Washington’s City Council, during its meeting Monday, will consider authorizing the city manager to execute a $24,950 contract with Mark Smith Architect to provide services related to the second phase of the Festival Park project.

Under terms of the contract, Mark Smith Architect, based in Greenville, will provide three services: design, bidding/tabulations and communicating with contractors.

The first phase of the project is under way. WIMCO Corp. is doing that work. The scope of that project includes site preparation, paver drives and walkways in addition to the erection of the premanufactured stage and picnic pavilions. Completion is scheduled for May 2011.

In September 2010, the city accepted a $295,125 Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to help begin the project. The city is providing another $295,125 toward the project.

In January 2010, the council added the Festival Park master plan to the city’s parks and recreation master plan.

That master plan calls for a performance venue, public restrooms, a children’s play area, picnic shelter and benches, among other things. Susan Suggs, who helped develop the master plan, told the council last year she believes Festival Park will be a complementary addition to the city’s waterfront.

City officials believe Festival Park, located just west of the N.C. Estuarium, will support live performances, provide open space where people may relax, create play areas for children and provide opportunities for access to the Pamlico River.

The scope of the second phase includes constructing a building to house public restrooms, with the facility designed so it can be expanded. One section will include two women’s stalls and one lavatory. Another section will include one men’s stall, urinal and lavatory.

The council’s agenda also calls for it to consider amending the city’s budget to allocate funds for the replacement of the Brown Street bridge.

“This project is nearing the bid process and staff realized that a budget ordinance amendment was necessary to allow for all costs and revenues associated with the project,” reads a memorandum from Allen Lewis, the city’s public works director, to the mayor and council members. “This project is estimated to cost $600,000 with eighty percent (80%) being reimbursed by NCDOT, thus the $480,000 revenue line item. The $20,000 fund balance appropriated from Powell Bill (revenues) will be added to the $100,000 already appropriated to complete the twenty percent (20%) match requirement.”

Plans call for the existing bridge to be replaced with a new bridge instead of box culverts, which had been considered as an option for replacing the existing bridge.

In October 2006, the bridge’s continuing deterioration caused the city to close the bridge for additional assessments to determine if it was feasible to repair or replace it. Motorists and several residents who live near the bridge complained about the bridge closure, saying it was an inconvenience. They asked that it be repaired or replaced.

The City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building, 102 E. Second St. The agenda for the council’s meeting may be viewed by visiting the city’s website: www.ci.washington.nc.us.