Pharr Mill Park Playground

INVITATION TO BID
Pharr Mill Park Playground
The Town of Harrisburg will accept bids for the following project:
The Project consists of the construction of a new wood playground at Pharr Mill Park.
SCOPE OF WORK: The scope includes the design and construction of an approximately 88' x 70'
custom natural playground with a preferred utilization of structural Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
timber. The playground should be inclusive of play features, elevated structures, treehouses, boardwalks,
or similar heavy timber recreational amenities and feature a wood fiber playground surface. Town staff
will handle any site preparation that includes tree, brush and natural element clearing/removal while
Contractor will be responsible for all other work necessary to complete the project.
The Bidder shall demonstrate successful completion of a minimum of three (3) projects within the past
ten (10) years that are substantially similar in scope and complexity to the proposed project. Each
qualifying project shall have included all the following:
Development of the initial conceptual design.
Design development and construction documentation suitable for permitting and construction.
Coordination of structural engineering for custom play structures.
Fabrication and construction of custom natural play elements.
Installation of the completed project by the Bidder or the Bidder's direct construction team.
Final playground inspection by a qualified independent Certified Playground Safety Inspector
(CPSI), with documentation demonstrating compliance with the current ASTM F1487 and
applicable CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook requirements.
Successful completion and acceptance by the project owner.
The Bidder shall demonstrate at least ten (10) years of experience in the design and construction of
custom natural playgrounds and shall provide documentation of a minimum of five completed public
projects incorporating custom site-built play features, elevated structures, treehouses, boardwalks or
similar heavy timber recreational facilities.
Contractors shall have successfully completed a minimum of three (3) public-use playground or park
projects within the last ten (10) years utilizing custom natural timber (structural Black Locust preferred).
Project references shall include owner contact information, project photographs, completion dates, and
construction value.
Contractor shall demonstrate experience designing and constructing natural playground environments
utilizing structural timber, custom fabricated play elements, and integrated site-specific features rather
than solely catalog-manufactured playground equipment.
Contractor shall demonstrate experience completing projects where the same organization performed both
design development and construction of custom natural play environments.
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HARRISBURG, NORTH CAROLINA
PHARR MILL PARK PLAYGROUND - BID
Contractor shall demonstrate documented experience constructing playgrounds designed and built in
compliance with current ASTM F1487 standards.
Bidder shall submit references for at least three (3) completed municipal natural playground projects
exceeding $400,000 in construction value completed within the last ten years.
Contractor shall demonstrate experience integrating accessible play features and accessible circulation
into custom natural playground environments.
All work is to be completed within 120 days following Notice to Proceed.
The Town of Harrisburg reserves the right to add or delete from the contract quantities. Please see the
instructions for bidders for more information.
The terms of Engineer and Owner are used interchangeably in this document.
All bids are due by Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 10:00am. Sealed Bids may be sent to:
Brian Lee
Harrisburg Town Hall
4100 Main St.
Harrisburg, North Carolina 28075
No late bids will be accepted.
The party submitting a bid is solely responsible for delivery of the bid at the specified location prior to the
deadline for receipt of bids.
Bids will be opened at 10:00am on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Harrisburg Town Hall, 4100
Main Street, Harrisburg, North Carolina 28075.
Submit all questions regarding this project in writing to Jim Spina at jspina@harrisburgnc.gov.
Questions shall be received by 5:00pm on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
For a copy of the bid documents, please contact Cathy Kiker at ckiker@harrisburgnc.org.
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PHARR MILL PARK PLAYGROUND - BID
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BID PROPOSAL FORM .............................................................................................................. 3
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS ................................................................................................ I-1
BID FORM .............................................................................................................................. BF-1
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BID PROPOSAL FORM
Pharr Mill Park Playground
BASIS OF PAYMENT
GENERAL: Payment for the work Items shall be at the total unit or lump sum price Bid for each unit of
work completed and accepted in accordance with the Contract Documents.
PRICES TO INCLUDE: For each Bid Item, the total unit price or lump sum price Bid shall be considered
full compensation for the completed and accepted work, and shall include all labor, materials, tools,
equipment and transportation needed to perform the work in accordance with the Contract Documents so
as to provide a complete and properly functional system, including any necessary permits related to the
work. The General Contractor shall be responsible for reviewing the contents and conditions of all
Contract Documents as they may relate to the work under this Contract and comply with the requirement
thereof.
STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS:
All construction items will be in accordance with the materials, methods, measurement, and payment
specifications as noted.
MOBILIZATION
A. Work included: Contractor is to coordinate, and schedule, a pre-construction meeting with the Town
of Harrisburg prior to any construction activities. This line item shall include furnishing of adequate
temporary restroom facilities for contractors and their subcontractors to use on site. Not to exceed 5%
of the total bid.
B. Payment: Lump Sum price.
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PHARR MILL PARK PLAYGROUND - BID
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS
TOWN OF HARRISBURG
Pharr Mill Park Playground
I. GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE WORK:
1. Scope of Work
The scope includes the design and construction of an approximately 88' x 70' custom
natural playground with preferred utilization of structural Black Locust (Robinia
pseudoacacia) timber. The playground should be inclusive of play features, elevated
structures, treehouses, boardwalks, or similar heavy timber recreational facilities and
feature a wood fiber playground surface. Town staff will handle any site preparation that
includes tree, brush and natural element clearing/removal while Contractor will be
responsible for all other work necessary to complete the project.
2. Town of Harrisburg Requirements
The Contractor shall comply with the Town of Harrisburg's Unified Development
Ordinance. All work and materials shall meet North Carolina Department of
Transportation specifications. The January 2024 North Carolina Department of
Transportation (NCDOT) Standard Specifications for Roads and Structures, herein
referred to as the "NCDOT Standard Specifications," is part of the Contract Documents
and incorporated herein by reference and can be found online at: 2024 Standard
Specifications for Roads and Structures.pdf (ncdot.gov)
3. Permits
The Contractor shall take out all necessary permits from the Town or other public
authorities and shall give all notices required by law or Town ordinance. The charge or
fee for any permit issued by the Owner shall be borne by the Contractor and shall be
presumed to be included in the price bid.
4. Taxes
The Contractor is responsible for any and all taxes and fees associated with this project
5. Schedule/Liquidated Damages
The work is to be ready for final payment within 120 days following Notice to Proceed.
The date 120 days after the Notice to Proceed is the "Completion Date." Failure to have
the work completed and ready for final payment by the Completion Date will subject the
Contractor to an assessment of liquidated damages of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00)
per calendar day.
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The Town reserves the right to cancel the remainder of the contract if work is not
completed and accepted by the Completion Date.
These times may be extended with a timely request subject to approval by the Town
Engineer. Unless so extended, failure to comply with the prescribed timeline shall subject
the Contractor to liquidated damages as described above.
II. INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING PRE-BID ACTIVITIES
1. The bidding for and the performance of the resulting Contract will be governed by this
document in its entirety, as modified by Addenda that may be issued during the bidding
period. Therefore, all interested parties should obtain copies of the Contract Documents
in accordance with the procedures noted in the Notice to Bidders.
2. Examination of the Contract Materials and Site
It is the responsibility of each plan holder, whether a potential bidder or a potential
supplier or subcontractor, to do the following during the period prior to bid opening:
Examine the Contract Documents and other materials provided by the Owner.
Visit and examine the site where the work is to be performed to become familiar with
local conditions that may affect cost, progress, performance or furnishing of the work.
Consider federal, state and local laws and regulations that may affect the cost, progress,
performance or furnishing of the work. Study and carefully correlate observations made
with the requirements of the Contract Documents and Drawings.
Notify the Owner or the Owner's representative, in writing, of any conflicts, errors,
discrepancies, omissions, or matters otherwise in need of clarification, interpretation or
revision.
3. Bidder Evaluation of Potential Equipment, and Material Suppliers and Subcontractors
The successful bidder shall be responsible for the acceptability of the equipment,
materials to be incorporated into the work, as well as all subcontractors to be used in
performing the work. Equipment and materials which do not conform with the Contract
requirements and subcontractors who are rejected are to be replaced by the Contractor at
no additional cost to the Owner.
Various specifications reference "brand name" equipment. These are
descriptive references to the general nature and quality of the equipment or
materials required by the Specifications.
Bidders may not rely on these "brand references" as a representation that the
named equipment will be approved for incorporation into the work. Approval
of all equipment matters, regardless of whether named or proposed equal, will
depend on the conformance with the technical requirements of the
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specifications. Therefore, bidders are required and shall be presumed to have
to determine for themselves the merits of all equipment and materials upon
which the submitted bid is based.
Similarly, bidders are expected and presumed to have made the necessary evaluation of
the subcontractors upon which the submitted bid is based. Such an evaluation can include,
among other things, the capabilities, solvency, and performance records of potential
subcontractors.
4. Planholder Comments and Addenda
As noted in the Instructions to Bidders, Section II, Subsection 2, each planholder has an
obligation to give the Owner or its representative notice of observations made for which
addition, modification, clarification or interpretation which benefit the planholders'
understanding of the work. The response to such items will be made in Addenda
distributed to all planholders. Planholders cannot rely on any oral clarification or
interpretation of the Contract Documents and/or Drawings made by representatives of the
Owner or the Consulting Engineer.
Matters which a planholder wishes to have included in an Addenda shall be submitted to
the Engineer at the planholder's earliest convenience, but no later than the end of the day,
September 1, 2026. Such matters should be presented in writing and can be "E-Mailed" to
Jim Spina at jspina@harrisburgnc.gov.
Any and all Addenda will be posted to the Town's website attached to the original
advertisement of the invitation to bid.
Any and all Addenda that may be issued shall become a part of these Bidding Documents
and Specifications and must be attached to each proposal as provided below. Failure of
any bidder to receive any Addenda does not relieve the bidder from any obligation under
the bid as submitted.
III. MINIMUM BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS
1. The Bidder shall demonstrate successful completion of a minimum of three (3) projects
within the past ten (10) years that are substantially similar in scope and complexity to the
proposed project. Each qualifying project shall have included all the following:
a. Development of the initial conceptual design.
b. Design development and construction documentation suitable for permitting and
construction.
c. Coordination of structural engineering for custom play structures.
d. Fabrication and construction of custom natural play elements.
e. Installation of the completed project by the Bidder or the Bidder's direct construction
team.
f. Final playground inspection by a qualified independent Certified Playground Safety
Inspector (CPSI), with documentation demonstrating compliance with the current
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ASTM F1487 and applicable CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook
requirements.
g. Successful completion and acceptance by the project owner.
2. The Bidder shall demonstrate at least ten (10) years of experience in the design and
construction of custom natural playgrounds with a preferred utilization of structural
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) timber and shall provide documentation of a
minimum of five completed public projects incorporating custom site-built play features,
elevated structures, treehouses, boardwalks, or similar heavy timber recreational
facilities.
3. Contractor shall have successfully completed a minimum of five (5) public-use
playground or park projects within the last ten (10) years utilizing Black Locust (Robinia
pseudoacacia) as a primary structural material. Project references shall include owner
contact information, project photographs, completion dates, and construction value.
4. Contractor shall demonstrate experience designing and constructing natural playground
environments utilizing structural timber, custom fabricated play elements, and integrated
site-specific features rather than solely catalog-manufactured playground equipment.
5. Contractor shall demonstrate experience completing projects where the same
organization performed both design development and construction of custom natural play
environments.
6. Contractor shall have completed a minimum of three elevated treehouse or elevated play
structure projects intended for public occupancy.
7. Contractor shall demonstrate successful completion of elevated pedestrian structures,
elevated play structures, canopy walks, boardwalks, or similar elevated recreational
facilities.
8. Contractor shall demonstrate documented experience constructing playgrounds designed
and built in compliance with current ASTM F1487 standards.
9. Bidder shall submit references for at least three completed municipal natural playground
projects exceeding $400,000 in construction value completed within the last ten years.
10. Contractor shall demonstrate the capability to fabricate custom play components rather
than relying solely upon commercially manufactured play equipment.
11. Contractor shall demonstrate experience integrating accessible play features and
accessible circulation into custom natural playground environments.
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IV. INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING SUBMISSION OF THE BID
1. Submission of Bid
All bids are due by September 3, 2026, at 10:00am. Sealed bids may be sent to:
Brian Lee, Finance Director
Harrisburg Town Hall
4100 Main Street
Harrisburg, North Carolina 28075
Bidders may drop off bids to the customer service desk at Town Hall.
Bids will be opened at 10AM on September 3, 2026, at Harrisburg Town Hall, 4100
Main Street, Harrisburg, North Carolina 28075.
No late bids will be accepted.
The party submitting a bid is solely responsible for delivery of the bid at the specified
location prior to the deadline for receipt of bids.
2. Bid Form - Proposal Sheet
The Proposal sheet is the only form upon which the proposed bid price can be offered.
Bidder's quote sheets, letters, or other materials cannot be used in lieu of the Proposal
Sheet. When descriptive literature is included with the bid submittal, they shall be
considered only for informational purposes. Payment, warranty and other terms that may
appear on such forms that vary from the terms of these Contract Documents shall be
considered null and void. All sections of the bid form should be completed and turned in
prior to the close of bidding.
3. Withdrawal of Bids After Bid Opening
A bidder may withdraw its bid after bid opening for any one of the following reasons:
The price bid was substantially lower than other bids due to clerical error, provided
notice is given in writing to the Owner by the end of the second business day after the
bids were opened and read.
Any other reasons permitted by law.
V. EVALUATION AND AWARD OF BIDS
1. Opening and Evaluation of Bids
The Town will evaluate the bids and award the contracts on the basis of the lowest and
best bid. The primary basis of award shall be price. However, the Town will also consider
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all relevant aspects, including the resources, reputation, and performance record of the
bidder in determining the lowest and best bid.
The Town shall be the sole judge of the effect of bid irregularities upon acceptance or
rejection on a bid and reserves the right to waive any such irregularities and to require the
correction of a waived irregularity. The Town reserves the right to reject any or all bids
and or increase or decrease quantities in order to meet the proposed budget.
2. Notice and Award of Contract
Award of Contract will be made when the Owner notifies, in writing, the successful
bidder, of its intent to execute this Contract with the bidder, pursuant to authorizing
legislation.
3. Bid Tabulations
Bid tabulations are available upon request.
In tabulating the bids, the actual sum of the "Total Price for Item" will supersede a
conflicting total written as the "Unofficial Total for Bid". The pre-printed quantity times
the unit price written in words will supersede a conflicting "Total Price for Item".
Similarly, the unit price written in words will supersede a conflicting set of material/labor
prices or unit price written in numbers. These general rules shall apply unless a different
intent can unambiguously be determined from the materials submitted.
4. Bid Security
In accordance with NCGS 143-129, a Bid must be accompanied by Bid security made
payable to Owner in an amount of five (5) percent of Bidder's maximum Bid price
(determined by adding the base bid and all alternates) and in the form of a certified
check, bank money order, or a Bid bond (on the form included in the Bidding
Documents) issued by a surety that is duly licensed or authorized in the jurisdiction in
which the project is located to issue bonds in the required amounts.
The Bid security of the apparent Successful Bidder will be retained until Owner awards
the contract to such Bidder, and such Bidder has executed the Contract Documents,
furnished the required contract security, and met the other conditions of the Notice of
Award, whereupon the Bid security will be released. If the Successful Bidder fails to
execute and deliver the Contract Documents and furnish the required contract security
within 15 days after the Notice of Award, Owner may consider Bidder to be in default,
annul the Notice of Award, and the Bid security of that Bidder will be forfeited. Such
forfeiture shall be Owner's exclusive remedy if Bidder defaults.
The Bid security of other Bidders that Owner believes to have a reasonable chance of
receiving the award may be retained by Owner until the earlier of seven days after the
Effective Date of the Contract or 91 days after the Bid opening, whereupon Bid security
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