Parks advisory board recommends Option E for Lower Selmaier Park playground, forwards recommendation to City Council

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommended Option E as its primary choice for the Lower Selmaier Park playground and forwarded that recommendation to the Highland Village City Council after reviewing a public survey and vendor cost estimates.

Staff said the public-engagement survey, open April 23 through May 11, received 235 responses and showed neighborhood respondents (85 responses) favored Option E. "The highest rank need, was overwhelmingly for a new playground," Phil, the parks presenter, told the board. Staff presented five vendor options and estimated costs: Option A $120,638.74; Option B $128,103.15; Option C $129,560.90; Option D $140,368.19; and Option E $151,009.25. Staff also reported removing one craftsman quote of $170,314.50 because of high cost.

Board members discussed warranty terms, seating and accessibility. Several members emphasized turf-warranty length as a major factor in lifecycle cost. "I would suggest that the council consider allotting a little more money and going with option e," one committee member said, noting Option E offers two benches, an adult swing and a 15-year turf warranty. Staff acknowledged Option E is roughly $11,000 over the $140,000 project allocation but said some bond capacity and interest earnings may cover modest overruns; final allocation decisions rest with council.

The formal motion, as read by the chair, recommended Option E for council consideration with Option C (including the picnic-table and ADA walkway addendum) as the alternate. The board voted unanimously, 5–0, to forward the recommendation; staff said it will present the package to city council on June 9.

Next steps: staff will prepare presentation language and updated bond-capacity figures for the council briefing; council will decide whether to approve the recommended option, authorize additional funds, or select an alternate.

Clarifying details: the board received warranty information with the survey; staff advised that small-play elements often carry 5-year warranties while boulders/logs may be warranted for up to 15 years. The playground add-on (ADA access, picnic table and concrete pad) was estimated at about $12,000–$13,000 if approved as part of the project.