Hampton Field: City Finds $1,471,435 to Complete Project
The entire Hampton Field project will move forward, if the Council approves Hampton Park Improvements Budget of $1,978,760.
City Administrator Paul Benoit in his April 18, 2016 staff report asks the City Council to approve a budget of $1,978,760 for Hampton Park Improvements and authorize him to sign a construction contract in the amount $1,573,435.50 with low bidder Suarez and Munoz to complete the plan for the park. (See plan of park facilities here.)
The City Council approved the Hampton Park Improvements Master Plan on June 2, 2008. The project was then sidelined due to budgetary constraints. On March 3, 2014, the Council awarded a $134,238 contract to William Harris, Harris Design for plans for phasing the project or, alternatively, completing the entire project at one time. Read the City Administrator’s Report here.
The focus has been on refurbishment of the hardscape surfaces for tennis, basketball and handball as well as drainage improvements (Phase I). Hazardous conditions on the tennis courts, significant maintenance of the play field during and following wet weather, soil wash out onto nearby roadways, and other issues have been a concern. Measure WW, East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Local Grant Funds, in the amount $507,325 were previously approved for the project. To complete the entire project, Phase I and II, the estimated cost is $1,978,761. The City will add $1,471,435 using various pots of City money and donations.
Funding Sources for the $1,978,761 Hampton Park Project:
- EBRPD Measure WW Funds: $ 507,325
- Private Donations & Commitments $ 303,254
- City Athletic Facility Preservation Fund: $ 200,000
- Harris Engineers Settlement: $ 417,000 (undergrounding)
- City Facilities Maintenance Fund: $ 275,591
- City General Fund: $ 275,591
City Sources = $1,168,182
Private Donations & Commitments = $ 303,254
EBRPD Measure WW Funds = $ 507,325
Read the City Administrator’s April 18, 2016 Report here.
Read the City Administrator’s January 4, 2016 Report here.
Agreement with Harris Design [separate from Harris Associates] in the amount of $134,238 was previously approved and expended by the City.
Read about Piedmont’s Risk Management Policy & Procedures for Major Capital Improvement Projects
The Council meeting is open to the public and will be broadcast live via Cable Channel 27 and live streamed on the City website – “videos.” The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue.
The staff report claims this project is a “prime example” of a city facility that has suffered from deferred maintenance but there is a lot more to this project than maintenance. Facility Maintenance funds are intended for maintenance and refurbishment of city facilities and while the resurfaced tennis courts and field drainage qualify, there are substantial capital improvements in the Hampton Field project. Easily over $400,000 of this project qualifies as capital improvement (for example, $100,000 for artificial turf, over $100,000 for landscape irrigation, $35,000 in planting, $45,000 entry sign and planter, $12,000 for a pergola) so the public should be clear that this is not a $1.5M deferred maintenance project. The specific line items for this project are available at http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/html/govern/staffreports/2016-01-04/hamptonfield.pdf.
If deferred maintenance was the only element of this project, it would likely have happened sooner. $500,000 of WW funds were available by 2009 and the additional funds needed for the field improvements could have come sooner from the Athletic Facility Preservation Fund, General Fund and private donors, namely the sports clubs. In the past, staff may have deferred bringing the project forward to see if the Blair Park project proceeded, to which case WW funds could have been applied. As it happens, the $400,000 secured from the PHUUD undergrounding settlement is being used on this project, perhaps for the capital improvement. Only 10% ($275,000) of the $2.3M Facilities Maintenance was used for this project, making it a prime example of how the city has multiple resources to address facility maintenance and capital improvements.
With all this money spent, it’s unfortunate we couldn’t get a larger play structure. This is the only park with a playground on this side of town, and the play structure is geared towards 2-5 year old children.