WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: City looks at options as cost estimate soars for park construction
Oak Harbor staff’s cost estimates for the first phase of development for a long-planned park exceeded the budget by around $3 million, interim Public Works Director Mick Monken told the city council Wednesday.
The first phase of [the Harbor Heights Sports Complex] development, which consists of two soccer fields and 50 parking stalls, was originally budgeted at $1.65 million. Now that staff expect the actual cost to come in between $4.7 and $5.1 million, Monken encouraged the council to carefully consider how to proceed with the first phase — and to develop a long-term strategy for funding development of the rest of the park... which might include engaging community partners, such as the North Whidbey Pool, Park and Recreation District.
During a board meeting of the park district commissioners Tuesday evening, district Director Jay Cochran said Oak Harbor staff had already floated the idea of forming some kind of partnership to her.
They Said It
“Personally, I have zero issue with a time delay,” Councilmember Bryan Stucky said. “What I don’t want is for us to do another major project that goes over budget.”
Stucky added that he favored requesting an official cost estimate from the consultants now. Councilmember Jim Woessner also favored this option, while councilmembers Dan Evans, Shane Hoffmire and Eric Marshall and Mayor Pro Tem Beth Munns supported staying the course and waiting for the 90% cost estimate, which was the course of action city staff recommended.
“In all fairness, the city wants to meet now because they have a lot on their plate financially, and letting things go seems to be, to me, advantageous for them,” [North Whidbey Parks Commissioner Juli] Brooks-Leete said. “So we’ll certainly proceed with caution, because running levies for sports complexes and things, and taking over that — I mean, if it were easy, they’d hold on to it.”
