M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
From: Rafael G. Casals, Town Manager
Date: July 15, 2015
Re: Athletic Field(s) Rehabilitation Project
• Bel Aire Park
• Cutler Ridge Park
REQUESTTitle
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, SELECTING MULLINGS ENGINEERING SERVICES, LLC. FOR THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF SOD WITHIN THE TOWN’S PARKS; PROVIDING FOR WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING; PROVIDING FOR AUTHORIZATION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Body
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Bel Aire Park 18500 SW 97 Avenue - Existing Conditions
Bel Aire Park is located at the intersection of Franjo Road (SW 97 Avenue) and SW 185 Terrace, near the Town’s northern boundary. It is approximately 5.25 acres in area. The park is used daily almost every month of the year for active recreation. It is used as a practice and competition field for youth and adult soccer, high school lacrosse and Pop Warner football.
Site amenities include a sod athletic field, scoreboard, pole-mounted field lights, fixed bleachers, non-fixed benches and trash receptacles. Various goals and other pieces of large, sporting equipment are pushed to the park perimeter as needed.
Cutler Ridge Park 10100 SW 200 Street - Existing Conditions
Cutler Ridge Park is located on Cutler Ridge Drive (SW 200 Street), adjacent to Cutler Ridge Elementary school. The park is divided into two (2) parcels: one nine (9) acre parcel used for recreation and a second two (2) acre parcel currently fenced-off and unused. The second parcel is the limestone ridge for which Cutler Ridge was named;
an abandoned building and several mature ficus trees are all that occupy it. The two (2) parcels are separated by a field owned by the school.
Cutler Ridge Park is used for daily, year-round athletics programs including youth soccer and flag football. Cutler Ridge Park also has a pool facility, which is used year-round by swim and water polo teams. A community center and playground are used year-round for after school programs and summer camps. This building also houses the Town’s Department of Parks and Recreation. The athletic fields, due to heavy, frequent use are only in “Fair” condition. There are several site furnishings, including bleachers around the pool facilities and next to the fields, which are generally in “Poor” to “Fair” condition. The community building is in good condition, with the remainder of the site amenities in fair condition.
In the Town’s amended 2009 Parks Master Plan, Town staff provided an analysis of the above existing conditions at both Bel Aire Park and Cutler Ridge Park which included a list of needs and potential opportunities for improvements to each park.
In the Master Plan, the athletic surface, or sod athletic field, at Bel Aire Park was reported to be in “Poor” condition and it was recommended by Town Staff to be rehabilitated to a condition that can more adequately support regular competitive play. Similarly, at Cutler Ridge Park, the soccer fields were reported to be in “Fair” conditions, but it was recommended by staff that it should be rehabilitated to more adequately support regular competitive play. Additionally, the layout of the fields was suggested to be adjusted to allow for safe distances between the games during multiple game play.
Earlier this year, Town staff, in collaboration with its landscaping contractor Valleycrest, conducted an Agronomy Report of the athletic fields at both Bel Aire Park and Cutler Ridge Park. (Attachment “A”) The results of the Agronomy Report were that the conditions of the athletic fields have deteriorated to “Poor” over time, due to years of daily use and temporary re-seeding treatments in place of re-sodding. The athletics fields at these parks are now in dire need of rehabilitation.
Currently, the Town has over 500 children from the Cutler Ridge Soccer Club playing on these athletic fields during the year, excluding outside organizations that reserve these fields for football and soccer. Town staff is recommending the re-sodding of the Bermuda athletic turf at Bel Aire Park of approximately 20,000 square feet and at Cutler Ridge Park of approximately 75,000 square feet. Town staff plans to continue its collaborative effort with Valleycrest for the prepping and grading of the athletic fields requiring rehabilitation, which is required, prior to the installation of the Bermuda athletic turf.
In October of 2014, the Southeast Florida Governmental Purchasing Cooperative Group advertised an Invitation to Bid No. 066-2730-12/DJL for “Sod and Sod Installation” to which Mulling’s Engineering Services, LLC was one of the vendors awarded.
Town staff would like to “piggy-back” the Southeast Florida Governmental Purchasing Cooperative Group with Mulling’s Engineering Services, LLC as one of its vendors for the delivery and installation of Certified 419 Tifway Bermuda Sod, following the prepping and grading to be completed by Valleycrest. Subsequent to the prepping and installation of the sod, the Town’s landscape contractor Valleycrest will maintain the new athletic turf.
Town staff has contacted all of the athletic organizations that currently use our facilities to inform them of this project and agreed that the athletic fields will be unavailable for use while undergoing this rehabilitation. The duration of the project has been estimated to take approximately 4-6 weeks to complete.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council approve the attached Resolution, selecting Mulling’s Engineering Services, LLC. for the purchase and installation of sod within the Town’s parks.