The fourth time was a charm when it came to finding a contractor to oversee construction of phase one of the county’s $2 million new park in Newland.
Pasquotank commissioners agreed last week to award the first phase of the park’s construction to C&W Grading and Excavating Inc., which submitted the lowest bid of $2.03 million.
C&W was among three companies to submit bids, which were opened June 11, for the park construction project. The other two companies submitting bids were A.R. Chesson Construction Company Inc., $2.14 million, and Whitehurst Sand Company, $2.19 million, according to county documents.
Commissioners gave unanimous approval following a recommendation by Assistant County Manager John Shannon.
“The staff recommendation is to approve C&W Grading and Excavating at a cost of $2,038,569.81, which was the low bid out of the three,” Shannon said.
Shannon said later that the county hopes to hold a groundbreaking at the park’s proposed site off U.S. Highway 158 near Morgan’s Corner in July.
The June 11 letting date marked the fourth time the county had to solicit bids to find a company to complete the first phase of the park’s construction, which includes paving an access drive and a pedestrian walkway.
The county’s estimated cost of phase one of the project is $1.95 million, but the start of the project has been hindered by delays in the bidding. The original bid letting date was March 28 when the county did not receive any bids. On April 11, the county received two bids, only one of which fell below the county’s estimate for the project’s cost.
However, the lowest bidder did not meet a requirement that “single prime general contractors submitting bids must have (an) unlimited unclassified general contractor’s license.” The other bid submitted April 12 exceeded the county’s project budget.
The county agreed to strike the unclassified general contractor’s license requirement from the bidding qualifications and set a third opening date for May 2.
On that date, the county received two bids: one from Barnhill Contracting Company for $2.69 million and the other from Whitehurst Sand Company for $2.45 million. The county rejected both bids because they were well over the estimated cost and put the project back out to bid a fourth time.
The county has already purchased a 51-acre site off U.S. Highway 158 at the former location of Morgan’s Corner Pulling Park to build a community park for residents. The $614,000 the county paid for the land is not included in the cost to complete the project’s first phase, which involves site clearing, grading, erosion control and storm drainage, sewer and septic services and other requirements.
Three acres at the site have been reserved for a future public safety substation for emergency medical services and the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office.
Last October, the county agreed to spend $400,000 to buy three prefabricated buildings that will be part of the planned park. The buildings will include restroom facilities and two shelters. Other aspects of phase one of the project include construction of a playground, activities lawn, walking paths and a basketball court.
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