Update on Park Plans within The COR and Authorize Civil Engineering Services

The purpose of this case is to authorize the required civil engineering services that are necessary to complete the schematic design work for the two remaining park spaces in The COR.  In December 2017, City Council authorized staff to proceed with the park plans for 'Municipal Plaza' (previously referred to as Civic Square Commons) and 'The Waterfront' (previously referred to as Lake Ramsey Commons).  The case authorizing the schematic design for the interconnected parks clarified that certain civil engineering tasks would be required mid-way through the park planning process. This work was then estimated to be within a range of $34,500 to $48,000. That scope of work that is required now, has been redefined and is identified within the first attachment at a not-to-exceed cost of $30,080.

For the meeting, staff will highlight the park program elements as proposed today, which in doing so, will fully describe the interrelated civil engineering that is needed at this time.

Within the rapidly developing COR, there are various 'systems' of interconnected infrastructure including streets, storm water systems, municipal and other utilities; all of which interface with the public realm—sidewalks, streetscapes, trails, boulevards and the park spaces.  Each of these elements, together with proposed development as well as active development projects are interrelated spatially and in construction sequencing, and accordingly are complex, but also provide opportunities for these unified systems to be designed for maximum utility and efficiency in construction timing. 

Following are examples of activity that also will be favorably influenced by the civil engineering work in the parks (no order/priority):

• The final plans and construction documents are being completed for the Affinity apartment project. The interface with Municipal Plaza—especially the grading and storm water are important elements to 'get right' and will be vetted by the proposed civil engineering.
   
• The apartment will also be across Ramsey Parkway from The Waterfront.  Affinity's developer is charged with constructing the parkway (the street between the apartment and park).  Many aspects of the park, inform the parkway design elements; driveway and parking area alignments, intersection geometrics, crosswalk locations, median configuration, drainage and storm water opportunities, etc.
   
• The schematic design project for these two parks, coupled with the civil engineering work, will result in plans (not construction documents) for these parks that have reliable cost specificity, allowing the Park and Recreation Commission and City Council to better consider future capital improvements.  The preliminary plans will also allow many of the park program components to be done in increments or phases (E.g. mass grading, then landscape, then splash pad etc.).
   
• As forecast, now that the city is a few months into the schematic design work for the parks, and the public infrastructure study, civil engineering work (as described in the first attachment) will provide for a grading plan for both parks, and the fill sand volume to be available for development sites in The COR—at the time of mass grading of the regional storm pond and The Waterfront. Note: the scope of work within the civil engineering includes $6,000 in soil borings to "add a level of certainty for the assumption that the soils [to be removed for the storm pond] can be used for structural foundations."
   
• The soil borings will assist future development by providing groundwater elevation information, which can have an impact on building pad elevations, as well as the overall design of the regional storm water pond and connecting storm sewer system.

The funding for the civil engineering is recommended to come from the Park Trust Fund.  It may be noted here, that the estimated Park Dedication proceeds from the Inland/Affinity Living project is $386,750

 

Staff recommends approval of Bolton & Menk's proposal to perform civil engineering services, that will result in the preliminary grading and drainage plan for the two remaining park spaces in The COR, at a not-to-exceed amount of $30,080.

Motion to: Approve Bolton & Menk's proposal to perform the preliminary grading and drainage plan for the two remaining park spaces in The COR, at a not-to-exceed amount of $30,080.