MARSHALL — A project that would build camper cabins at Garvin Park took a couple of steps forward this week. On Tuesday, Lyon County Commissioners approved an agreement for a more than $900,000 state Legacy grant. In a separate action, commissioners also authorized the county to issue a request for proposals for engineering and architectural services for the cabins.

In December 2023, Lyon County learned it had been selected to receive Legacy grant funding to build a total of four cabins and make other improvements at Garvin Park.

Agenda materials at Tuesday’s County Board meeting said the project would build the four cabins, a bathroom and a picnic shelter at what is now Garvin Park’s primitive camping area. The project would also build a new shelter at the park’s ballfield area.

A total of $926,809 in grant funding would be reimbursed to the county for the project, with the county paying a roughly $103,000 local match.

The camper cabin project was not the last Legacy grant project planned for Garvin Park, said Lyon County Environmental Administrator Roger Schroeder.

“We have one more in the works that we were notified last year that we were recommended to receive,” Schroeder said. “The final step of that is the Legislature allocating the money and approving the recommendations from the Parks and Trails Commission.”

Commissioners voted to approve the grant agreement, and make the local match payment using proceeds from the county’s wind and solar energy production taxes.

Commissioners also discussed how to proceed with hiring engineering services for the grant project. Schroeder said engineering services would be needed to make site design construction drawings, and architectural drawings for the camper cabins.

Schroeder said the county wasn’t required to formally go out for quotes for the needed engineering services. However, he said, “Just reflecting on this a little bit, and talking with the previous contractor, there were a couple of issues that came up with the site design from the engineering team, that the contractor identified.”

Schroeder said in light of those concerns, it made sense to go out for engineering quotes, instead of hiring the previous consultant that worked with the park. He said he was looking for direction on how to proceed with the design work for both the site design, and the design of the camper cabins themselves.

“I think we would cast a wide net, and find consulting firms that could do it all,” Schroeder said. “There are several firms that have done similar work at regional and state parks.”

“I would really like to see him go out for quotes,” said Commissioner Rick Anderson. Anderson said he thought it would be best to get quotes for both the engineering and cabin architecture.

Commissioners approved a motion by Anderson, that the county put out a request for proposals for the engineering and architectural services.