Chattahoochee River Greenway Study RFP Questions & Answers May 10, 2018

Transcription

1 Chattahoochee River Greenway Study RFP Questions & Answers May 10, 2018 Please note: due to the number and complexity of questions received, ARC will post a Q&A addendum no later than close of business on Monday, May 14, 2018 with additional answers. 1 Q Can you clarify the page limit of the proposal? For example, is it 20 pages of content printed double-sided on 10 physical pages, or 20 physical pages that contain 40 pages of content? 1 A Proposals should be no more than 20 pages on 10 double-sided sheets of paper. Please note an exception allowing detailed resumes to be submitted as an appendix (see 48). 2 Q Under Task 3, it is mentioned that "the corridor will be divided into broad sub-areas, specifically including the City of Atlanta and Cobb County boundary...as well as other sub-areas (approximately 3-5 total)." Does this mean that the City of Atlanta and Cobb County are anticipated to be part of the same sub-area, or would they each be their own sub-areas? 2 A The portion of Cobb County that is adjacent to the City of Atlanta along the Chattahoochee River will be in the same sub-area as the City of Atlanta. 3 Q Under which task do you anticipate that the sub-areas will be defined? 3 A Task 1. 4 Q What is the status of the TPL branding study (RFP issued in December 2017) and how will the Chattahoochee River Greenway Study be expected to incorporate and/or build upon it? 4 A TPL is working with a branding agency and the Chattahoochee Working Group to develop name, logo, and tagline specifically for the public realm along the Chattahoochee River; anticipated completion in July. Consultant team will use new name (logo, tagline) when interacting with the public through their Public and Stakeholder Engagement Plan. 7 Q Could a NTP for Task 6 be provided prior to the completion of Tasks 2-5? 7 A Yes, pilot project will proceed parallel to mater plan development. 8 Q What level of participation do the Project Management agencies intend to have in Task 7 - Public & Stakeholder Engagement? Specifically, is the consultant team envisioned to implement and provide 100 percent of staffing for components listed in Task 7? 8 A Project Management Team staffs will assist with public and stakeholder engagement and will participate based on their availability. 9 Q For Exhibit B, should items 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 only contain hours/rates for the prime consultant, and all subcontractor fees be treated as a single lump sum amount in item 4? 9 A Yes. In the situation where there are more than one sub-contracts, each sub-contract sum amount must be itemized separately. 10 Q What roles will ARC and TPL play with regards to public participation / community engagement? 1

2 10 A The Project Management Team (ARC, TPL, Cobb, and Atlanta) will facilitate conversations, host meetings (if applicable for their locations), guide messaging, and oversee engagement strategies. 13 Q Which Trust for Public Land (TPL) marketing/messaging strategies does the Public and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (PSEP) need to incorporate? 13 A "Land for People" is TPL's general mission. Specific to this study, the Trust for Public Land hopes to help facilitate the creation of a seamless functional public realm along the Chattahoochee River. 14 Q Will ARC provide guidance as to which existing regulations governing waterways might impact the visioning process? 14 A ARC can provide some guidance on whether, when, and how the following may apply: the Metropolitan River Protection Act (MRPA), state and local buffer requirements, state and local stormwater requirements and considerations, and local floodplain management ordinances. ARC s knowledge is not exhaustive, and further research and analysis may be needed on the part of the project team. The plan developed through this study will need to meet all of these requirements. 15 Q In Task 7, Can we use an infographic for the public comments summary on the Draft Master Plan? 15 A Yes 16 Q What is the width of the corridor on both sides of the river that will be included within the study area? How far from the edge of the river outwards? 16 A The master plan study will traverse 100-miles between Buford Dam and the southern end of Chattahoochee Bend State Park and a boundary 1-mile on each side of river (with potential illustrations of connections to nearby regional amenities; see 47). The Corridor for ARC s MRPA jurisdictional area extends 2000 feet from either bank of the river and its impoundments between Buford Dam and the downstream limits of Cobb and Douglas Counties. There is also a 50-foot undisturbed buffer and 150-foot impervious setback which are also measured from the bank of the river and its impoundments. 17 Q Is the rest of the Cobb County side of the river beyond the pilot project to be included within the study area? 17 A Cobb County will likely straddle three Sub-Areas - the one shared by Atlanta, the one immediately to the north, and the one immediately to the south. 19 Q In addition to limiting impacts, do you envision this study making specific recommendations for reforming the MRPA; i.e. updating information, changing policies & regulations, or vulnerability categories/standards? 19 A We want the study to be conducted with the assumption that MRPA and local buffer requirements will apply in their present form. If specific circumstances arise where MRPA or local buffer requirements significantly restrict or eliminate planning options, we are open to discussing possible solutions and recommendations. 2

3 20 Q Similarly, do you envision that this study making specific recommendations to change local zoning, development regulations, stormwater management regulations, point-source discharge permitting, etc. to support the greenway plan? 20 A As relevant or necessary in service of the overall design vision and concept. 21 Q Will the project team have open access to all relevant data, GIS mapping, studies etc. owned by ARC, TPL, City of Atlanta agencies, Cobb County, GDOT, and NPS? 21 A Yes for funding agencies (ARC, TPL, Cobb, and Atlanta); project team will work with other stakeholders to acquire necessary data. 22 Q Do you envision this study addressing environmental justice issues associated with flooding, pollution, contaminated sites, etc. within the river and floodplain corridor study area? 22 A As relevant or necessary in service of the overall design vision and concept. 24 Q Based on the RFP, it is our understanding that researching and identifying key economic data is not a required part of this project. Could you please confirm this? Also, what economic data is available to review? 24 A Confirmed. Available economic data will be identified in Task Q Could you provide a list of consultants who have contributed to the Chattahoochee Greenway project prior to this RFP? 25 A No consultant firms have contributed to the Chattahoochee River Greenway Study. 26 Q Could you provide all available research (market, economic, branding, engineering, etc.) that has been conducted prior to the RFP? 26 A Literature review of relevant data and studies will be performed in Task Q In the RFP, it is stated that the ideal team will demonstrate expertise with both graphic design and narrative writing. Could you confirm whether this skillset will be required for other deliverables or parts of the Scope of Work beyond the plan documents? Also, could you provide some benchmarks for the level of graphic design and narrative writing you're anticipating? 27 A High-quality graphic design and narrative writing are encouraged for plan development. Examples of ARC's typical trail-planning type work can be found on the agency's website ( 28 Q Could you explain the genesis of the aspirational themes of engage, invite, redefine, and protect? Are these official themes or are they flexible? 28 A They are aspirations drafted by TPL and the project funders to frame a future public realm along the Chattahoochee River. All stakeholders remain open to process/outcome. 3

4 29 Q As noted, you reserve the right to award all or part of the project to one or more firms. In this approach, will you only be considering hiring firms that are serving as the prime? Or, would you consider matching preferred subconsultants to some tasks? 29 A If necessary, awards will be divided by task. Proposals selected for that task may include the subcontractors proposed for that task. 30 Q If the Terms + Conditions (contract) for this project are available to review, could you please share them in advance of the RFP submittal? 30 A Yes. See attached. 34 Q Can you please confirm what committees the design and planning team will present to? The RFP references the CWG (Chattahoochee Working Group), Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC), Transportation & Air Quality Committee, and 3-5 Sub-area Committees. 34 A The Chattahoochee Working Group and Sub-Area committees will provide feedback on plan development. TCC and TAQC (MPO Board) will formally oversee and adopt regional planning documents. 35 Q Can you clarify the amount of meetings that will be required with different entities? On page 6, there is a reference to "monthly or as needed" meeting frequency with 3-5 sub-committees. If we assume an 18- month duration and five sub-committees there would be a total of 90 meetings with sub-committees in addition to 18 meetings with the CWG if these are also conducted on a monthly basis. How many presentations are anticipated to the TCC and TAQC boards? 35 A Proposals should define team's approach to public engagement. Specific outreach schedules will be identified in Task 1 as part of the PSEP. Proposals may budget for every-other-month committee meetings for three Sub-Area Committees plus the Chattahoochee Working Group. For budgeting purposes, assume two public meetings per sub-area. 37 Q RFP, page 1. The end of the second paragraph states, "The Consultant must provide a detailed breakdown of the proposed budget in the format of Exhibit B as well as a breakdown by task in the format of Exhibits B and B-1." In addition to the format of Exhibit B-1, does each Task item need to include a breakdown consistent with the format of Exhibit B? 37 A Yes. 38 Q RFP, page 2. Item 9 states, "The work plan should include estimated hours by category for each task identified in Exhibit A." What does "by category" refer to? By labor category, sub-consultant, or task? 38 A Use the format at Exhibit B-1 for the estimated hours per task. 39 Q RFP, page 3. The first paragraph states, "Proposals shall not exceed a total of 20 pages (8.5 x 11) printed double-sided " Please confirm that this means 20 sheets maximum printed double-sided for a total of 40 pages. 39 A Proposals should be no more than 20 pages on 10 double-sided sheets of paper. Please note an exception allowing detailed resumes to be submitted as an appendix (see 48). 4

5 40 Q Exhibit A, Scope of Services, Section II. Background and Objectives, page 4. The second paragraph states, "The greenway study will be managed by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and a joint Project Management Team consisting of the Trust for Public Land, Cobb County, and the City of Atlanta." Will there be a single point of contact between these entities and the consultant team to convey design decisions and direction? And what is the relationship between this Project Management Team and the Chattahoochee Working Group (CWG) referenced on page 6? 40 A ARC's project manager will be the single point of contact between the consultant team and other stakeholders. Formal decisions and directions will be conveyed by ARC (based on input from PMT members). The Chattahoochee Working Group will provide stakeholder input into plan development. 41 Q Task 5 - Implementation Strategies, page 9. The RFP states, "The project team will use the master plan to identify and detail several catalytic projects for short-term implementation." What is meant by "detail" (i.e., what is the required level of detail, and what are the deliverables), and how many are "several"? 41 A Provide enough information to clearly illustrate 3-5 catalyst projects to potential funders. This would ideally include illustrative site plan(s), rendering(s), order of magnitude cost estimate(s), and narrative description. 42 Q Task 5 - Implementation Strategies, page 9. Will the criteria for initial phase projects include estimated construction costs, and should a cost estimator be included on the team for this purpose? 42 A Criteria will include cost estimates. 45 Q Is July 2018 to December 2019 the expected timeline? Or is December 2019 just a funding cutoff, but work is anticipated to end earlier? In other words, is the timeline anticipated to be 17 months? Or shorter? 45 A Study time frame is July 2018-December Specific schedule will be developed as part of Task Q Is the DBE goal mandatory? How lenient is the goal? Good faith effort? Commitment to reaching the goal? Will the fulfillment of the DBE goal be considered in the selection of the team? 46 A The DBE goal is highly encouraged but is not mandatory. The DBE Utilization Plan must still be submitted, even if blank, for the proposal to be responsive. Good faith efforts are not required and DBE is not a scored evaluation factor. 47 Q What is the proposed project boundary for the greenway study? 47 A Study limits are: Buford Dam to southern end of Chattahoochee Bend State Park. Study boundary will be 1-mile on each side of river (incl. MRPA oversight within 2000ft buffer; see 16). Process may reveal opportunities to illustrate opportunities outside the study area, either along streams or other corridors to connect to nearby regional amenities. 48 Q Given the scale/complexity of teams, can detailed resumes be included as an appendix or omitted from the page count? 48 A Detailed resumes may be submitted as an appendix, but effort should be made to keep resumes as brief as possible. A description of team staffing or brief bios should be included in the body of the proposal. 5

6 58 Q You refer specifically to reviewing state and local regulations. Do you anticipate any need for review of national regulations or NEPA documentation for this project? 58 A As they apply to the overall design vision and concept and potential placement of proposed amenities. 60 Q Does the project need to consider resilience from a mobility standpoint, i.e. ensure that the trail remains viable for emergency access during flood conditions? 60 A Resiliency should be inherently rooted in a strong design vision and concept. 61 Q Will the project team be provided with existing data such as a starter list of plans to review for Task 2? 61 A Yes, to the degree available by Project Management Team and stakeholder partners. 62 Q Is the $1.5M Fee for fees/expenses only, or does this budget also include any money for project implementation? 62 A $1.5M is for the scope of services outlined in the RFP (master plan and pilot project). This project will not include construction. 63 Q Who is the project funder? 63 A ARC MPO funds (STBG) with local matches provided by the local partners 64 Q Do DBE firms need to be certified in the State of Georgia? 64 A Yes. 65 Q Are there any pre-conceived ideas about where potential catalytic sites might be located? 65 A No 66 Q Is the study focused solely on the greenway and regional park system, and/or is there a desire to plan for the larger urban fabric? 66 A Study should consider adjacent urban fabric as it pertains to the needs of a functional greenway amenity (improved access, general locations where a more urban edge may be beneficial, work-arounds where the river banks may be occupied by single-family residences, etc.) 67 Q In Task 3 of the scope, does "potential for new development, re-development, and continued use" refer to the greenway & parks, or architectural development in adjacent lands? 67 A Architectural development on adjacent parcels/neighboring properties. 70 Q Can/should the public engagement include design of a standalone project-specific website? Or will the "online content" discussed in Task 7 be posted on ARC's website? 70 A The PSEP could either incorporate a stand-alone project website or utilize ARC's existing site. The 'online content' referenced in Task 7 could be posted there, at each of the stakeholder organizations individual web sites, or social media platforms as necessary. 6

7 71 Q Should reimbursable expenses for hotels, per diem, etc. follow the state guidelines? Or can these expenses be estimated at cost? 71 A Should be at cost. 72 Q The RFP states 3-5 sub areas. We realize this can change and evolve, but this can considerably affect number of meetings and associated fee. For the purposes of the proposal budget, is there a specific number each proposing firm could use on which to base their approach and corresponding fee? (3, 4, or 5?) For example: "monthly" subarea committee meetings. This could range from 36 to 60 meetings total, based on a 12-month schedule, in addition to the other engagement meetings per subarea. This means there could be as many as 7-10 meetings in a month at times (5 subarea committee meetings, 2 subareaspecific engagement meetings, project management meetings). How many total public meetings will actually be needed depends largely on the amount of sub areas. Do all public engagement strategies need to be corridor-wide and then by subarea? Do we need separate surveys / online engagement techniques for each subarea? 72 A Proposals should define team's approach to public engagement. Specific outreach schedules will be identified in Task 1 as part of the PSEP. Proposals may budget for every-other-month committee meetings for three Sub-Area Committees plus the Chattahoochee Working Group. For budgeting purposes, assume two public meetings per sub-area. 73 Q How big are the geographic areas of the proposed sub areas? 73 A An Atlanta/Cobb sub-area will follow shared jurisdictional boundaries. Other sub-areas will be determined as part of Task Q For the DBE category, do Small Businesses SBE registered firms count towards the 15.64% goal? We see that it is a part of ARC's online DBE Plan, but want to make sure they count towards the goal for this particular project and proposal. 74 A Small businesses are part of ARC's DBE plan, but to count towards the goal an entity must be DBE certified in the State of Georgia. 76 Q The amount and type of resources seem light for the work requested. Can you please provide clarification on the resources what will be provided that will help the winning team perform the work? 76 A The study will be conducted for the budget provided. 77 Q For the greenway plan, does the Project Management Team believe there is sufficient topographic and vegetation information available for the entire 100-mile corridor for the study or do they foresee the need for additional survey information (this is not in reference to the pilot project.) 77 A General topographic and aerial data is available for the region. Quality and scale of the data will be established during Task Q Page Limit: Pg 3 "Proposals shall not exceed a total of 20 pages printed double-sided." Please confirm our understanding: 20 physical sheets of paper, printed on both sides would equal 40 printed pages of content. (one sheet of paper contains two pages) 7

8 78 A Proposals should be no more than 20 pages on 10 double-sided sheets of paper. Please note an exception allowing detailed resumes to be submitted as an appendix (see 48). 79 Q Have there been previous ecological corridor studies performed? 79 A Pertinent to ARC functions, a Chattahoochee Corridor Study was conducted in 1972 and a River Corridor Protection Study in 1997 (copies can be found on ARC's website: Various other studies have been conducted and pertinent research will be identified during Task Q Is the $1.5 million allocated for planning fees? Or will it include some actual construction? 80 A Funding will cover master planning and pilot project development outlined in the scope of services in the RFP; no actual construction will be funded. 82 Q Are the funds spread over a certain time frame? 82 A The funds will be used for 18 months of planning work from July December Q Do the table of contents or section dividers (tabs) count against page count 83 A Yes. 84 Q Do proposals have to be ordered in the same sequence as outlined in items 1-12 of the required information on pages 1 and A Proposals do not have to be ordered in the same sequence but it should be clear that the proposal addresses all the items outlined in the proposal. 85 Q Does the digital PDF or word document have to be submitted in any specific format (e.g. USB, CD, ) 85 A USB is preferred. 86 Q Will a pending DBE certification count toward consideration of the overall goal, provided that the certification process would be completed by the time the contract is signed and executed? 86 A If the certification is completed by the time the contract is fully executed, then it will count towards the goal. 87 Q RFP is missing Exhibit A. Please provide link or PDF. 87 A Exhibit A (Scope of Services) is on page 4 of the RFP posted on ARC's procurement webpage. 88 Q Will NEPA documents will be required? 88 A Only for pilot project 89 Q If selection is based primarily on qualifications and technical approach, may the Exhibit B B-1 be submitted separately in a sealed envelope and not count toward page limit? 89 A No. 8

9 90 Q Do section divider pages count towards the page limit? 90 A Yes. 92 Q Can you please clarify if the budget you outline ($1,500,000) is only the design fee for the 100-mile vision plan and pilot project design, or if it also include the construction costs of the pilot project? 92 A Budget will cover plan and pilot project development outlined in the RFP, not construction costs. 94 Q Will ARC, partner agencies, or key stakeholder groups provide logistical and venue support for the public engagement process? 94 A Yes 95 Q Will venue procurement, catering, etc. be considered as reimbursable expenses for the project (if not coordinated by local jurisdictions or ARC) or will these considerations need to be included within the fee proposal? Has ARC or the project management team determined a minimum number of public meetings, or is this to be determined within task 1? 95 A These type of expenses will reimbursable upon prior approval by the ARC project manager. The consultant will be encouraged to identify cost-effective or cost-neutral solutions for public meeting facilities. Proposals may budget 2 public meetings each for 3 sub-areas. 96 Q The RFP highlights the potential for 3-5 subareas to be identified during the planning process - with a minimum of 2 public outreach activities in each subarea. Should the proposal be for at minimum 6 or at minimum 10 public outreach activities? 96 A Proposals should define team's approach to public engagement. Specific outreach schedules will be identified in Task 1 as part of the PSEP. Proposals may budget for every-other-month committee meetings for three Sub-Area Committees plus the Chattahoochee Working Group. For budgeting purposes, assume two public meetings per sub-area. 97 Q Has the ARC identified the number of committee and jurisdictional presentations required for the master plan approvals? 97 A Final master plan will be presented to Chattahoochee Working Group and Sub-Area Steering Committees for final input. Formal adoption will require presentations to TCC and TAQC (MPO board). 9