Agenda Item: 1
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: July 9, 2024
SUBJECT: CENTRAL PARK BUILDOUT - RIVER OF LIGHTS, PROJECT P4033 DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PRESENTER: Shannon Pickett
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council receive a presentation on the Central Park River of Lights, Project P4033, review the two options presented, and provide direction to staff to proceed with Option One or Option Two.
BACKGROUND
The Central Park Buildout project was recently constructed at the southwest corner of Central Park. The project included the addition of four full-sized multipurpose fields and field lighting, a new parking lot and lighting, a new restroom building, upgrades to the adjacent dog park, a 55- foot wide plaza between the parking lot and multipurpose fields, and exercise stairs. The plaza area and exercise stairs are shown on the attached location map. This project had a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 17, 2023, and supports the Building and Creating Community theme of the City of Santa Clarita’s (City) five-year strategic plan, Santa Clarita 2025.
On September 26, 2023, preliminary design and associated costs were presented to the City Council to consider decorative lighting embedded in the plaza and installed along the exercise stairs. The programmable lights will be capable of displaying variable colors at varying levels of brightness to create visual effects such as flowing water. The rendering for the River of Lights is shown on the attached Exhibit A.
The City Council provided direction to proceed with consideration to reduce anticipated costs, define hours of operation, and work with the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency (SCVWA) for educational kiosks.
In response to this direction, staff consulted with two electrical design consultants and two electrical contractors to evaluate the design and identify opportunities to reduce construction costs. Several cost saving ideas were implemented including utilizing existing conduit,
eliminating the transformers, and reducing the number of electrical outlets and up-lighting of the trees within the plaza.
Staff determined the decorative lighting will be turned off by 10:00 p.m. when the lights throughout Central Park are turned off. The decorative lights will be installed to avoid casting light onto the exercise stairs where hours of operation will remain from dawn to dusk.
Staff worked with SCVWA to develop informational kiosks to be installed as part of the project, which will include three double-sided pedestals with information on the history of SCVWA, water supply, groundwater, water quality, conservation, and stormwater. The project will also include four pedestals located around the public art to describe the water cycle. One additional pedestal will include information about the public art.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements were previously completed for the Central Park River of Lights project. On June 1, 2021, the City of Santa Clarita Planning Commission adopted Resolution P21-14, adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration and approving Master Case 21-040, consisting of Conditional Use Permit 21-003, Minor Use Permit 21-003, and Oak Tree Permit (Class 2) 21-007 for the construction and operation of the Central Park Buildout project, located at 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road within the City of Santa Clarita.
A Notice of Determination was filed with the Los Angeles County Clerk (File No. 2021-126014) on June 4, 2021.
The initial invitation to bid was prepared and published twice in The Signal newspaper for the River of Lights project, on March 21 and March 28, 2024, and was posted on BidNet. Only one bid, in the amount of $1,488,771, was received on April 23, 2024. To ensure competitive pricing, staff rejected the bid and rebid the project.
The second invitation to bid was prepared and published twice in The Signal newspaper, on May 9 and May 16, 2024, and was posted on BidNet. A total of two bids were submitted to the City and opened by Purchasing on June 4, 2024. Each of the bids included a base bid and four bid alternates. The base bid was for lighting the plaza and replacing the decomposed granite path with concrete and the alternates included installing the following: hillside lighting along the exercise stairs, civic art sculpture “When Cloud Met a Cloud” and associated lighting, educational pedestals, and junction boxes to light adjacent trees.
The basis for award was the total for the base bid and all four bid alternates combined. The results of the total bids, including bid alternates, are shown below:
Company Location Bid Amount
H&S Electric, Inc. Valencia, CA $1,397,200
Solex Construction, Inc. Los Angeles, CA $1,531,786
Based on these bid prices, the total construction cost, including contingency and soft costs, will be $1.7 million.
At the March 26, 2024, City Council meeting, the City Council directed staff to reallocate funds in the amount of $229,279 from the Sheriff’s Station Civic Art project to the Central Park River
of Lights project. To fund the River of Lights project as outlined in Option Two below, an additional appropriation, in the amount of $1,470,000, would be required.
Two options for the City Council's consideration are outlined below.
Option One - Do not approve the River of Lights Project
Under this option, the River of Lights project would not be completed and the existing budget would be used to install the civic art sculpture “When Cloud Met a Cloud” and replace the decomposed granite path installed in anticipation of the River of Lights project with concrete.
Based on our engineer’s estimate, the total construction cost under this option, including contingency and soft costs, is anticipated to be $200,000.
Option Two - Proceed with the River of Lights Project
Under this option, City Council:
1. Approve the plans and specifications for the Central Park River of Lights, Project P4033.
2. Award the construction contract to H&S Electric, Inc., in the amount of $1,397,200 and authorize a contingency in the amount of $209,580, for a total contract amount not to exceed $1,606,780.
3. Extend the current contract and authorize an increased expenditure authority for construction support services, with Visual Terrain, Inc., in the amount of $48,000 and authorize a contingency in the amount of $7,200, for a total additional contract amount not to exceed $55,200.
4. Appropriate one-time funds in the amount of $1,470,000 from the Facilities Fund (Fund 723) to expenditure account P4033723-516101.
5. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents, subject to City Attorney approval.
Under this option, staff recommends awarding the construction contract to H&S Electric, Inc., the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. This contractor possesses a valid state contractor’s license and is in good standing with the Contractors State License Board. Staff reviewed the bid response for accuracy and conformance to the contract documents and found it to be complete.
The bid proposal adheres to the project’s plans and specifications and is available in the City Clerk’s Reading File.
As part of the effort to enhance the experience of park users, City staff worked with Visual Terrain, Inc. (VT) to develop design concepts and provide mock ups for multiple decorative lighting options for the River of Lights project. After staff evaluation of the concepts, VT was tasked to prepare construction documents to install decorative lighting in the plaza and along the exercise stairs to match the selected concept.
In order to provide appropriate construction management support services throughout the project, ensure the visual aesthetics are met, and provide light programming services, it is recommended that the existing contract with VT be increased by a total of $55,200, including contingency. This increase will allow VT to provide construction management support at regular meetings, review submittals, respond to requests for information, address design issues as the project is constructed, and provide programming services for the lights.
The requested contingency will be used for any unforeseen site conditions, utility conflicts and fees, or additional needs that may occur during the construction process.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Upon approval of the recommended actions, for Option One, funds are available in expenditure account P4033723-516101 (Facilities Fund) in an amount of $229,279 to support the recommended project costs. For Option Two, the budget will be increased by $1,470,000 in expenditure account P4033723-516101 (Facilities Fund) for a total project budget of $1,699,279 to support the recommended contracts and associated project costs.
ATTACHMENTS
Location Map - Central Park River of Lights
Exhibit A - River of Lights Rendering
Bid Proposal for H&S Electric, Inc. (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) Proposal for Visual Terrain, Inc. (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)