Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-03-2000-9cORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 3, 2000 Action Agen t, Item No. SUBJECT: Reconsideration of Pocket Park at Skills Development Center DEPARTMENT: Purchasing and Central PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) Nv Services ATTACHMENT(S): • Town of Chapel Hill Resolution granting funding for Right -of -Way Work at 501/503 West Franklin Street • Original computer rendering of project INFORMATION CONTACT: Pam Jones (919) 245 -2652 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732 -8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688 -7331 Mebane 336- 227 -2031 PURPOSE: To reconsider the construction of a pocket park at the Skills Development Center, 503 West Franklin Street. BACKGROUND: On June 21, 1999 by a vote of 3 -2, the Board voted to suspend efforts to develop a pocket park in conjunction with the Skills Development Center on Franklin Street, citing cost as an issue. A primary cost factor was the work that was required in the Town's right -of -way. The Town had requested materials and design elements that would have served to increase the overall cost of the project to the County. The Town recently passed a resolution that appropriates up to $60,000 of available Streetscape funding to build the right -of -way portion of the property. As the Board may recall, the estimate for right of way construction was only $15,000. The Town will reimburse the County whatever the cost of right of way improvements might be, up to a maximum of $60,000. Information from the Town indicates that any cost beyond $60,000 will not be reimbursed. Their commitment extends only to work done in the right of way. The resolution calls for the work to be done as part of the County's construction contract. In light of this new development, Commissioner Carey has asked that the item be brought forward for reconsideration. As the Board may recall, the construction estimate for the pocket park was approximately $77,000, with an estimated $15,000 being attributed to the right -of -way improvements. Modifications that would not materially affect the overall project were incorporated into the design, bringing the estimated cost of construction to approximately $65,000, including an estimated $15,000 for right -of -way improvements. Assuming the 1999 estimates are accurate, this would bring the cost of construction for the County portion of the project to approximately $50,000, not considering inflationary factors over the past year. In addition to the construction cost, the design fee associated with the remaining work and on- site inspection is quoted at $4,950, plus reimbursables (such as creating copies of plans for bidders) by Paton - Zachino Architects, Raleigh. As the Board may recall, Richard Wilkerson, NCSU provided some pro bono design work through both himself and his students and NCSU. However, the project exceeded his available resources and he is unable to proceed. It is our understanding that Paton - Zachino provided some support services to Mr. Wilkerson during the pro bono phase and is familiar with the project. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The estimated total cost of the project, including the right -of -way, is $73,000 (Item 1 shown in the table below). Available County funding for the park design and construction includes savings from the Skills Development Center Purchase and Renovation Capital Project along with an appropriation from the County Capital Fund Surplus (see Item 2 below). Available Town of Chapel Hill funding for right -of way improvements totals $60,000 (see Item 3 below), 1. Estimated Cost of Pocket Park Estimated Park Construction Cost $52,700 Park Design Fee (including estimated reimbursables) $5,300 Estimated County costs $58;000 Estimated Right -of -Way Improvements Cost $15,000 Total Estimated Cost of Pocket Park (including right -of- 2. County Funds Available for Project Funds Remaining in Skills Development Center Capital Project $40,000 Appropriation from County Capital Fund Surplus $18,000 Total County Funds Available for Project 3. Town of Chapel Hill's Total Available Funds for Right -of -Way Im rovments $60,000 RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board: • Approve the construction of the pocket park; and • Authorize County staff to make modifications in the right of way work as may be required by the Town in order to secure funding for such purpose; and • Authorize the Manager to contract with the design firm of Paton- Zachino in an amount not to exceed $5,000 plus reimbursable expenses. MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and Town Council From: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager SUBJECT: Response to petition regarding Streetscape improvements in front of the Skills Development Center DATE: May 22, 2000 This report provides information about what steps need to be taken to design and construct Streetscape improvements in front of the Skills Development Center. It also provides preliminary cost estimates for the work and suggests different approaches to scheduling its completion. Adoption of Resolution A would authorize the Town Manager to allocate $60,000 in available Streetscape bond funding to reimburse the Orange County Skills Development Center for the cost of Streetscape improvements within the public right -of -way on the south side of the 500 block of West Franklin Street. Adoption of Resolution B would authorize the Town Manager to postpone Town construction projects scheduled for fall 2000 and allocate $20,000 in available Streetscape bond funding to construct Streetscape improvements within the public right -of -way on the south side of the 500 block of West Franklin Street using Town labor in fall 2000. Adoption of Resolution C would instruct the Town Manager to include construction of Streetscape improvements within the public right -of -way on the south side of the 500 block of West Franklin Street among options for upcoming consideration by the Council for construction using Town labor in late spring and summer of 2001. The Manager recommends adoption of Resolution A. BACKGROUND In late 1998, during construction of the interior renovations at the Skills Development Center, preliminary plans were provided to the Town for development of a landscaped area in front of the building located at 503 West Franklin. During the Town staffs review of these plans it became apparent that development of this landscaped area would likely involve some construction in the public right -of -way and would impact future Streetscape improvements in this area. In response to this, the County provided more detailed plans (Attachment #1), dated February 17, 1999, that included reconstruction of much of the existing Streetscape. At that time the Town staff requested revisions to the plans to make the Streetscape elements of the project more compatible with other downtown areas and to tie the sidewalk material, location and width into the improvements underway in front of the adjacent Chapel Hill Newspaper Building. 4 On April 19, 2000, the Council received a petition from County Commission Chair Moses Carey, Jr. requesting that the Town fund improvements to the public right -of -way in front of the Skills Development Center during the 2000 -2001 fiscal year. A copy of this petition is attached (Attachment #2). DISCUSSION Construction Planning Completion of final construction plans, including recommended Streetscape revisions and showing how the improvements in the public right -of -way will be integrated with the proposed landscaped area have yet to be developed. This is a necessary next step that will be improved by coordination between the Town staff and the County's consultant hired to design the landscaped area. It is possible that the Town staff could provide all of the necessary design services for work within the public right -of -way, but we recommend that the design work be closely coordinated with the County's planning if possible. We believe that it may be more efficient to design the anticipated Streetscape improvements first, and then, as necessary adjust the proposed landscape improvements rather than design the Streetscape improvements in response to the current landscape plans. The Town staff could initiate this Streetscape design work during the current fiscal year. Construction Fundiniz The project area is approximately .175 feet in length. We recommend right -of -way improvements including new curb and gutter, a new driveway apron, an underground conduit bank for utilities, a new 8' wide concrete sidewalk, and low brick planter walls along the right -of -way similar to the new walls in front of the Chapel Hill Newspaper Building. A preliminary materials cost estimate for this project, based on recent Streetscape projects utilizing Town labor, is approximately $20,000. If this work is contracted privately, we anticipate that the cost would be approximately $60,000. If constructed by the Town, the Public Works employees who would be responsible for constructing the improvements are made up primarily of Construction Division employees. These would include two of the additional Construction Worker positions approved by the Council in FY 98 — 99 specifically to extend the amount of sidewalk and Streetscape construction the staff can complete each year. If labor and fringe benefits costs for the existing Construction Division positions is considered for purposes of comparison with the privately contracted cost estimate, approximately $32,700 could be added to the $20,000 materials cost for a total estimated Town investment of $52,700. Because this additional $32,700 labor - related cost is already budgeted in the General Fund and would not need to be allocated from available Streetscape funds, Resolution B which utilizes Town labor, authorizes only $20,000 for the necessary construction materials. The Town currently has approximately $424,000 in available bond funding for Streetscape improvements. We anticipate that approximately $75,000 will be expended this summer during construction of approximately 400 feet of improvements on the north side of the 1000 block of East Franklin Street, leaving a balance of about $349,000. A portion of this money could be made available to fund the proposed improvements, either by Town labor or private contract. The remaining balance C would then be available for other Streetscape projects. We anticipate providing options to the Council J for the use of available. Streetscape funding this coming fall. Construction Schedulin As discussed in the section on construction planning, additional design work would be needed before construction can begin. Working with the County's consultant, we believe that this work can be completed this summer. Option A: Private Contractor Constructs Because construction of the Streetscape improvements is so closely linked to construction of the landscaped area we believe that there are advantages to constructing the two components concurrently. This would most readily be accomplished by contracting with the contractor responsible for landscape construction and having the sections in the public right -of -way billed separately. One significant advantage to this approach is that it permits the County to schedule all the construction work at times most advantageous to the Skills Development Center and it does not require that the Town's limited labor resources be used for this project. By doing so, this approach has the effect of increasing the amount of Streetscape construction we can do in the upcoming year without redirecting the construction crew from other needed projects. Contracting out the work would also provide the Town staff with a first -hand opportunity to quantify the cost effectiveness and construction quality associated with utilizing a private contractor. This will assist us in determining whether this approach should be considered during upcoming years to increase the speed in which Downtown improvements are being made. A disadvantage is the relative cost of utilizing a private contractor versus Town labor. Also, although this approach will not utilize Town construction labor resources, it will require careful oversight by Town staff. Adoption of Resolution A would authorize the Town Manager to allocate $60,000 in available Streetscape funding to cover the anticipated cost of this private contractor option. If the bids received for the project exceed this estimated $60,000, we believe it would be reasonable for the County to pay the difference in cost. Option B: Town Constructs Considering the size of the project we anticipate that it would take approximately 6 weeks to complete utilizing Town labor. The Town Construction Division intends to begin this summer's Streetscape construction project on East Franklin Street on June 4, 2000, and complete it in mid to late August. If the Council wishes, Town labor could then be used to construct the proposed improvements in front of the Skills Development Center. An advantage to this approach is that the desired improvements would be done relatively quickly at an estimated materials cost of $20,000. Disadvantages to this approach include not being able to fully 6 coordinate the Streetscape and landscape area construction, scheduling construction during a particularly busy period for Downtown, and, most importantly, having to delay already scheduled construction projects. Currently we have a backlog of Street reconstruction projects we hope to complete before the fall paving season ends and we plan to begin construction on the High School Road sidewalk as soon as labor availability permits. Extending our construction time Downtown likely would result in our inability to complete construction of the High School Road sidewalk this calendar year. Adoption of Resolution B would authorize. the Town Manager to reschedule other construction projects and allocate $20,000 in available Streetscape funding to cover the anticipated materials cost of completing this section of Streetscape construction utilizing Town labor in the fall of 2000. Option C: Delay Construction One Year Over the last several years the staff has provide the Town Council with options for Streetscape construction projects utilizing Town labor resources for upcoming summer construction seasons. We anticipate returning to the Council this fall with a group of construction options for the late spring and summer of 2001. At that time we could include the Streetscape section in. front of the Skills Development Center among the options. An advantage to this approach is that it is less expensive than contracting out the project, as proposed in Option A, and it does not require that already scheduled construction projects be delayed, as proposed in Option B. Disadvantages to this approach are that if it is a selected option, it would not be constructed until late next spring and it would interfere with the Town's ability to do a single large project, like the work recently done on East Franklin Street, in a single summer construction season. Adoption of Resolution C would instruct the Town Manager to include this section among the Streetscape construction options provided to the Council this fall. RECOMMENDATION We recommend that the Town Council adopt Resolution A authorizing the Town Manager to allocate $60,000 in available Streetscape funding to support the private contractor option. ATTACHMENTS 1. Conceptual plan of the proposed landscape area and Streetscape improvements. 2. Petition from Mr. Moses Carey requesting Town funding for Streetscape improvements. RESOLUTION A A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ALLOCATE $60,000 IN AVAILABLE STREETSCAPE BOND FUNDING TO REIMBURSE ORANGE COUNTY FOR THE COST OF STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS IN FRONT OF THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON WEST FRANKLIN STREET (2000- 05- 22/R -13a) WHEREAS, the Council has indicated that construction of Streetscape improvements in front of the Skills Development Center is a high priority; and WHEREAS, there are advantages to constructing these improvements concurrently with adjacent pocket park improvements; and WHEREAS, bond funds are available to cover the estimated $60,000 cost of these improvements; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to allocate $60,000 in available Streetscape bond funding to reimburse Orange County for the cost of Streetscape improvements within the public right -of -way on the south side of the 500 block of West Franklin Street. This the 22nd day of May, 2000. RESOLUTION B A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO POSTPONE OTHER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, ALLOCATE $20,000 IN AVAILABLE STREETSCAPE BOND FUNDING, AND SCHEDULE CONSTRUCTION OF STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS IN FRONT OF THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON WEST FRANKLIN STREET THIS FALL (2000- 05- 22/R -13b) WHEREAS, the Council has indicated that construction of Streetscape improvements in front of the Skills Development Center is a high priority; and WHEREAS, there are cost advantages to constructing these improvements with Town labor; and WHEREAS, bond funds are available to cover the estimated $20,000 materials cost of these improvements; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to postpone Town construction projects scheduled for fall 2000 and S allocate $20,000 in available Streetscape bond funding to construct Streetscape improvements within the public right -of -way on the south side of the 500 block of West Franklin Street using Town labor in fall 2000. This the 22nd day of May, 2000. RESOLUTION C A RESOLUTION INSTRUCTING THE TOWN MANAGER TO INCLUDE CONSTRUCTION OF STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS IN FRONT OF THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON WEST FRANKLIN STREET AMONG OPTIONS FOR FUTURE TOWN CONSTRUCTION (2000- 05- 22/R -13c) WHEREAS, the Council has indicated that construction of Streetscape improvements in front of the Skills Development Center is desirable; and WHEREAS, there are cost advantages to constructing these improvements with Town labor; and WHEREAS, bond funds are available to cover the estimated $20,000 materials cost of these improvements; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council instructs the Town Manager to include construction of Streetscape improvements within the public right -of -way on the south side of the 500 block of West Franklin Street among options for upcoming consideration by the Council for construction using Town labor in late spring and summer of 2001. This the 22nd day of May, 2000. t.-- �r y - .■ll Eno -�` INN a Fl l■N LO HER irAI� Flow �. r 71, r ■Y y, l� r■� as ■■ A �r- oom sic r ■rd i fin 1, ■ ;i■ ■ ■1► wr. CI �� 1 ■� ........... wvmsw%"�� jol""Qawf, : vain SIM non fill AN ........... "I OVI. Ing A Si. I o:q N A.. rp MAN -fly IZ ........... "I OVI. Ing A Si.