Town of Yountville
Staff Report
6550 Yount Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Agenda Item #: 12B
Yountville Town Council Staff Report
DATE: October 6, 2026
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: John Ferons, Public Works Director
PREPARED BY: Rosalba Ramirez, Deputy Public Works Director
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution Number 26-4446 authorizing a Professional Services Agreement with USA Shade Inc. to prepare the Community Center Shade Sail Plans, Engineering, and Installation Agreement not to exceed $150,000 authorizing the Interim Town Manager to execute the agreement with a 10% contingency up to the budgeted amount along with any subsequent amendments.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
The Town is evaluating the installation of a permanent shade feature at the Community Center, Bud’s BBQ, and gathering area to improve usability of the outdoor area during warm weather, provide sun protection for residents and program participants, and enhance the comfort and appearance of the facility. Bud’s BBQ and gathering area is used for community events, programs, emergency preparedness activities, and private rentals. The area currently lacks adequate shade, which can limit comfort and use during warmer periods.
Staff requested design proposals from USA Shade Inc., a Sourcewell company that offers commercial shade structures and sail systems for public spaces, including multi-sided shade structures and sail products intended for parks, recreation centers, and community gathering areas. Staff are evaluating three concepts, the Aquarius, the Inverted Hexagon and Standard Shade Sails, to determine which option best fits the available physical space while providing a prudent balance of shade coverage, appearance, construction complexity, and cost.
Staff reviewed the three design alternatives for economic feasibility, physical fit, and overall suitability for the Community Center, Bud’s BBQ outdoor area. Based on the information provided, the Aquarius shade structure appears to be both the most economical and the most space-efficient option. While visually distinctive, the Aquarius functions essentially as an efficient rectangular shade structure that provides substantial coverage while requiring only two columns. The Inverted Hexagon would provide similar functionality to the Aquarius but at added cost. A traditional shade sail arrangement would require significantly more support infrastructure, including approximately six large foundations with large columns, which would increase construction complexity, occupy more usable space, and is estimated to be more than double the estimated cost of the Aquarius option.
For these reasons, staff’s preliminary assessment is that the Aquarius provides the strongest combination of cost effectiveness, shade coverage, and efficient use of the available site area.
OPTION 1: AQUARIUS SHADE STRUCTURE
Physical space: The Aquarius is the most sculptural option and could create a strong visual focal point. Its principal support and foundation would need to be located so they do not conflict with Bud’s BBQ area, seating arrangements, pedestrian circulation, underground utilities, or service access. Final dimensions and clearances require a field-verified site plan and engineered design.
Estimated design and installation cost: $138,723.48
OPTION 2: INVERTED HEXAGON SHADE STRUCTURE
Physical space: The inverted hexagon can cover a broad, defined gathering area and distribute the canopy across several support points. Its post must be coordinated carefully with accessible routes, doors, furnishings, utilities, and flexible event configurations. It may fit best where the Town wants a clearly framed central activity zone.
Estimated design and installation cost: $143,244.09
OPTION 3: STANDARD SHADE SAILS
Physical space: Based on staff’s initial review, standard shade sails would be less space-efficient than the Aquarius option. Standard shade sails could be arranged in triangular or rectangular configurations; however, the existing Community Center gym building and storage building do not appear to have infrastructure adequate to support the tensile loads required for direct attachment of the sail system. As a result, this option would likely require independent support posts and approximately six large foundations with columns, compared with two columns for the Aquarius structure. The additional posts and foundations would reduce the amount of usable outdoor area, increase potential conflicts with seating, circulation, utilities, and event layouts, and require additional site coordination, structural engineering, and construction. Design and installation are estimated to cost at least $200,000, with the final amount dependent on completed design work.
Economic feasibility: Based on the information provided, standard shade sails are not expected to be the most cost-effective option for this location. Because the sail system could not rely on direct attachment to the existing buildings, the required independent posts and larger foundations and columns would substantially increase construction cost and complexity. The preliminary information indicates that a traditional shade sail arrangement could cost more than twice as much as the Aquarius option, making the Aquarius a more economical alternative for providing broad shade coverage at the Community Center.
Staff and Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC) Recommendation:
Based on staff’s preliminary review and the information provided by the vendor, the Aquarius and Inverted Hexagon shade structures appear to be the preferred design options for the Community Center outdoor area.
Of these two options, staff recommends the Aquarius shade structure as the preferred alternative to advance for further design development and pricing. The Aquarius provides an efficient rectangular shade coverage area, requires only two columns, and appears to offer the strongest combination of cost effectiveness, shade coverage, and efficient use of the available outdoor space.
Staff presented the design options to the PRAC for feedback on the preferred shade structure and color. PRAC directed staff to present the Aquarius design with Desert Sand or Cedar as possible color options. Attached to this staff report are the design renderings and the color brochure for Town Council review.
The Inverted Hexagon remains a viable secondary preferred option because it would provide a defined shaded gathering area with architectural character and broad coverage; however, it is expected to require more support points and greater site coordination than the Aquarius.
Standard shade sails are not recommended at this time. Based on the initial inspection, the existing Community Center gym building and storage building do not appear adequate to support direct attachment of the sail system, and a traditional sail arrangement would likely require additional independent posts and more posts with foundations. These requirements would increase cost, reduce usable outdoor space, and create additional potential conflicts with circulation, utilities, seating, and event layouts.
Funding:
Additional funding will be required to complete the Community Center Shade Sail Project. The project is currently funded through Community Center Enhancements Project CF-0022 with a budget of $179,000. This project budget is also used for other community center enhancement projects. The anticipated cost to complete design and installation is expected to exceed the existing project budget availability. Staff are requesting to move $50,000 from Fund 50 available fund balance to the CF-0022 budget. This will create a final CF-0022 budget of $229,000.
Staff respectfully request Town Council direction on the preferred design and approval of the Resolution authorizing an agreement with USA Shade Inc. and the associated budget adjustment.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
CEQA Cat Ex Class 11, Accessory Structures.
FISCAL IMPACT
Is there a Fiscal Impact? Yes
Is it Currently Budgeted? Yes
Where is it Budgeted? Community Center Enhancements Project CF-0022 plus Fund 50 Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? Discretionary
Is there a Staff Resource Impact? Nominal
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution Number 26-4446
2. Draft Agreement
3. Cost Proposal with Renderings and Color Palette