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ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 5 Mayor Grant agrees that Arden Oaks is flat and he thinks the proposed Option 1 would be a great sizable improvement for that location. It looks nice. He is open to delaying Freeway Park to explore other possibilities. He asked if it's possible to ask the vendors to submit bids on a nature- based playground at Freeway. Bryce Shearen said he can request the playground designers come up with a nature-based option at Freeway Park. He said the budget is what it is. The designers will submit bids to include what can be done for the budgeted cost. Mayor Grant thinks it makes sense to move forward with Arden Oaks. Councilmember Holden said she attended Nite to Unite at Freeway Park and those residents are looking forward to the playground they voted for, to be built. She noted it's been postponed twice. She said residents want the fence up, they want the playground to be safe for their kids and they are looking forward to it. She asked if getting bids would push the installation out another year. Bryce Shearen didn't think it would delay it for another year. He said MWP could probably get a design together this year, but it might leak into November, so that would be past the grant deadline so potential savings would be lost. Councilmember Holden wondered if there would be another open house to discuss playground vs. nature-based equipment. She thinks residents already looked at this location and they are anxiously awaiting a new park. Mayor Grant asked if a nature park would have a longer lifespan than a traditional playground. Bryce Shearen noted there are different styles. Some options use real wood which would lessen the life cycle and it would be more work to maintain. Some styles use faux wood. It is molded material that are made to look like wood. Those have about a 20-year life cycle. He said the idea behind nature play is some of the real wood element allows the playground to change. Kids will experience nature by seeing some of that decay. He said that type of structure is usually found at a nature preserve settings with an educational component. He believes that for a neighborhood setting it would be better to go with the faux wood. Mayor Grant thinks there would have to be neighborhood engagement before completely changing the plan. He thinks installing Arden Oaks gets something for both neighborhoods. He wonders about resurfacing Freeway Park. Can that project move forward, so residents can play basketball and pickleball while the discussion surrounding the play structure continues? Bryce Shearen didn't see any issues with phasing the construction. There would be a savings if both parks are resurfaced at the same time. He thought that phasing could be scheduled in May or June of 2025. Assistant Public Works Director Miller confirmed that it would be more cost effective to keep the two resurfacing projects together. Those projects could move forward without impacting the footprint of the play structure. Mayor Grant said that would allow progress at each location, so residents are getting something sooner.