8.2. SR 03-04-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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C'ry of Elk River REQUEST FOR ACTION TO ITEM NUMBER Mayor and City Council 8.2 AGENDA SECTION MEETING DATE PREPARED BY General Business March 4, 2013 Michael Hecker, Parks and Recreation Director ITEM DESCRIPTION REVIEWED BY Orono Park Playground Replacement Cal Portner, City Administrator REVIEWED BY ACTION REQUESTED Direct, by motion, Parks and Recreation staff to remove the current playground at Orono Park. Approve by motion, the purchase of a new playground through the State Contract for $260,700 with the design recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission. BACKGROUND /DISCUSSION Due to the potential hazards and safety issues with the current playground at Orono Park, the Parks and Recreation Department recommended replacement of the existing playground. The play structure is over 25 -years old and is out of compliance with ASTM standards. The Parks and Recreation Commission began discussions on a new playground last spring, centering on a "destination playground," defined as a larger play area with unique play features to explore that appeal to a broad range of users. Destination playgrounds are play areas where visitors plan to spend extended periods of time, unlike a small neighborhood structure with limited activities. The January 9 work session included invitations to members of the Lake Orono Improvement Association and randomly selected residents. Attendees received an overview of 6 designs from two different playground vendors. The vendors were requested to develop concepts with a budget target of $250,000 for a destination -type playground with a "Powered by Nature" theme. There was a strong consensus for the preferred playground concept. The full Commission reviewed the playground designs at the February 13 regular meeting and approved the preferred concept design. The original plan was to locate the new playground in the same place as the current playground. Unfortunately, a water main and a sewer line pass beneath the site. The preferred location is at the end of the parking lot between the two shelters near the current playground. It is possible that some of the tress on the site will need to be removed. Staff is still working on the exact placement of the playground features and their relation within the overall park. Once the playground is approved by City Council, it will take up to 12 weeks to manufacture the play features and two weeks for construction, planned for May. Completion is expected for early June. P 0 W E R E 0 0 r IN A"URE