The Park City School District set a $15.7 million spending cap on the fourth phase of its master athletics plan this week, but residents won’t need to pay additional taxes to foot the bill.
The Board of Education met in a special-called session on Monday morning to discuss the guaranteed maximum price, or how much the district is willing to pay, for the final phase of the athletic rebuild.
A series of improvements for Dozier Field is detailed in the plan, as well as the construction of an entirely new complex, including baseball fields and tennis courts, on the property previously occupied by Treasure Mountain Junior High School.
The district in a press release said it will use its savings and remaining bond funds to complete the project rather than requesting a tax increase to bolster its finances.
“Thanks to the Board of Education’s long-term planning and commitment to fiscal responsibility, we’re able to move forward with this project without any added financial burden on the community,” said Superintendent Lyndsay Huntsman.
The fourth phase of the development encompasses a new track around Dozier Field and a full reconstruction of the home-side bleachers. Specifically, the reconfiguration of Dozier Field uses the significant grade on the hill of the western side of the field to tuck support buildings underneath the bleachers. Concession stands will sit behind the seating area, with a team room partially below ground level. Architects also proposed a concrete plaza space to the left and right of the press box.
Dozier Field is expected to hold between 1,700 and 1,900 people once the project is completed.
“The current synthetic turf will remain in place because it still has useful life,” the district’s press release said. “Additional improvements are planned near the southeast stadium entrance, replacing temporary restroom facilities and enhancing the space for visiting teams, storage and officials.”
The press release also said the district worked with its design and construction team to “evaluate materials, simplify design elements and adjust site features” to reduce costs while still bettering student programming and community use of its athletic facilities.
“Cost-saving adjustments included modifying branding elements, eliminating a canopy to be considered for a future phase and scaling back initial landscaping plans to focus resources on essential competition facilities,” the press release added.
The school board last year approved parts of the athletic facility’s master plan, which is being funded by a $38 million revenue bond over 20 years. The demolition of Treasure Mountain Junior High School started in September, and the construction of the Treasure Mountain Sports Complex is expected to begin in the next few months.
However, the district briefly had to stop work on specific portions of the demolition after an inspector with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality discovered unreported asbestos on the site last month. The state agency subsequently sent the district a non-compliance advisory.
The letter stated the inspector visited the site on Oct. 22 and identified two potential violations, both of which were related to asbestos regulations. The first issue was the district’s alleged failure to identify all locations and materials containing asbestos on the site. The second violation was “for failing to follow the sampling protocol” to determine whether the suspected “asbestos-containing material” actually contained asbestos.
Cripple Creek Consulting and Environmental, a third-party contractor involved in the demolition process, told the Utah Department of Environmental Quality on Nov. 13 that the potential violations were the result of a mistake in previous paperwork.
“PCSD has previously engaged and retained an asbestos consultant to author and update the asbestos management plan for Treasure Mountain,” the school district wrote to the state agency earlier this month. “In planning for the eventual project and demolition, PCSD engaged a different asbestos consultant. The building was resurveyed and the asbestos survey updated. However, there existed some misinterpretation with the existing management plan and survey update.”
The decision to change consultants was due to the realization that the project required a full-time environmental site manager, according to the district.
The letter continued, “Please understand that at no time did PCSD or its consultants attempt to circumnavigate or display malicious intent to not follow procedure for abatement.”
In a press release, the district said the school has had an “active Asbestos Management Plan” since 1989, with required inspections “continuously documented.”
“Asbestos in certain areas of the building was already known and properly managed under that plan,” the press release said. “We will, of course, continue to monitor all aspects of project management carefully to ensure accountability and the highest standards of safety for our students, staff and greater Park City community.”