, and community interactions to implement playground replacements for facilities that have reached the end of their useful life.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
All proposed materials and methods for this project are consistent with California Building Code and associated standards for efficiency. Approximately 25% of the materials used in the manufacturing of the playground equipment will be made of recycled plastic, which is consistent with the Board of Supervisors Policy B-67 where County departments are encouraged to use, to the maximum extent practical, products made with recycled materials, reusable products, and products designed to be recycled. This project will utilize the existing playground footprint and will result in limited ground disturbance. The project will fully comply with all local and State stormwater requirements and best practices, and it will not result in any significant demand for water or other resources.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Operational Plan for the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). If approved, this request will result in estimated costs and revenue of $1,750,000 for Major Maintenance Capital Outlay Fund (MMCOF) Project 1026101, Cactus Park Refurbishment. Construction costs for playground equipment for the Cactus Park Refurbishment project are estimated at $580,000 including contingency. The remaining $1,170,000 in project funding will be used for design and construction management of other improvements for Cactus Park, including new fencing for the ballfields, restoration of the dugouts, and the conversion of the boardroom to a snack bar. The funding source is available prior year General Fund fund balance. Maintenance of the new playground will be performed by existing DPR operations staff. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
Expenditures resulting from this action will create private-sector jobs and economic opportunities in San Diego County.
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
This project is substantially community-driven, and the local Community Planning Group (CPG) has requested and supported this project with a vote of 11 to 1 (and 1 abstention) on September 8, 2024.
BACKGROUND
The County of San Diego (County) Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) enhances the quality of life for county residents and visitors of all ages. As part of its mission, DPR operates more than 100 playground facilities throughout the county that promote health and wellness for youth across the region. DPR regularly reviews this inventory to identify playgrounds that have reached the end of their useful life. DPR has prioritized the replacement of the most highly used and oldest playgrounds within its inventory, some more than 40 years old. Older playgrounds pose several challenges in successfully maintaining them, including routine maintenance and repair to extend their service lives. Replacement parts for the oldest playgrounds are difficult to procure or are no longer available. Many of the playgrounds that are proposed to be replaced require increased maintenance to remain in service. The new preschool playground at Cactus County Park will replace the previous playground that was removed because it was broken beyond repair and was not accessible to all children. The new baseball-themed playground will contain baseball-oriented playground equipment that will highlight various items that are found within the baseball fields that surround the playground. The improvements will enhance the user experience and exceed the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), thereby increasing access for children of all abilities.
Cactus County Park is a 59-acre park located in the community of Lakeside. The park offers a one-mile trail for both hikers and equestrians alike, four softball fields that host hundreds of youth from ages 4-14, one baseball Pony field for youth ages 12-16, and an airstrip for radio-controlled airplanes. The Pony League is a youth recreation baseball league that is known as a transition league for players who graduate from Little League to play in a regulation-size diamond. There is also a bicycle motocross (BMX) track that sees hundreds of youth and families each week. The proposed project will replace the existing 15-year-old preschool playground with new playground equipment and add a new playground for children ages 2-5. The new playground will provide a new play area for preschool children of all abilities, which will add to the rich variety of recreational features at Cactus Park that will also include other improvements such as new fencing for the ballfields, restoration of the dugouts, and converting the boardroom to a snack bar.
A contract with MW Peltz and Associates was implemented in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24 with General Funds for technical assistance in developing design documentation necessary for installation of a playground replacement at Cactus County Park. MW Peltz and Associates was engaged to provide planning and design services for this project, and a construction contract will be needed to perform the installation of the playground and other improvements at Cactus Park.
Today’s proposed action will authorize the Director, Department of Purchasing and Contracting, to advertise and award a construction contract for and to take any action authorized by Section 401, et seq. of the Administrative Code for Playground Replacement at Cactus Park for an estimated cost of $580,000 for the Cactus Park Playground, including contingency. The remaining $1,170,000 in project funding will be used for design and construction management of other improvements for Cactus Park. The funding source is available prior year General Fund fund balance. If approved, project construction is anticipated to begin in Summer 2025 and be completed in Fall 2025.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
The proposed action to replace a playground at Cactus County Park is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15301, 15302, 15303 and 15304 of the CEQA Guidelines. Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) is appropriate because the Project consists of replacing a playground within existing park facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Section 15302 (Replacement or Reconstruction) is appropriate because the Project consists of replacing a recently removed playground and would have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure being replaced. In addition, the new playground will be located on the same site as the current or former playground. Section 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) is appropriate because this section allows for construction of accessory structures. Section 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land) is appropriate because minor ground disturbance would be required to install the new playground structure which would not involve the removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed action to authorize advertisement and award of a construction contract for a playground replacement at Cactus County Park aligns with the Sustainability and Equity Strategic Initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2024-2029 Strategic Plan by fostering an environment where residents engage in recreational interest by enjoying parks, open spaces, outdoor experiences, and civic activities that enrich quality of life and contribute to providing access for all and equal opportunity for health and well-being through partnership and innovation.
Respectfully submitted,
Dahvia lynch
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - Vicinity Map Cactus County Park