Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Borough is seeking proposals from qualified firms to perform master planning for the development of the Borough’s parks and playgrounds. Work will consist of identifying community priorities for improvements to existing parks, playgrounds, or open spaces; identifying neighborhoods in which parks or playgrounds are desired or that are currently underserved by recreation assets; and establishing a master plan for recreation improvements and a capital improvement plan with preliminary timeline for implementation over the next ten years. Work may also include site specific master planning on undeveloped Borough parcels depending on the community’s desires and identified need.; In developing the master plan, consideration shall be given to current parks maintenance staffing and budgets; outlining estimated increases in staffing to meet anticipated maintenance demand and other associated direct and indirect costs for future proposed capital improvements.; The Borough exercises parks and recreation powers on an areawide basis, operating ten athletic fields in six locations, serving diverse age ranges and sports; four tot lots within City limits; two beaches, located, respectively, north and south of the City limits; two urban trails and one suburban trail managed under permit; three greenspace parks, all within the City limits; and undeveloped lands that may have capacity for recreation development.; PARKS FACILITIES: The Borough maintains two major urban public parklands – Alder Park and City Park – and three urban pocket parks, at Whale Park, Tunnel Park, and Eagle Park. While there are beautification assets throughout downtown Ketchikan – hanging baskets downtown and planter boxes on Berth IV and in the Centennial parking lot – the Borough operates no other parklands.; Comparable parklands are operated by the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation at Totem Bight State Park and the City of Saxman at its Saxman Totem Park. Both assess fees for entry during summer months and receive a large number of visitors from commercially operated tours. A list of Borough parklands, identifying the neighborhood, assets, description and other relevant information located at each facility will be provided to the selected contractor.; For purposes of this study, the primary focus at these properties will be identifying improvements to each existing urban park, and not development of new parks unless determined otherwise by the public survey data, which will be provided by the Borough to the awarded contractor, and/or by identified need by other data analyses.; PLAYGROUNDS: Playgrounds received at the time of adoption of recreation powers consisted of Triangle (Totem Heritage), Lund Street, Grant Street, and Monroe Street Tot Lots. A playground was constructed at Rotary Beach sometime after that date. Between 2012-2016, the Borough replaced the playgrounds at Grant Street, Monroe Street, and Triangle (Totem Heritage) Tot Lots: only Lund Street Tot Lot and Rotary Beach have playground equipment exceeding ten years in age. The Gateway Aquatic Center also has a small attached play structure, built in 2012.; Outside the Borough’s maintenance responsibility are playgrounds maintained by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District at each public school: Houghtaling and Valley Park (Charter School/Tongass School of Arts and Sciences) Elementary Schools are both located within the City of Ketchikan, though the Valley Park playground is largely closed to the public; Fawn Mountain Elementary School, in the Homestead Service Area; and Point Higgins Elementary, located on North Point Higgins Road. These facilities are only available to the public after school hours.; Finally, an additional public playground is located at the South Tongass Fire Station #4, maintained by fire department volunteers.; For purposes of this study, only Lund Street and Rotary Beach Playgrounds will be considered for extensive renovation, but further improvements or needs at the more recently renovated playgrounds may be recommended. New playground master planning may be considered based on the surveys provided and by determining future and current anticipated demand through community growth and development estimates, in addition to identifying neighborhoods underserved playground access.
