Zoning Ordinance Update

City of Aiken, S.C. Zoning Ordinance Request for Statement of Qualifications

Issue Date: January 31, 2024

Qualifications Due: 4:00 PM February 21, 2024

Narrative

The City of Aiken, South Carolina is considering a near-future Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new City of Aiken Zoning Ordinance to replace the current 25-year-old City of Aiken Zoning Ordinance. To that end, a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ) is being advertised to solicit input from interested firms to determine if they have the experience and qualifications necessary to assist the City in this future endeavor. For background, the City of Aiken, South Carolina is a dynamic and rapidly growing mid-sized "Tree City" with an active equestrian community, many historic structures, and picturesque tree-lined parkways. The challenge for the next twenty-five years will be striking a balance that encourages the retention of our younger generations to live, work, and raise families, while still preserving our historic structures, unique places and characteristics. Interested firms should have internal expertise, or proven partnerships with other firms that can provide the following: legal review to ensure compliance with current settled law, knowledge of historic overlays and conservation districts that foster sensitive infill solutions, ensure development regulations and historic preservation design guidelines function together as supportive ordinances, guidance on new development regulation mechanisms and/or incentives that foster affordable housing options, corridor overlay or "gateway" best practices, guidance on best practices for tree preservation and usable open space especially for denser developments, best practices to ensure new developments and redevelopments provide appropriate bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, updated parking regulations that accommodate EV charging stations, updated signage regulations, commercial and residential lighting regulations, regulations to address "legacy" shopping centers, and short-term rentals. In addition to the above, the base zoning districts and associated regulations will need to be reassessed and modified, or new zoning districts created that ensure compatible new and infill development. A zoning district reexamination emphasis will be placed on our "gateways", properties within our historic street grid, and equestrian and equestrian adjacent communities.

Submittals

Respondents interested in being considered for a future Request for Proposal (RFP) should respond with one [1] original and four [4] copies of a cover letter and Statement of Qualifications addressing the evaluation criteria no later than 4:00 P.M. February 21, 2024, and must clearly be marked "City of Aiken Zoning Ordinance". Any submittal received after this date and time will not be considered and will be returned unopened to the firm. The submittal must be signed by an official authorized to bind the firm to the project. The submittal must contain all of the evaluation criteria listed in the Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ).

Return this signed form with Statements of Qualifications

Must include an original copy signed in blue ink by a person duly authorized to legally bind the person, partnership, company, or corporation submitting the Qualifications.

Send Statements of Qualifications to:

US Postal Mail Address

George Grieve, Purchasing Coordinator

City of Aiken

P.O. Drawer 1177

Aiken, SC 29802

Ph. (803) 642-7787

Or

Street Delivery Address

George Grieve, Purchasing Coordinator

City of Aiken

111 Chesterfield St. S.

Aiken, SC 29801

Ph. (803) 642-7787

The City of Aiken reserves the right to reject any and all submittals as a result of the RFSQ. The City of Aiken is not liable for any costs incurred by respondents to this RFSQ. The following statement must be certified by the proposing firm:

By signing this Statement, I certify that we [our firm] will comply with all requirements of SC Code Section 44-107-10 et. seq., relating to the S.C. Drug Free Workplace Act:

Authorized Signature

Printed Name

Date

Company

Mailing Address

Email

City

State

Zip Code

Phone

Statement of Qualifications Content

To be considered for an opportunity to respond to a Request for Proposal, all Statements of Qualifications must include, at a minimum, the following information. Firms should restate each item listed below and provide their response immediately thereafter.

All information should be presented in the listed order:

1. Cover Letter. Firms shall submit a cover letter that includes a summary of the firm's ability to perform the services described herein and a statement that the firm is willing to perform those services and, if chosen through a separate Request for Proposal process, enter into a contract with the City of Aiken. The cover letter must be signed by a person having the authority to commit the firm to a contract.
2. Experience and Qualifications. Outline the firm's location, size, and history. Statements must include a description of the firm's senior projects staff, firm resources, and the application of those resources to the services.
3. References. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three [3] contacts involved
   
   in the relevant projects listed above. The City of Aiken reserves the right to contact other persons not specifically listed as references but who may have direct knowledge of the project.

Evaluation Criteria

In consultant selection, the criteria to be considered are:

Evaluation Criteria — Maximum Points — Equivalent Weight

RFSQ Quality and Overall Responsiveness — 25% — 25%

Team Qualifications, Business History and Past Performance — 25% — 25%

Availability and ability to meet project objectives — 25% — 25%

Familiarity with the City of Aiken, Central Savannah River Area, and the State of South Carolina — 25% — 25%

Selection Process

Based upon the above criteria, the intent of the City of Aiken is to identify and short-list firms to send a future City of Aiken Zoning Ordinance Request for Proposal. While intended, inclusion on the short-list of firms does not guarantee that the initiation of a Request for Proposal by the City of Aiken will be imminent or pursued.

The City of Aiken reserves the right to issue a separate RFSQ or RFP as needed.

Submission Deadline

Firms interested in being considered for this work should respond with one [1] original and four [4] copies of a cover letter and Statement of Qualifications [SOQ] addressing the above criteria no later than 4:00 PM February 21, 2024. Each SOQ should be limited to no more than 30 pages [excluding Title Page and page or tabbed dividers]. Responses to this RFSQ should be in written form.

All questions in connection with the RFSQ shall be sent to Marya Moultrie, Planning Director, Planning Department, City of Aiken, P.O. Drawer 1177, Aiken, South Carolina 29802, with the envelope clearly marked "City of Aiken Zoning Ordinance Request for Statement of Qualifications" or email mmoultrie@cityofaikensc.gov .

Questions must be submitted in writing and received by 5:00 p.m., February 15, 2024. After this date, no further questions will be addressed.

After the question-and-answer deadline, all questions and answers will be posted on www.cityofaikensc.gov .

PLEASE NOTE: Only questions may be emailed. SOQ documents cannot be emailed.

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