Memorial Park is headed for a makeover now that the city has reached agreement with the contractor that built the Animas River Trail extension through the park.
“The grass didn’t come in with the seed specification that we requested. ... We worked with the contractor for quite some time to see if that could be remediated,” she said.
With money from the settlement, the city plans to reseed the grass, plant 10 trees and get rid of some weeds in the park to bring it back up to city standards, said Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz.
The city will receive $39,804 from the contractor’s insurance company to help pay for the project. The total estimate is about $74,000. Money left from the original project that started in 2013 will cover the rest, she said.
The settlement was reached between Animas Valley Construction, the company’s insurance company and the city. It did not go to court.
Contractors that work with the city must take out bonds to insure their work, and that is what is going to pay for part of the project.
It’s not typical for the city to go after a contractor’s bond, Metz said.
Work on Memorial Park may start in the fall, depending on the new contractor’s schedule, she said. The trail will remain open during the turf work.
Animas Valley Construction also built the Animas River Trail and the irrigation system in Memorial Park, and that construction was satisfactory, she said.
The Durango City Council will likely appropriate the money for this project at its meeting Tuesday evening.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
