Council Rock Board Approves Several Construction Items

Several Council Rock facilities will see some necessary sprucing in the coming months after the board voted to approve bids at Thursday night's regular meeting.

The board approved bids for improvements for Walt Snyder Stadium, and

After serious and sometimes heated discussion, a base bid and one alternate bid were approved for the Walt Snyder Stadium renovations. The base bid, $384,450, includes repairs to the concrete stadium, front railings, steps and a chain link fence around the perimeter. These improvements are needed for some safety and code reasons, Supervisor of Operational Services Douglas Taylor said.

The alternate bid items, which included an engry gate, new ticket booth building and several other extra work, led to controversy among board members. Four of them would be covered by alternate funding, provided by the Turf the Rock Foundation, who donated $200,000 for naming rights.

The first item, a brick entranceway with a "Walt Snyder Stadium" sign, was listed at $37,900. Board members debated on how to fulfill promises made to donors while not spending extravagantly.

Board member Bernadette Heenan called the design "excessive" and Jerold Grupp said it didn't provide enough of an educational explanation for why the stadium was named after Walt Snyder.

The bid was voted down. Others were discussed, but the only other bid passed was a stormwater remediation for areas were water collects inside the stadium, priced at $80,800.

Sol Feinstone and Wrightstown will both receive new roofs, with the services provided by Garland/DBS, Inc. Several board members agreed it's time for the updates.

"The roof at Sol Feinstone has always been a nightmare," board member Paul Anagnostakos said, referring to when his daughter was a student at the school. "It's always a disaster." 

Construction management company D’Huy Engineering, Inc. has provided services for the district for Holland Elementary renovations and their positive reputation was cause for the administration to recommend them for upcoming renovations at Goodnoe Elementary. 

The design bid, listed at $22,422, was the only portion of the project on the table at the meeting and was passed with a 7-2 majority.

The board also approved a mutual agreement between the Lower Bucks YMCA and Holland Elementary for the use of the school's updated facilities. In the agreement, Council Rock is also permitted to use the YMCA's athletic fields and property when they're not otherwise in use. The agreement will automatically renew itself unless either side provides reason not to continue it.

Though some members had dissent over the agreement – member Jerold Grupp called it "inappropriate" – it was passed so that the Holland Elementary renovations project could continue forward in a timely manner.

The board will meet next at 7:30 p.m. on April 26 in the Chancellor Center.