1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: August 27, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Marisa Garcia, Park, Recreation, and Community Services Director VIA: Michael del Campo, Park, Recreation, and Community Services Assistant Director
BY: Lupe Santarriaga, Administrative Analyst I
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Approving a Cooperative Agreement with Landscape Structures, Inc. for the Brace Canyon Park, Maple Street Park, and McCambridge Park Playground Project
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BURBANK APPROVING A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES, INC. FOR THE
BRACE CANYON PARK, MAPLE STREET PARK, AND MCCAMBRIDGE PARK PLAYGROUND PROJECT (Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND
The Parks and Recreation Department (Department) prides itself on creating unique play areas and experiences for all park users. It is the Department’s goal that park amenities, including playgrounds throughout Burbank , have a unique element, look, and feel. The playground equipment selected for parks provides children with innovative play areas to exercise and develop other critical social skills.
Understanding the value and benefits of park playgrounds, t he Department has established a replacement schedule for play ground equipment citywide. The schedule reflects the age and condition of the equipment, as well as industry standards and compliance regulations. The playgrounds at Brace Canyon , Maple Street , and McCambridge Park (collectively, the Parks) are currently scheduled for replacement. This project (Project) includes the design and installation of new play equipment to replace the existing playgrounds.
The existing playground equipment at all three Parks were installed in 2011. While the playgrounds are safe, they have exceeded their useful life. Consequently, it is necessary to replace the playground equipment to ensure compliance with the Consumer Product
2 Safety Commission guidelines and current Americans with Disabilit ies Act (ADA) requirements.
The design-build project delivery method will be used to facilitate the coordination of design, demolition, and installation of the equipment. Notably, one contractor will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Project, streamlining the project timeline. By integrating the design and construction components together through the design -build method, it is anticipated that the Project will be completed on time and within budget.
DISCUSSION
Playgrounds are crucial for children's development as they offer a safe space for physical activity, creativity, and social interaction. By engaging in play, children improve their motor skills, build confidence, and learn important social skills such as t eamwork and sharing.
The proposed playground equipment system s, as detailed in the attached renderings (Attachment 2), also accomplishes the Department’s goal of creating unique and fun play areas. Moreover, the proposed project includes additional elements that will enhance the existing playgrounds.
Brace Canyon Park
The replacement equipment at Brace Canyon Park is designed for children in the two to five and five to 12 age groups. The new play equipment includes swings, slides, climbing netting, and a vertical climbing wall, providing a diverse range of activities for children of all ages. Additionally, embedded shade elements have been integrated to offer protection from the sun, ensuring a comfortable play experience even on warmer days. The playground features a nature theme, utilizing natural materials and earthy colors to harmonize with the surrounding landscape. This thematic approach aims to evoke a forest-like atmosphere, encouraging imaginative play and fostering a connection with nature.
Maple Street Park
As with the existing play equipment at Maple Street Park, the new equipment is designed for children aged two to five years. The new equipment will incorporate a variety of innovative and engaging design elements to enhance the overall user experience.
Notable features include modern climbing structures and inclusive swings and slides to accommodate children with different abilities. Additionally, the garden-themed playground will be adorned with flower accent toppers and insect play booster panels to stimu late creativity and exploration.
McCambridge Park
The playground at McCambridge Park will undergo a significant upgrade focused on accessibility and inclusivity. It will feature dedicated play areas for children aged two to five and five to 12 , with swings, slides, and an engaging underwater theme to ignite children's imaginations. The design includes multi -sensory play experiences, such as tactile and auditory elements, catering to children of diverse abilities. Emphasizing ADA compliance, the playground will have wide movement routes, smooth transiti ons on and off equipment, wheelchair -accessible ramps, adaptive swings, sensory play elements, and ground-level activities.
3 This initiative, which aligns with the Department's dedication to accessibility and inclusion, will be highlighted during the Department’s 100th -anniversary celebration. The grand opening will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony and family-friendly activities, showcasing the Department's commitment to creating welcoming and inclusive community spaces.
The replacement playground, one of the most inclusive in the City, will reflect a century - long commitment to community inclusivity and fun.
The new playgrounds will provide a variety of the very latest play features and experiences for children of all abilities in a fun atmosphere. They include elements of inclusion play for cognitive, strength, social/emotional, sensory, and motor development.
For this Project, the Department is utilizing an alternate delivery method, the use of a Cooperative Agreement. By using a Cooperative Agreement, the City is able to utilize another public agency’s competitive bid process which includes bidding language on behalf of the members of the nationwide Cooperative. This process reduces the cost of goods and services by aggregating the purchasing power of public agencies nationwide.
The procurement and/or construction agreements a re awarded to those company(ies) providing the best value. This process eliminates much of the time needed for a bid process and is a preferable method of procurement for playground equipment and installation, as each manufacturer provides proprietary equipment. Therefore, the Department can select the manufacturer and the design that best suits a particular park’s needs while still receiving the benefit of nationwide pricing. This method also helps with streamlining the project timeline. The industry standard is for the manufacturer to provide a public agency with an 8% price reduction. The Department believes that the cooperative purchasing process is the optimal purchasing procedure for its playground replacement as it provides the greatest flexibility in selecting a unique product at a reduced cost. Under Burbank Municipal Code § 2-2-116, subdivisions (I) and (J), the City Council (Council) shall waive the requirement for competitive bidding by Resolution finding that it is in the best interest of the City and award the contract to the proposer offering the Best Value as more fully defined in the solicitation.
Landscape Structures Inc. is an approved supplier of cooperative purchaser Sourcewell and is utilizing a contract established by Sourcewell’s cooperative agreement (Attachment 3). Landscape Structures Inc. is the selected vendor. They have met all the requirements and expectation of the Department and the City . Notably, t he existing p layground equipment at Valley and Ovrom Park was also designed and installed by Landscape Structures.
Design Immunity
To invoke design immunity protection under California Government Code § 830.6, the Council or an employee exercising discretionary authority must approve the final plans and specifications for a project prior to construction. BMC § 2-2-104 grants certain employees such discretionary authority over technical specifications, plans, and drawings.
In a traditional design-bid-build project, design or plan approval often occurs when Council awards the construction project after bidding. However, in a design-build project, final plans and specifications are not completed until after Council’s approval. Therefore, staff requests 4 that the Council delegate the authority to approve the final plans and specifications to the Park, Recreation, and Community Services Director once they are finalized.
The proposed playground designs were presented to the Parks and Recreation Board (Board) at their August 8, 2024 , meeting. This offered the community the opportunity to provide feedback. The Board unanimously supported the project as presented.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This Project is categorically exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to § 15302 of the State CEQA Guidelines, which allows for replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities, where the new structures and facilities will be located on the same site and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structures and facilities being replaced. Staff recommends Council find the Project exempt from CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. The total contract price is $3,483,350. The Capital Improvement (CIP) Projects were approved during the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget Process, and funds are available in the following project accounts:
534.PR21A.70003.0000.24978 (Municipal Infrastructure Fun d, Park Facilities Maintenance, Park Improvements, Brace Canyon Park Playground Replacement), 534.PR21A.70003.0000.24977 (Municipal Infrastructure Fund, Park Facilities Maintenance, Park Improvements, Maple Street Park Playground Replacement) and 534.PR21A.70003.0000.24816 (Municipal Infrastructure Fund, Park Facilities Maintenance, Park Improvements, McCambridge Playground Replacement) and 370.PR28A.70003.0000.24816 (General City Capital Projects Fund, Parks and Recreation Facility Planning and Development, Park Improvements, McCambridge Playground Replacement).
CONCLUSION
The completion of this Project will enhance the recreational options available in the City and support the healthy development and social growth of the community's youngest members. The replacement of playground equipment at the Parks is slated to commence in October 2024 and be completed by March 2025.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Brace Canyon, Maple Street, and McCambridge Park Project Renderings
Attachment 3 – Sourcewell Proposal Evaluation