Supervisors authorize contract for Don Dussault Park improvements

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors authorized the advertisement for bid and subsequent award of a contract to construct improvements at Don Dussault Park.

The supervisors’ 3-0 vote March 12, with Ron Roberts in Washington to seek transit funding and Greg Cox handling California Coastal Commission activity, authorized the director of the county’s Department of Purchasing and Contracting to take the necessary actions to advertise and award a contract. The supervisors’ action also found the project categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review.

“The construction contract will mean a facelift for Don Dussault Park with improvements like new walkways, a play area, a drinking fountain, picnic tables, and a barbecue area,” said Supervisor Bill Horn. “The upgrades will put a little more fun into a day at the park.”

Don Dussault Park is a 3/4-acre recreational facility off of Alturas Road near the intersection of Aviation Road. The master plan for the park has a current cost estimate of about $850,000 for all of the planned improvements, so the project was divided into phases.

The initial Phase I improvement plans included the replacement of the children’s playground structure with one meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, a new tot lot, a picnic shade pavilion, ADA-compliant parking stalls, ADA-accessible exercise stations placed intermittently along an ADA-accessible path, perimeter fencing, and irrigation.

Don Dussault Park is in what the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines as a Neighborhood Revitalization Area, making it eligible for Community Development Block Grant funding provided by HUD.

In April 2011, the Board of Supervisors approved $82,500 of 2011-12 CDBG funding for the design phase of the park improvements. The design contract was awarded in fall 2011 and completed with $9,139 of the 2011-12 CDBG funding remaining, so that balance was reallocated into the construction phase of the project.

In April 2013, the county supervisors approved $216,690 of 2013-14 CDBG revenue for the project to increase total funding to $225,829 including the previous balance. The CDBG annual plan must be submitted to HUD by May 15, but the county has not yet seen its actual allocation for the upcoming year when the plan is prepared and the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development bases its total allocation amount on the previous year’s entitlement figures. The eventual HUD allocation provided $206,372 for Don Dussault Park.

Project budgets usually include contingencies, so projects are often completed with remaining balances which can be reallocated for other projects. On Dec. 3, the county supervisors approved mid-year budget adjustments which appropriated an additional $43,628 of CDBG funds for Don Dussault Park to bring the total construction budget amount to $250,000. The additional money allows for picnic tables, a barbecue, and a drinking fountain to be added to Phase I.

The estimated cost for the construction contract, including contingency, is $197,000. The remaining $53,000 will be spent for inspection, management, administration, and other related costs.

The construction is expected to begin in late spring and be completed this fall.