Status: Current Bid Request
Bid #: None
Bidding Started: 4/28/08 at 10:19 AM
Bidding Ends: 5/30/08 at 5:00 PM

Description:

Request for Qualifications

Consulting Services Needed to Develop a Comprehensive Plan for the City of Wilson, North Carolina

Introduction

The City of Wilson, North Carolina, a diverse community of approximately 50,000 residents, cordially invites you to submit letters of interest and statements of qualifications relating to development of a Comprehensive Plan for the City. Wilson is seeking to have a sustainable Plan that will provide the guiding vision and policy basis for determining the appropriateness of development or redevelopment over the next 20 years.

Background

Wilson, the Wilson County seat, is a growing community located at the crossroads of I-95 and US 264, about 35 minutes east of Raleigh. Wilson is midway between New York and Miami, about an hour from Raleigh-Durham International Airport and less than two hours from North Carolina's sunny beaches.

During the 18 years since the adoption of the

1990 Wilson Growth Plan, much change has taken place, both in the growth of the population and the size/extent of the City. The planning principles and Growth Strategy Map provided the general growth policies for development of the community for almost 10 years. Recognizing that revisions were needed to these policies and this map, the City undertook an update process in 1999. The results were a set of policies and a growth boundaries map that addressed areas of interest and needs of the community at the time. These were intended to guide growth and development for 10 to 20 years. With the accelerated rate of change that has occurred since the 1999 Update, it is time to again take a comprehensive look at Wilson and create a vision for the coming two decades. Wilson 20/20 Community Vision Report and Recommendations provides an excellent foundation upon which to build the Comprehensive Plan. This project was designed to engage the community, solicit feedback and ideas, create a vision statement, and begin to form action teams to implement the community’s vision for its future. Involving more than 1500 citizens in the year-long outreach/public participation process, the resulting report chronicles the proceedings, documents decisions, and provides recommendations for moving forward. Managed Growth emerged from the vision statement as one of

the areas from which an action plan has been developed to establish and refine measurable outcomes for each related goal, as well as short and long-term strategies to be achieved. These processes and the resulting documents will provide an excellent "jumping-off point" for the development of a long-range plan for the City.

Scope of Services

The firm selected will work closely with City staff (one senior planner will be dedicated full-time to the project), the general public, the development community, and various City boards and commissions to provide the final product. The following are examples of desired processes to implement at a minimum:

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analyze and use as a guide for the Plan applicable information from the following documents (online available at www.wilsonnc.org) –

· Wilson Transportation Improvement Program (2009-2015)

· Cost of Land Uses Fiscal Impact Analysis (2008)

· Wilson 20/20 (2007)

· Pedestrian Plan (2006)

· Hazard Mitigation Plan (2004)

· Comprehensive Bicycle Plan (forthcoming)

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utilize and implement the most current best practices from across NC and the US

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conduct and lead (or participate in) public input meetings and incorporate findings into development of the draft Comprehensive Plan

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develop a draft Comprehensive Plan, including a specific Implementation Strategy for review and comment by City staff and the public

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prepare and present the updated Plan to the Planning Board and City Council for adoption

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provide final working document in both electronic and hard copy format (suitable for the web and editable).

Deliverables: The consultant will prepare the Comprehensive Plan along with a presentation on its contents. The consultant will be asked to present information regarding the planning process to City boards and committees, local elected officials, and community organizations. These deliverables should be in a format appropriate for inclusion on Wilson’s website and for distribution to interested citizens. They should also be in a format that the City could update from time to time. The final format to be negotiated. The City will own the final product.

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The final Plan document should be user-friendly and visually-oriented to illustrate concepts and alternatives. It must be a Plan that relates specifically to the City of Wilson and its unique character, and it should be an achievable Plan from an implementation perspective, particularly considering economic and market realities. The Plan should have a dual focus: the Center City with issues related to preservation and redevelopment, and how best to manage Growth Areas. It should include specific recommended actions to implement the Plan, including explicit recommendations for the anticipated ordinance overhaul.

Elements: There are numerous elements/topics that could be included in a Comprehensive Plan for the City. Those considered to be essential include:

Land Use/Growth Management

Transportation

Community Facilities

Parks, Recreation, and Open Space

Wilson Center City

Wilson Neighborhoods

Community Appearance and Identity (urban design)

Resources: The City of Wilson will provide the consultant with existing applicable data related to agreed-upon components of the Plan. Relevant studies and reports include: Wilson Transportation Improvement Program 2009-2015, Wilson 20/20 Community Vision Report and Recommendations, Cost of Land Uses Fiscal Impact Analysis, prepared for the City of Wilson, City of Wilson Pedestrian Plan, City of Wilson Comprehensive Bicycle Plan, Wilson City Hazard Mitigation Plan, and any other applicable studies. In addition, the City has a comprehensive GIS database including 2007 color orthophotos as a resource.

Public Involvement: City staff will be responsible for development and implementation of the final public involvement program (making all local arrangements and organizing outreach in cooperation with the consultant). The consultant will develop all presentation and meeting materials. The public involvement sessions will be interactive and will engage participants and include web-based tools/methods. The letter of interest shall take into consideration the staff and resources necessary to conduct a number of public meetings and should include a description of the proposed public participation process. The final number of meetings to be determined during the negotiations.

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Timeframe: Time is of the essence in the performance of this contract. The City of Wilson is prepared to implement the process with haste.

A maximum 18-month project timeframe is anticipated, with a tentative project start date of August 2008. The final report and presentation are due no later than January 2010. The proposed timeline submitted should be on one page including a graph with tasks and deliverables on one axis and projected time on the other. The final timeframe to be negotiated.

Submission Requirements

Prospective consultants shall submit one digital copy and six hard copies of their letter of interest and statement of qualifications not to exceed 10 pages (relevant examples are addendum). The submittal packet must be received by 5:00 pm EST on May 30, 2008 in order to be considered for this project.

At a minimum, all submittals should include the following:

1. 1.

A description of the consultant’s understanding and approach to the project, including projected timeline and anticipated project deliverables

2.

A description of the type and level of support the consultant will require/expect from the City through each phase of the project, including Planning staff support, GIS maps/data, provision of meeting/studio space, meeting materials and meeting logistics, additional supporting background data, etc.

3.

Roles and experience of key personnel, including current resumes and identification of Project Manager and indication of other consultants/subcontractors that would be used in this project

4.

Descriptions of comparable projects completed within the past five years, with references for each project (include 1-2 work samples)

5.

All submittals shall be sent or delivered by the deadline to:

Denise Boswell, Ph.D.

Planning and Development Services

City of Wilson

PO Box 10

Wilson, NC 27894

dboswell@wilsonnc.org

252-399-2214

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All submittals shall become the property of the City and the City reserves the right to request additional information as necessary to make a qualified judgment on a firm’s ability to perform the work. The City also reserves the right to award this contract in part or whole, in the best interest of the City, and to reject any and all submissions.

Selection Process

A Selection Committee will be established to review qualification statements received. From this review, a subset of firms will be chosen for interviews by the Selection Committee. Interviews will be scheduled for around July 1, 2008. Selection will be based upon submission materials and interview results. Selection of the best qualified firm will be in accordance with applicable North Carolina Statutes. The City reserves the right to reject all interviewees. City staff will negotiate a contract at a reasonable fee with the best qualified firm. If a contract cannot be successfully negotiated with the best qualified firm, staff will proceed to negotiate a contract with the second best qualified firm. Subject to appropriate approvals and successful contract negotiation, the City of Wilson will execute the contract and initiate project activities around August 2008.

Upon satisfactory completion of the Comprehensive Plan process, it is anticipated that a RFQ will be advertised immediately for a major update of the current City of Wilson land development ordinances which will provide regulations that will facilitate implementation of the Plan.

Questions concerning the request should be submitted in writing to the attention of Denise Boswell at the above-mentioned address or by email at dboswell@wilsonnc.org.

The recently completed

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