Title
R.A. LONG PARK PLAZA RESTORATION
COUNCIL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE ADDRESSED:
Address quality of place issues
CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW: N/A
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
On March 25, 2010, the City Council approved Resolution 1957 adopting the R.A. Long Park Master Plan. This Plan was developed to accomplish three goals: 1) Celebrate the history of R.A. Long Park; 2) Enhance pedestrian and vehicular safety and park access within the Circle; and 3) Increase activity and improve the condition of R.A. Long Park.
The Phase 1 park improvements project was planned to construct a fountain, replace the upper and lower concrete plaza areas, replace the west plaza steps with ADA ramps, upgrade park lighting, repair concrete walkways, and upgrade the existing electrical service. The project was advertised for bids in February 2016; however, the bids significantly exceeded the available budget and all bids were rejected.
After rejecting the bids, staff and the City Council explored ways to reduce the cost of the project and address tripping hazards due to the deteriorated concrete in and around the plaza. Subsequently, the City Council and Historic Preservation Commission agreed to resolve safety issues by removing the upper concrete plaza and portions of the lower plaza, with a commitment to begin construction on replacement of the plaza in 2018. Those plaza areas were removed and replaced with grass.
At a workshop on August 15, 2017, staff presented several conceptual design options for City Council consideration:
1. Replace the upper and lower plaza with historic-finish concrete and install a fountain in the center of the upper plaza.
2. Replace the upper and lower plaza with historic-finish concrete and install a gazebo in the center of the upper plaza.
3. Replace the lower plaza with historic-finish concrete, the upper plaza with grass, and install a gazebo in the center of the upper plaza.
The City Council directed staff to develop a conceptual design for option 3 and include the park lighting and electrical service upgrades as part of the improvements; and to schedule a joint workshop with Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), Parks and Recreation Board, Project Longview, and the Monticello Hotel owners as project stakeholders to review the project conceptual design.
At a joint workshop on September 18, 2017, staff presented option 3 to the stakeholders but no consensus was reached to accept the presented option. The City Council then directed staff to work with the HPC to develop an option that would be acceptable to obtain a certificate of appropriateness.
At their September 25, 2017 meeting, the HPC acknowledged the rising costs of construction and funding challenges to restore the plaza, but also expressed the need to retain historically significant features of the plaza and park. The HPC then established the following criteria for developing an acceptable project:
1. HPC will not require colored concrete for the plaza
2. HPC will accept regular concrete with texturing instead in lieu of colored concrete
3. The plaza elevation must be retained
4. The plaza shape/ geometry must be replicated
5. The plaza concrete scoring/ texture patterns must be replicated
6. The plaza landscape hedge border must be retained
7. Agreed with replacing the planned water fountain with a gazebo
8. Final design for the gazebo and concrete scoring/texture patterns are subject to HPC review and approval for the project to qualify for a certificate of appropriateness.
Staff revised the project concept to incorporate these HPC criteria and presented the concept to the City Council on October 12, 2017. However, due to insufficient funding to complete the project, the City Council took no action.
Recently, the City was awarded a State Capital Funding grant to help pay for this project. To determine how to proceed with the project, the mayor formed a City Council committee consisting of Mayor Don Jensen and Councilmembers Ken Botero and MaryAlice Wallis. This committee met on January 31, 2018 to review the current project budget and develop project scope and funding recommendations. The City Council committee recommended proceeding with a project that includes full plaza replacement and ADA ramps, scored and textured concrete without added color, electrical and lighting upgrades, and installing a gazebo instead of a fountain. The committee also recommended adding funds to replace a portion of the defective walkways in the park.
The next steps for the project are to obtain City Council approval to:
1. Approve the project conceptual design as recommended
2. Allocate $44,000 from the Capital Projects Fund to cover the estimated funding shortfall for construction of the plaza
3. Allocate an additional $100,000 from the Kuntz Family Trust to replace a portion of the defective walkways in the park
FINANCIAL SUMMARY:
Current secured project funding is $300,000 from the Kuntz Family Trust, $296,000 from the State Capital Fund, and a pledged $75,000 private donation for the gazebo, for a total of $671,000. The estimated cost of the plaza restoration project is $715,000. The City Council committee and staff recommend that $44,000 be allocated from the Capital Projects Fund to cover that funding shortfall. In addition, the committee recommends that an additional $100,000 be allocated from the Kuntz Family Trust fund for replacement of a portion of the defective walkways in the park.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Motion to:
1. Approve the project design as presented
2. Allocate $44,000 from the Capital Projects Fund
3. Allocate an additional $100,000 from the Kuntz Family Trust
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