Pump track project awarded to design and construction firm for $150K

The Vernon council on Aug. 10 unanimously awarded Spohn Ranch Inc. a $150,000 contract to build the township’s proposed bicycle pump track.

Dirtsculpt and American Ramp Company also submitted bids, which were opened on Aug. 3. The track will be built on Black Creek Drive.

Township engineer Cory Stoner recommended that the council approve the Spohn Ranch bid. His Aug. 4 letter to Mayor Howard Burrell said the firm provided the most complete proposal, met all the administrative requirements, and best outlined how the project will get to full completion in 2021.

Spohn’s proposal calls for a main pump track, which has been labeled advanced, and a smaller beginners’ track.

The bid also provided two options in track design.

The costs call for $4,500 for bonding, $1,500 for engineering, and $144,000 for overall construction, which includes clearing the land, preparing the soil, grading the site, and building up the course with a stone base and asphalt.

The bid lays out a schedule that starts with a project kickoff meeting that was scheduled for Aug. 16. Design and development is scheduled for Aug. 23 to Sept. 3.

According to the proposal, construction could begin on Oct. 4 with expected completion on Nov. 6.

Mayor Howard Burrell said Spohn Ranch has been designing and building tracks for 25 years, and has no litigation history or complaints about their designs or the performance of their projects.

He said the company has won awards in several states, including New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association’s Award of Excellence in Design and the New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers’ Municipal Project of the Year award for a project in Sea Isle City.

Burrell said the company also visited the site where the track will be built.