To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Breyana Brandt, Parks and Recreation Services Director
Prepared By: Ali Koenig, Parks Planner & Project Manager; Katrina Gregory, Recreation & Public Art Manager
TITLE:
Title
Fuller Park Playable Art Project
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution (1) approving and authorizing the Parks and Recreation Services Director to negotiate and execute an agreement with Specified Play Equipment Company for fabrication, delivery and construction of the final design for the Fuller Park Playable Art Project in the amount of $2,315,504; (2) authorizing the Parks and Recreation Services Director to approve change orders and charges for project services up to $175,960 for a total amount not to exceed $2,491,464; (3) determining that the exception for specialty items in Napa Municipal Code Section 2.91.050 apply to the agreement; and (4) determining that the actions authorized by this resolution are exempt from CEQA.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Project Overview:
City staff will present the proposed project design and associated budget and agreement for the fabrication, delivery and construction of the Fuller Park Playable Art Project (“Project”).
The primary scope of the Project includes replacing the existing playground equipment and poured-in-place rubber safety surfacing at the Fuller Park playground, located at 560 Jefferson Street, and installing new Artist-designed playground equipment, varieties of ground-level playground equipment, and poured-in-place rubber safety surfacing within the existing playground footprint. The existing playground equipment includes an area for ages 5 to 12 and for ages 2 to 5. The ages 5 to 12 playground equipment was installed in 2002, along with the safety surfacing below it, and is in poor condition due to age and use. The ages 2 to 5 play area was replaced in 2017 and is in good condition. As such, this 2 to 5 playground equipment will be relocated to another park to replace equipment that is in poor or failing condition.
At the December 19, 2023 City Council meeting, the Project scope and agreements with members of the Project Team were authorized to begin design planning. At this meeting, Councilmembers and the public received a presentation on the project development process, goals and direction of the project, and its alignment with the Public Art Master Plan and Ordinance.
The scope of services for the Project is provided by multiple professionals who make up the Project Team including the Artist (Daniel Wodarcyk), tasked with developing an original, artist-designed concept for the Project, a Fabricator and Installer (Specified Play Equipment Company) scoped to support the design process and manage fabrication, delivery, and installation; and a Landscape Architect (GSM Landscape Architects, Inc.) tasked with managing community feedback and construction documentation. These services are all currently contracted directly with the City and work in collaboration with one another. In addition to contractor services, the City developed and collaborated with the Fuller Park Playable Art Thematic Committee, a limited-term Brown Act body.
Fuller Park Playable Art Thematic Committee
To create the project theme that established the overall direction and inspiration for the project design, the City developed the Fuller Park Playable Art Thematic Committee (FP-PA-TC).
The FP-PA-TC acted as a new City legislative body that was subject to the Brown Act and included 14 members, appointed by the Parks and Recreation Services Director, including two representatives each from the PASC and PRTAC.
Candidates for membership on the FP-PA-TC were vetted to include various organizations local to Napa that specialize in childhood development, public art and/or inclusivity. The FP-PA-TC met three times, and the term of each appointed member terminated upon determination of the project theme. The FP-PA-TC included:
1. Chair Brian Bordona - Parks, Recreation and Trees Advisory Commission Representative
2. John Hannaford - Public Art Steering Committee Representative
3. Garret Murphy - Public Art Steering Committee Representative
4. Amy Deck - Parks, Recreation and Trees Advisory Commission Representative
5. Chris Denatale - Arts Council Napa Valley
6. Olivia Dodd - Napa Valley Presents
7. Lilea Durán - First 5 Napa County
8. Michele Grupe - Community Leaders Coalition
9. Jessica Silverman - Cope Family Center
10. John Zikmund - Kiwanis Club of Napa
11. Marlene San Nicolas - ParentsCAN
12. Erin Little - Special Education Teacher (St. Helena Elementary School)
13. Milli Pintacsi - Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool
14. Josephine Palacios - Napa Moms
Design Process & Community Engagement
The Project Team has worked diligently to ensure that the new playable art and playground design aligns with the needs and project upgrades expressed by the community during the extensive design phases. This public design process includes four major phases:
|
Phase |
Description |
Status |
|
Phase 1: Thematic Design |
The public process of developing the project theme with the Fuller Park Playable Art Thematic Committee (FP-PA-TC). |
Complete |
|
Phase 2: Schematic Design |
The process of translating the project's theme provided by the FP-PA-TC into physical conceptual drawings by the Artist. |
Complete |
|
Phase 3: Design Development |
The process that confirms scale, materials, safety, equipment selections, play value and anticipated budgets. |
Complete |
|
Phase 4: Construction Documentation |
The set of written and plan-view documents that define the work to be completed during construction. |
Pending |
Major community engagement milestones achieved over the first three phases include:
- The Project’s theme was developed over three public meetings in April and May 2024 (April 3, 2024 <https://napacity.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=3109>, April 18, 2024, and May 29, 2024) by local community groups who made up the Fuller Park Playable Art Thematic Committee. Group brainstorming and majority vote led the Project Team to begin designing multiple concepts that envision Trees & Nature. At the public joint meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Trees Advisory Commission (PRTAC) and Public Art Steering Committee (PASC) on June 26, 2024 <https://napacity.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=3035>, these two bodies reviewed two Schematic Design concepts and unanimously voted to recommend that City staff proceed with the Leaves concept, as well as provided feedback to develop the design further.
- City staff met with interested individuals who represent the special needs community to research and select inclusive playground equipment that provide play opportunities for all abilities.
- At the public joint meeting of the PRTAC and PASC on January 28, 2025 <https://napacity.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=3107>, each of the two bodies reviewed the proposed project design and unanimously voted to recommend that City staff proceed to City Council for project approval. Positive feedback on design elements and the inclusion of public requests into the overall project were articulated. Additionally, community input was provided during the public comment portion of the meeting requesting for future projects at Fuller Park to consider an all-inclusive restroom that provides universal changing tables intended for all ages and abilities.
Proposed Project Design:
The proposed project design (Attachment 2) includes three major elements: (1) Playable Art Structures, (2) Variety of Ground-level Playground Equipment, and (3) Safety Surfacing.
• Playable Art Structures: The proposed project design for the specific playable art pieces titled by the Artist as ‘Leaves On A Line’, is intended to visually represent a fallen leaf sculpture while operating as a safe but challenging, durable play feature for youth and families. These one-of-kind abstract and inspiring pieces include an innovative, interactive rope and tensioning system that promotes social and physical activity and coordination in a multi-dimensional space. This experience promotes creative play and problem-solving skills while practicing balance and spatial awareness safely, putting kids in charge of their own play and learning experience. As stated by the Artist, the artwork description and inspiration are told through the eyes of a child:
“What is that, up there? I see a line, arcing, twisting, diving into the floor and then back up again. There are leaves, branches, trees.
I see a Forest!
I can climb, jump, crawl, and explore in this forest. I can play in the sunlight and I can rest in the shade. I can perch on the canopy, hide out in the cave, or dance with the giant leaves.
I see a path!
Where can I go next?”
• Variety of Ground-level Playground Equipment: Surrounding the specific playable art pieces, over 20 ground-level playground features are distributed throughout the play area that account for appropriate safety buffers between equipment. These features include a mix of slides, climbers, ladders, hammocks, net walls, swings, musical elements, spinners and more. The majority of this equipment was vetted by representatives of the special needs community to ensure that the overall design provided as many ground-level inclusive play features as possible. This equipment selection is not only inclusive, but it is intended to promote group play and interactions that involve teamwork and collaboration. This equipment creates a holistic experience for the overall design as well as connectivity between the playable art features and the other playground equipment. The Project Team incorporated the design theme into all aspects of the play area.
• Safety Surfacing: The project’s surface is a poured-in-place rubberized safety surface that is highly inclusive. It boasts an interactive pattern that is intended to guide users throughout the space. In addition, the surface includes an elevated play mound that will feature a turf surface.
Community Benefits:
The variety of components included in the proposed design provide several social and physical benefits for youth and families (see full table included in Attachment 3). These benefits include:
• Imaginative Play
• Proprioception (the sense of body position, movement, and force)
• Tactile (related to the sense of touch)
• Vestibular (sensory system that controls balance and spatial orientation)
• Agility
• Balance
• Cardiovascular
• Core Body Strength
• Endurance
• Eye‐Hand Coordination
• Fine Motor
• Flexibility
• Lower Body Strength
• Upper Body Strength
• Motor Planning
• Problem Solving
• Strategic Thinking
• Cooperation
• Social Skill Development
Site Investigations:
Over the past two months, investigations of the site’s existing conditions were conducted to identify future construction methods and potential project costs. This required completion of a Geotechnical Study Report which included multiple borings both outside the project area and within the project area to understand soil conditions. As a result, the project’s Geotechnical Engineer has found that the existing soil conditions necessitate increased site excavations and deeper foundations to ensure that the project is structurally sound and will withstand decades of public use. The Project Team has identified costs associated with these efforts to complete the project per the Geotechnical Engineer’s recommendations.
Anticipated Budget Needs:
The preliminary Project budget was developed to cover limited site preparation, the playable art structures and any minor small-scale equipment. This preliminary Project budget includes allocations from the Public Art Fund (originally $750,000, and thereafter reduced to $500,000 to offset impacts to the Public Art Fund), which is sufficient to cover the elements categorized as public art. However, the full project costs will exceed the preliminary budget given several factors including site preparations necessary to conform to the Geotechnical Report, and to incorporate several project enhancements including multiple shade covers, additional play features, and inclusive/universal play opportunities requested by the community during project outreach.
Next Steps
Following the proposed recommendation, City staff would proceed to enter into necessary agreements, begin to develop construction documentation with the Landscape Architect, and complete tasks associated with fabrication and installation with Specified Play Equipment Company.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
The Fuller Park Playable Art Project funding sources include previously approved Capital Improvement Program Park project and public art accounts. The existing budget for the public art elements is sufficient. The existing budget for PK18PR07 - Park Playground Replacements is insufficient given Geotechnical Report recommendations and requested changes received from community engagement. Therefore, an additional budget appropriation of $1,000,000 is recommended to move forward with the agreement with Specified Play Equipment Company. Based upon City Council direction regarding the FY2024 available undesignated General Fund fund balance, a budget action will be brought to City Council on March 4, 2025 as part of the FY2025 Mid-Year Budget Report.
CEQA:
City staff recommends that the City Council determine that the Recommended Action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA guidelines section 15301(d) as the restoration or rehabilitation of damaged facilities to meet current standards of safety. It is also exempt on a separate and independent basis pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15302, which exempts the replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
ATCH 2 - Proposed Design and Supporting Images
ATCH 3 - Developmental Benefits Matrix
ATCH 4 - DRAFT Agreement with Specified Play Equipment Company
NOTIFICATION:
Joint Meeting of the Public Art Steering Committee and Parks, Recreation and Trees Advisory Commission on January 28, 2025