By Mark Squibb/November 18, 2021
Mount Pearl city council approved another change order Tuesday to ensure the accessible playground being built at St. David’s Park is supported with all the infrastructure it requires.
Change order seven, related to the coordination of the new smart accessible playground, had no trouble passing.
“The scope of the project is to replace underground water, asphalt, curb, gutter, and sidewalk,” explained councilor Mark Rice. “The site of St. David’s Avenue work is in close proximity to the site of the new smart, accessible playground, which was at the concept stage during the same time. The concept included a proposed greenbelt to enable more landscaped area, and a new sidewalk. As a result of some overlap between the two projects, and to achieve objectives of the projects to maximize efficiency, council approved changes to address specific issues as they arose.”
Change order number seven was broken down into two separate pieces, the first for the relocation of a storm sewer and catch basin to accommodate the new playground at a price of $40,990, with calculated adjustments at a cost of roughly $20,940, for a total of $61,880.
Later in the meeting, councillor Isabelle Fry made an additional motion on a further change order.
“When we announced our smart playground, we were all so happy and proud about it,” said Fry. “We received some positive feedback from residents, but we also received some suggestions.”
Fry went on to say that change orders were proposed following consultations with user groups.
“It was agreed that enhancements to accessibility should be considered, including ramps, ground-based activity panels, and an adult change table should be researched for possible inclusion.”
The total change order for accessibility enhancement is $84,200.
On September 21, council voted unanimously on a number of change orders related to those features.
Four change orders related to expanding the scope of the project to include a new washroom and play equipment. Those change orders, submitted by Tract Consulting resulting from revisions to the tendered drawings, totalled about $7,760.
Three more change orders represent accessibility enhancements and deletions to the tendered contract, including the enhancement of the small play structure to be fully wheelchair accessible ($28,955.85, HST included), addition of three independent ground-based activity panels ($17,666.30, HST included), and removal, supply, and installation of a "quad rope tower” ($9,533.50, HST included).
Missing from those motions however was the adult change table.
“Now that the research has been complete, the adult change table change order is confirmed at $39,417,” said Fry. “And this includes building enlargement and adult change table with lift capabilities. And this is really important. It’s important to have.”
Councilor Bill Antle said he was glad to see the new addition.
“We’ve heard from residents that this is something that was needed,” said Antle. “And an adult sized change table is something that sets us apart, I think. And it’s something we need. I was talking to a resident a while ago, and she had to change her child on the floor of a restaurant. And that’s something that’s terrible to have to do that. But now we have this in our playground, and I think that’s a good thing to do.”
The initial change order, approved in August of 2020, for the St. David’s Avenue Street Construction Project as it relates to St. David’s Park would allow the creation of a green belt connection and more natural flow between the existing St. David’s Park and the smart accessible playground location, while also providing increased safety, and allowing blue zone spaces. That change order consisted of two parts, $2,783.00 (HST included) for Newfoundland Design to amend design work and $5,735.05 (HST included) for Modern Paving Ltd. to amend road construction.
Director of Infrastructure and Public Works Gerry Antle said that while groundwork, or ‘civil work,’ on the new playground is currently underway, the new playground equipment will not be put into place until next year.
The playground was officially announced in August of 2021. The cost is just under a million dollars, with the City committing $661,400, and the rest split between the federal and provincial governments.
