Councilmen scratching heads over cost of proposed city park

Complex.

That's the word city engineer Scott Keller used to explain Thursday to Gaffney City Council's Property and Grounds Committee why the bids for the Gaffney Park Plaza came in well above the $175,000 preliminary cost estimate.

Sossamon Construction of Gaffney submitted the apparent low bid of $284,700 to build the Gaffney Park Plaza, which will be located between the new city hall and fire department. Sossamon also submitted an alternate bid of $16,100 to construct a back fence and do landscape work near the fire department.

LJ Incorporated of Columbia submitted a bid of $496,700, including an alternate of $60,500.

"How did we miss the mark by so much?" committee chairman Bernard Smith asked Keller and City Administrator James Taylor.

Keller suggested that the bidders adjusted the bid to reflect the limited on-site work space.

"This project requires lots of attention by the contractor and subcontractors," Keller said. "It will take very detailed workers.'"

Plans call for the park to include benches, cherry trees, a raised planter bed and retaining seat walls.

Mayor Henry Jolly made a motion for Keller and Taylor to meet with the low bidder, Sossamon Construction, to attempt to reduce the cost.

Plans also call for the restoration of a fountain located near the former city administration building. Because of the short time

line, council waived the normal bid process at its most recent meeting and approved the hiring of local resident Abe Duenas to perform the restoration.

Duenas will charge the city $7,000, Taylor said.

The contractor will have 12 weeks to complete the

project, an extension of four weeks from the original timeline.

Taylor said the city has the Hospitality Tax funds to pay for the park. The H-tax is a tax on prepared food. Tax proceeds must be spent for tourism or recreational purposes.