The Town Council gave its enthusiastic support to the final design for the proposed Preserve trailhead at the head of Adero Canyon when it met on Feb. 16.

The project that was master planned 10 years ago is finally expected to be ready for contractor bidding by late March. Staff has a bid opening scheduled for mid-May and will bring the bids back to the council for award in June.

If construction can begin by July the project should be completed by end of the calendar year or within the first quarter of 2018.

The town has earmarked $1.8 million for the work from development fees collected for open space projects. This is funding that cannot be used for any other programs and it must be used by 2020.

J-2 Engineering and Environmental Design, the architect of the plan, has estimated the project at about $2.2 million. Currently the town is budgeting $400,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund for the trailhead.

Councilman Cecil Yates asked Jeff Englemann of J-2 whether there were opportunities for value engineering to cut costs on the project. Yates indicated he would like to spend no more than the $1.8 million.

Englemann said this is something they will watch closely moving forward. He noted, for instance, costs for hauling materials are included in the budget, but a good portion of the materials used are expected to come from the site itself, including landscape salvage, eliminating the hauling costs.

“There are a number of these options we will be looking at,” Englemann said.

Councilman Dennis Brown also noted that the design includes retaining walls that may not be necessary due to the solid rock of the terrain. He said MCO Properties found this in developing the Adero Canyon site.

Englemann also said the budget includes staining for exposed rock, which is likely unnecessary.

Englemann described how the trailhead would be put together using primarily steel, rock and paving materials.

The lower end of the access road will be stained concrete to help counter the steep approach. Asphalt and granite will also be used for drive, parking and walking surfaces.

Steel rebar gabion baskets filled with rock will be used for sign pedestals, bench bases, gate posting and retaining walls. This is similar to like uses on the Avenue of the Fountains Plaza downtown.

For the benches the bases will be topped with smooth concrete.

Amenities at the site are to include a restroom building and a ramada. Those structures will be low profile built with stone, concrete and weathered steel to blend with the environment. The roofs will be designed for water harvesting to be used on site for irrigation of vegetation.

There will also be an information kiosk on site.

The gate structure is to be steel with manual operation to be opened at dawn and closed at dusk by town staff. There will be a Knoxbox with key for emergency access.

Council asked about having the gate operated remotely by telemetry. Englemann said that is not an expense they included at this time. It should also be noted that staff will likely need to be on site to open and secure restrooms as they do currently at the Golden Eagle Trailhead. Town Manager Grady Miller asked that manual and electronic gate options be presented to the contractor for alternate bids

The trailhead is designed for 50 parking spaces, with space for about 20 more if a phase II is deemed necessary in the future.

Miller asked how the parking compares with other trailhead facilities operated by other municipalities. Englemann said it is a similar capacity to others.

Mayor Linda Kavanagh said she is impressed and pleased with the plan, but also emphasized the schedule for getting the project bid is very important.

“We don’t want to lose a month because the council will be off in July,” Kavanagh said.