Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Landscape Structures Inc. in an Amount Not to Exceed $285,862 for Construction of the Bayport Park Playground Project; and
Adoption of Resolution Amending the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Capital Budget for the Playground Replacement Project (91621) by Appropriating an Additional $150,000: (1) a Donation from the Alameda Friends of the Parks Foundation in the Amount of $10,000, and (2) Fund Balance of the Bayport Park Municipal Services District 03-1 in the Amount of $140,000. (Recreation 278)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Bayport Park playground is being replaced as part of the Annual Playground Replacement program. The Alameda Youth Committee developed an outer space theme based on the adjacent Ruby Bridges Elementary School star mascot and local neighbors provided input on the playground design and other park improvements during an online community meeting which culminated in the final proposed design. This is an inclusive design for children and families of all abilities and provides a variety of activities for all ages. In addition to a $10,000 donation from the Alameda Friends of the Parks Foundation, staff is requesting an increased budget allocation in the amount of $140,000 from the Bayport Assessment District fund balance to fully fund the proposed playground equipment and add a shaded picnic area as requested by the community.
BACKGROUND
Bayport Park is located on Jack London Avenue in western Alameda and is directly adjacent to the Ruby Bridges Elementary School. The park was constructed in 2006 as a partnership with the Alameda Unified School District when Ruby Bridges Elementary School was built. The Park includes baseball/soccer fields and a recreation center with after school and summer programming in addition to community rentals. The free Parks and Playground Program is located at this site. The Park is also used by the school for physical education classes and other activities.
The City has an Annual Playground Replacement Program and to date has replaced playgrounds at Longfellow, Godfrey, Littlejohn, and Woodstock Parks. This Program replaces one park playground each year based on structure age, lifespan, and neighborhood needs. The design for each playground is unique with a theme and community input from the local neighborhood. The playground safety surfaces are changed from the existing wood fiber to poured-in-place rubber surfacing whenever possible. This Program increases the accessibility of Alameda playgrounds to a wider range of users, enhances safety requirements, and decreases annual maintenance costs.
DISCUSSION
Staff began the design process with the Alameda Youth Committee (AYC), a youth leadership development group, to brainstorm and create a theme for the Park. AYC decided on an outer space theme to complement the Star mascot of the adjacent Ruby Bridges Elementary School.
Staff worked with three playground companies to develop multiple designs with the outer space theme. On October 14, staff held a virtual neighborhood meeting at which both parents and children provided valuable input on the six designs presented. Through real time polls and annotation on design choices, staff received input on the overall design preferences in addition to options for specific play components such as slides, climbers, overhead climbers, motion components and colors. Also discussed were options for shaded picnic areas and other aspects of the Park that neighbors felt could be improved for a better community experience. Staff compiled the playground data and a clear outcome reflected the residents’ design preference. Further updates were made on the chosen design to change colors and specific components that better reflected the residents’ desires. The design was also reviewed by park maintenance and recreation program staff for design flow and ongoing maintenance requirements.
The playground design (Exhibit 2) includes play areas components for both under 5 and 5-12 year olds. The playground includes multiple vertical climbers, a tall double slide and smaller slide for toddlers, a toddler bucket swing, children’s strap swing, a molded bucket seat that is ideal for children with physical disabilities, a small table and seats for a shaded rest and snack area, and several interactive panels. It also includes a swaying rocket ship with a cockpit control panel that is fully inclusive for children (and their caregivers) who have physical disabilities and builds community interaction between children, as well as between children and adults, with multiple people on the rocket at one time working in synchrony to make it move.
The residents requested full fencing around the playground so this project includes completing the existing fence around the playground with a gate. They also asked for increased safety lighting and, to address this, staff will confirm there is sufficient funding to in the lighting program budget.
The safety surfacing will be rubberized poured-in-place material that is fully Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and will reduce park maintenance costs for refilling wood fiber by approximately $10,000 annually.
At the neighborhood input meeting, staff also provided two options for shaded picnic areas - a small one adjacent to the playground and a large picnic area in the northwest corner that would be reserved for group gatherings. The community members felt strongly that the large picnic area was not appropriate for this Park and felt the only feasible location would take away the natural ways that children use that area and where families have their own small gatherings. Staff] instead planted trees in the location to provide long-term shade at this location and along the area between the school and Park to provide additional shade and beauty. A shaded picnic and seating area adjacent to the playground is also included in this project.
The Alameda Friends of the Parks Foundation generously donated $10,000 to the Bayport Park Playground replacement project. An additional $140,000 is requested to be allocated from the Bayport Assessment District fund balance for a total Capital Improvement Project budget of $300,000 to construct the playground, add fencing, install picnic tables, and a shade structure, with additional lighting if remaining funds are available. There are sufficient funds available in the Bayport Municipal Services District Fund (278) for this project as recommended.
With City Council approval in January, completion of the Bayport playground project is anticipated by April 2021.
ALTERNATIVES
Options include:
1) Authorize the Landscape Structure, Inc. agreement to construct the Bayport Park playground and allocate additional funding for the recommended playground design and shaded picnic area.
2) Direct staff to revise and reduce the playground design and eliminate the fencing and shaded picnic area to remain within the Playground Replacement CIP budget of approximately $150,000.
3) Do not approve the proposed project at this time.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The playground equipment and related safety surface is considered an equipment purchase eligible for procurement and installation through a cooperative purchasing agreement with Sourcewell and is considered a product that has already been competitively publicly bid. Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contracts have been competitively bid and solicited so that government agencies can utilize their contracts meeting all state, local and federal public procurement requirements, including prevailing wage rates. All three playground companies that staff considered were pre-approved with pre-negotiated pricing with the City, a cooperative purchasing agency.
An additional appropriation is being requested to fully fund the Bayport Park Playground Project. The Playground Replacement Project (91621) in the Capital Improvement Project Fund (310) has an available budget of approximately $150,000. The requested appropriation will increase the budget for Playground Replacement Project 91621 by $10,000 from a donation by the Alameda Friends of the Parks Foundation and by an additional $140,000 from the Bayport Park Municipal Services District 03-1 (Fund 278) available fund balance for a total project budget of $300,000.
|
Budget Request |
Revenue/ Expenditure |
Fund Number |
Fund Description |
Project Number |
Project Name |
Budget Amount |
|
New Appropriation Request |
Increase Expenditure Budget - Transfer Out |
278 |
Bayport Park Municipal Services District 03-1 |
N/A |
N/A |
$140,000 |
|
New Funding Award |
Increase Revenue Budget |
310 |
CIP Fund |
91621 |
Playground Replacement |
$10,000 |
|
New Appropriation Request |
Increase Revenue Budget - Transfer In |
310 |
CIP Fund |
91621 |
Playground Replacement |
$140,000 |
|
New Appropriation Request |
Increase Expenditure Budget |
310 |
CIP Fund |
91621 |
Playground Replacement |
$150,000 |
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
There is no impact to the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301 (Repair, maintenance and/or minor alteration of an existing facility).
CLIMATE IMPACT
There are no identifiable climate impacts or climate action opportunities associated with purchasing this structure. Planting additional trees within the park will advance a stated Climate Action and Resiliency Plan goal to increase tree canopy coverage in the city.
RECOMMENDATION
To authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Landscape Structures Inc. in an amount not to exceed $285,861.74 for construction of the Bayport Park Playground and to amend the capital budget for FY 2020-21 by appropriating (1) a donation from the Alameda Friends of the Parks Foundation in the amount of $10,000; and (2) fund balance of the Bayport Park Assessment District Fund in the amount of $140,000 for the Bayport Park Playground Project.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager concurs with the Recreation and Parks Director’s recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Annie To, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Agreement
2. Bayport Park Playground Design
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager