BY KARISSA MILLER

The Iredell County Board of Commissioners voted on Tuesday to approve a design and engineering services contract with Stewart Engineering for phase II and III of the Jennings Park project.

The contract is for $462,800, which will include consulting, design, engineering and basic construction administration.

Stewart was also the designer for Phase I of the project. Stewart Engineering will work with Iredell County staff and Edifice, the county’s construction manager at risk.

Jennings Park is located at 141 Deitz Road in Statesville.

Stewart Engineering will be responsible for developing the following:
• 3 baseball and softball diamonds with field house;
• 1 championship baseball and softball diamond;
• Lighted parking for diamond field complex;
• Disc golf course;
• Pickleball courts;
• Inclusive playground;
• Hiking/walking trails;
• Geotechnical investigation and
• Other features

Based on their current timeline, the park project is estimated to be completed in two years.

According to Iredell County Project Manager David Saleeby, the project will require a vast amount of soil to be moved, relocated and properly compacted.

Saleeby said that concrete, substrate, and asphalt will also be installed in the park.

All of these areas need to be monitored and tested by a third-party engineering firm to ensure proper compaction of soil, concrete strength testing and proper installation of substrate and asphalt.

As a result, the board also approved a proposal from Froehling & Robertson for Jennings Park phases II and III for third-party special and material testing for $180,498.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other matters, the board approved moving forward with Edifice Construction as the Construction Manager at Risk for preconstruction services for the Government Center Entrance project for $37,820.

The project will provide a “customer friendly, easily identifiable, improved handicap-accessible entrance and parking.”

Additionally, the project incorporates five new handicap-accessible parking spaces near a new handicap entrance of the Government Center, a lobby with public restrooms and a new larger South Wing Conference Room.

The board also approved:

• A request from Tony D’Alessandro with Dala Casa Properties LLC to release zoning and subdivision jurisdiction at 241 Mazeppa Road in Mooresville to the Town of Mooresville. The proposed use of the 11.8-acre property is to combine it with surrounding property already in the town’s jurisdiction for a storage facility.
• A request from Shepherds Volunteer Fire Department to withdraw $273,620 from the Shepherds Fire Tax District Fund Balance and an additional $880 of unbudgeted revenue to purchase materials and equipment to construct a training facility at their station.
• A request from the Stony Point Volunteer Fire Department for approval to withdraw $11,579 from the East Alexander Voted Tax District Fund Balance for roof repairs.
• A request from the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council for adoption of a resolution supporting an increase in the State Budget for Juvenile Facility Staff and Juvenile Court Staff.
• A request from the Finance Department for approval of transferring $92,600 budgeted in the Capital Improvement Plan for the Fairgrounds Master Plan study.
• A request of Iredell County departments strategic goals as part of their strategic planning process.