A long-running project to build a new public aquatic facility/water feature in El Dorado is still in its infant stages and members of the El Dorado Parks and Playgrounds Commission were recently apprised of the next steps in the planning process.
Last month, commissioners discussed the matter at length with Michael Rogers, of MR Designs, a local architectural and design firm who has been tasked with developing the project.
Rogers provided a preliminary outline of how the firm plans to proceed with developing the project, explaining that the effort will begin with conceptual designs that MR Designs drafted for the city in 2021 and working with the EPPC to refine and hammer out the details.
MR Designs holds a professional services contract with the city and after more than a year of wrangling over the need to bid services for a project manager, the EPPC agreed in August to take advantage of the existing contract between the city and MR Designs.
Robert Edmonds, director of public services, explained then that MR Designs will still have to be paid for professional services but the contract includes the "project manager's part."
The project is part of a master plan to improve city parks.
Over the past two years, the EPPC has implemented several components of the plan, including purchasing several large pieces of equipment for Lions Club Municipal Golf Course; paving the Leslie Ann Darden Trail, a recreational trail that encircles LCMGC, the Union County Fairgrounds and the El Dorado School District soccer fields; building two new basketball courts for Lions Club Park, just south of the golf course pro shop; and purchasing and installing new park-style, charcoal BBQ grills for Neel, Mattocks, Mellor, Mosby and Old City parks.
Prior to building the basketball courts, the EPPC shifted Lions Club Park eastward, away from the entrance of the municipal golf course, to improve public safety.
The work has been funded by the El Dorado Works tax, a one-cent, city sales tax initiative that is dedicated to economic development, municipal infrastructure and quality-of-life projects.
Last fall, the EPPC also agreed to raze the Mattocks Park swimming pool.
The pool, which was nearly 70 years old and was the city's only public swimming pool, was razed in March after having been closed for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The age and poor condition of the pool and pool house, declining attendance and public safety risks also factored into the EPPC's decision to demolish .
Since then, discussions have been ongoing about building another aquatic facility/water feature for the community and parks and playgrounds commissioners are looking to once again tap into the El Dorado Works tax revenues to fund the project.
That is where MR Designs comes in.
"The goal for us, initially, is to form a design proposal for the funding request that would have to go in," Rogers said on Oct. 25.
"I understand that there's no purse strings or anything like that, currently, that would to take care of even that initial phase, what we'd be looking at," he told commissioners.
Outline
At the top of the list, Rogers explained, is establishing a design budget, which would entail "loosely putting together what a scope of work would be and what a project budget would be so that we could accurately give you that information."
Once the project itself and a scope of work are clearly defined, the next step would be to draft a design proposal to present to the El Dorado Works Board, who administers the El Dorado Works tax, he said.
Rogers then deconstructed the design process, explaining that the first component is the schematic design -- work that includes "sitting down with the EPPC and the city and put together a program of what the project could be."
MR Designs' expectations of the project have already been set with conceptual designs that were drafted from Rogers' work in the community and awareness of similar projects in other communities in the region.
He previously presented designs for three options, including:
• A zero-entry, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-accessible pool with a section for four swim lanes.
• A larger pool and a smaller, "kiddie" pool.
• A splash-pad only.
"But for the initial process, we want to make sure that we give what your expectation for it is as well," he told the EPPC.
Considering sites, potential feasibility studies, "realistic" conversations with the city (the EPPC, mayor, El Dorado City Council members, Edmonds, etc.) about operation and maintenance capabilities and more are all components of the schematic design phase.
Commissioners have said the water feature may or may not be built in Mattocks Park, noting that feedback from the community will be a prominent factor in site selection.
Commissioner Karen Hicks asked if MR Designs will facilitate the conversations and Rogers said yes, explaining, "For me, that's something we bring to the table. That's a client meeting. That's whoever our client is at that point and our client is not just parks and playgrounds. Our client is the city of El Dorado ..."
He went on to say that MR Designs will work to establish such details on the front end of the planning phase.
"I feel like that's where we've been for the past year. We don't know how to move forward when we don't what we can do to move forward," Commissioner Alexis Alexander said.
Rogers reassured commissioners that MR will take the helm of securing a buy-in and general agreement from the city of how the project would proceed.
Referring to the Nov. 8 election, Alexander asked if the effort would advance after the election, which included several city races, one of which was a changeover in the mayor's seat.
Rogers said yes.
El Dorado City Council Member Paul Choate defeated incumbent mayor Veronica Smith-Creer and challenger Tokorra Cato in a three-way contest.
"Because the steps we're going to get to to even get that point will be months down the road at this point," Rogers said, adding that talks will begin after the first of the new year to determine how the project would be funded upfront.
Design development, construction documents and construction administration are other elements of the design phase, Rogers said.
Design development includes consideration of construction materials that will best suit the project, layout/arrangement of the facility and public feedback, which would call for a series of meetings and potentially, community surveys involving the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce and local businesses to reach a cross-section of the community.
Rogers told commissioners that the information gleaned from the initial conversations about design will help in estimating construction costs and finalizing the design.
"The truth is when we bid the project out, we are not going to be able to bid out three or four different projects," said Rogers. "... While there may be a master plan of what this is, we might be able to bid out different components of this. There's going to be one project that we bid out."
Some components could be added or deducted along the way, he said, adding that the city will have to provide direction on how to move the project forward, he continued.
Next, construction documents, or a preparation of bid and permit documents, including site data -- surveys and geotechnical reports -- would be drawn up and the project bid.
"That would be what I think has been described as phase one for this commission," said Rogers.
Once funding has been cemented, MR Designs would then move into the construction administration phase to work with the contractor and oversee the build.
Rogers said there are several "unknowns" surrounding the project -- such as site location, budget community desires, etc. -- and the more "unknowns" that can be answered upfront, the more specific the details can be during the planning phase.
Earlier in the meeting, EPPC member Greg Harrison referred to plans by the city of Magnolia to build a splash pad and skate park.
In August, the Magnolia City Council approved a spending cap of $1.2 million to build the facilities, according to the Magnolia Reporter.
Magnolia city officials will tap into city coffers, including reserves, to fund the project.
"I know it's too early to ask the question but as far what we design, it's going to attempt to be something that's different than what they're doing, right?" Harrison asked.
Rogers pointed back to Harrison's question later in the meeting and distributed the conceptual design for the splash pad that is being planned in Magnolia -- all public information and images.
"That is what $900,000 looks like," he said, noting that MR Designs is not associated with the project.
"Back to Greg's question on this, no, I'm not saying that we do this."
He said several aspects of such a project need to be taken into account, including security concerns and adding safety elements while ensuring that the facility is still inviting to the community.
Other details
Rogers also referred to points that were included in information that was compiled by an EPPC sub-committee that was formed last year to come up with a plan for an aquatic facility.
Addressing one point -- project manager/hiring subcontractors -- Rogers said that the MR Designs team would step into that role.
"It's not, per se, a project manager for subcontractors but it's a design team that's moving forward with that," Roger said.
Another point broached by the subcommittee was seeking sponsors and possible donations.
Rogers said MR Designs does not typically handle capital campaigns for the projects on which it works, explaining, "Usually, that is left to the owners' representatives, how they raise that."
"Is that something the city can even do?" Alexander asked.
Harrison, who also serves as chairman of the El Dorado-Union County Recreation Complex Board of directors, said yes.
He explained that the complex board sought out a contract for services to assist with advertising and promotion.
The effort resulted in an increase in sales of advertising space to display signs and banners that promote local businesses and industries at the complex, thus, more revenue for the facility.
EPPC member Glenn Faust said part of the scope of work is to be mindful of potential partners and forward such information to a grant-writer that is commissioned to assist with finding funding for the project.
"We want to make sure that we don't leave anything on the table," said Faust.
Rogers said MR Designs has a good relationship with the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District in Magnolia.
SWAPDD has assisted the city with securing grants a for a myriad of municipal projects over the years.
To help the city avoid any surprises surrounding the funding aspect, Rogers explained that design services are typically rendered upfront and approximately 85% of a full design fee is expended before a project is bid.
"When we bid a project, we have provided everything except for construction administration, which is about 15% of what our service is," Rogers said.
He said the different phases of development, along with their respective fees, would be portioned out in a proposal that is submitted by MR Designs.
"So, if at any portion in there, if there is a jumping-off point to where the project is not feasible, you're not liable for the full aspect of that," Rogers said.
Harrison said a professional management service, such as MR Designs, would also oversee change orders and make sure things run smoothly.
Budget and scope of work are going to drive a design proposal, Rogers said.
Public swimming pool or water feature
Rogers advised the EPPC that he personally does not a see a public swimming pool as a viable project, adding that such facilities on the decline regionally and nationally and calling them "a maintenance nightmare."
Alexander and Faust agreed.
"This design is very much mirrored to what I'm used to up north, except it's got a fence and a time- locked gate and zero people maintaining it because there's nothing for any kids to crawl on, fall off of, or drown under," said Faust.
Rogers said the city could take a more urban approach to the aquatic facility by adding restrooms, awnings and shady spots to make the facility a destination.
"It's there for the community to use. I think the bells and whistles get old pretty old quick. It's trendy ...," he said, adding, "If you get a pool, I think you'll be right back where you are in five years."
Alexander agreed, saying she has seen the same trends and shifts from public swimming pools to splashpads and similar water features in communities across the country.
"Some people are going to argue that we don't need two splashpads but I don't think it needs to mirror what we already have," she said, referring to the MAD Splashpad in downtown El Dorado.
Rajveer Kaur Kang, project designer for MR Designs, reiterated that the group will have to assess the needs of the community.
One issue, Kang said, will be accessibility.
"So, each space doesn't need to serve the whole, blanket community but even just a neighborhood that is underserved," she said.
"We need to be evaluating some of those questions -- who is going to have the easiest access to it and is it going to be a safe space for them to have some leisure activity but then have elements of it so if someone is going to have a party there, there's a great pavilion," she explained. "Is it in direct competition with some other splashpad in the community or is it designed to serve the immediate community around it?"
Harrison lauded the points made by Kang and said the EPPC and city "can get creative with" the project.
"And we have more control as far as minimizing our costs," he said.
Gatekeepers
Faust said the EPPC may not have all of the information that the EWB typically requests when considering funding proposals.
"I've gone on record as saying this is not the works' committee's vote. We have to get past their vote and get them to stand out of the way as say the has to be the city council's vote," Faust said.
"The city council has to go on the record as saying, 'We're behind it. We're going to fund phase one,' and then when we get ready, they're going to have to fund phase two," he continued.
If a funding request has been approved by the EWB, the group then takes its recommendation to the city council for consideration.
The council may override an EWB decision, an approval or denial, about a funding request.
Rogers said some hurdles and uncertainties may "disappear" with the knowledge that a professional services firm is helping to develop and guide the project.
"For me, I'm not prepared to answer any questions until that client meeting," Hicks said. "Based on the temperature I've taken, anything we do before then will just be a waste of time."
Alexander and Harrison made similar statements, with Harrison saying the EPPC is pre-planning and is not yet "qualified to speak on the project until we all have an opportunity to meet."
Rogers said meetings with stakeholders and the community will help the groups gain a better understanding about the project and the EPPC's intentions.
"... so that then we put actual numbers to a design proposal so that then we can go get funded to execute what that vision is," Rogers said.
Hicks also said the EWB and city council should be aware that the EPPC is having conversations about the project.
Rogers said the stakeholders' meeting "needs to happen right after the first of January."