Roscoe community center drawings completed, Township prepares to receive bids

The Roscoe Township board has now received many pages - several feet - of completed planning documents for the  Roscoe Township Community Center, which will be built next to the 1840s Cross Homestead at Founders Park at 4562 Hononegah Road near Frances Lane and Prairie Rose Drive.

With his new partner Marco San Roman, Daniel Saavedra of Saavedra Group Architects told the board on Nov. 10 that "the construction documents are complete." He delivered to them a Project Manual and a larger bound set of drawings which included landscape, architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical plans. He will be reviewing the documents with members of the Board of Trustees as requested, and they are available at the Township offices. The board plans to hold a special meeting on Dec. 1 at 6:00 p.m. to go over the plans.

Besides the base bid for the pole-barn-style building, the Phase I plan includes several alternates, which allow the Township to add additional features if they have the budget for it. They received a $704,000 PARC grant and are waiting to see if their Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant application is approved.

The alternates include a driveway that would connect to Prairie Rose Drive, additional landscaping with more and better trees, tongue-and-groove paneling in the multi-purpose room, and complete tiling on the bathroom walls, besides just the wet wall. Township Clerk Gary Blascoe would like to see an electric car charging station. After accepting a base bid, the Township has 90 days to decide whether to accept the alternative.

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The Village of Roscoe needs to approve the landscaping plan, but Saavedra says it's based on conversations that he's already had with Village Administrator Scott Sanders. Trustees Phil Rhymer and Chuck Gilbert had a separate discussion with Sanders about tree removal and replacement. Sanders wants to see a list of every tree wider than 12" that's planned for removal, and has even offered to draw up the plan himself. Rhymer, who wants the fence line cleaned up soon, doesn't think any trees on the fence line are wider than 3".  Trustees disagreed about when that cleanup should start.

Saavedra said, "It is an enticing project because it's regional... You're going to get every single contractor in Rockford." He recommended that the Township send the project out for bids in the first week of January, for three to four weeks. Contractors will have finished up their 2021 work and will be wanting to fill up their 2022 schedule. He expects the Township will get 10-12 bids on the project. "By statute, you have to pay prevailing wages," said Saavedra, which most pole-barn builders don't. He expects that many bids will have the amount handwritten in at the last minute, just in time for the public opening of the bids.

In routine business, the Township Board approved general fund expenditures of $50,751.89, road bills of $47,687.71, and cemetery bills of $7,045.86. The itemized financial statements are available online. They also approved the general town levy ordinance for $711,220 and the road district levy ordinance for $810,000. They say taxes will not increase next year.