The City of Douglasville hereby solicits proposals from qualified planning firms for the redevelopment of approximately 250 acres of land surrounding the Highway 92 Relocation project. The property is located within the City’s designated Urban Redevelopment Area, and the City will be assisted in this planning effort by the Douglasville Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA).

Proposal deadline is Monday, October 2, 2017 by 10 am at City Hall, P.O. Box 219, 6695 Church Street, Douglasville, Georgia 30133.  As described in the specifications, all proposals must comply with all applicable general and special instructions. 

The City of Douglasville reserves the right to reject any proposal that is non-responsive or incomplete or to reject all proposals.  Every proposer must submit a proposal on the entire project – any work intended to be subcontracted must be included in the proposal.  Submission of e-verify is also required at the time of proposal. 

A pre-proposal conference will be held for all interested firms, and the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, 2017 at 10am.  Any proposer who is unable to attend should contact Patrice R. Williams, williamsp@douglasvillega.gov, for instructions on attendance at a substitute conference.  Proposers may arrange to attend via conference call by emailing Patrice R. Williams, before Monday, August 21, 2017 (noon) for instructions. Proposers attending in person should meet at the Douglasville Conference Center located at 6700 Church Street, Douglasville, Georgia 30134 and check in at the front receptionist desk.  Attendance at a pre-proposal meeting is mandatory.

Questions

All questions or requests for additional information must reference the above proposal name and must be submitted by 12 Monday, August 21, 2017 to Patrice R. Williams, Community Development Manager.  Emailed questions or inquiries shall be submitted to williamsp@douglasvillega.gov.  Questions and answers will be issued to all interested who have attended the pre-proposal conference in the form of an addendum.  No other contact regarding the project is permitted between those interested in submitting a proposal and any other City staff or elected officials until after award, except through the City Manager’s Office.  Proposers may contact, Patrice R. Williams at 404-668-6018 with any questions or concerns.

 Instructions

1. All proposals must be delivered to City Hall, P.O. Box 219, 6695 Church Street, Douglasville Georgia 30133, no later than the time and date indicated above. Any proposal received after that time will not be considered for award. 

2. The City of Douglasville reserves the right to waive any and all technicalities, formalities or irregularities.  The City may reject the proposal of any firm that has previously failed to perform properly or complete on time, contracts of a similar nature with the City of Douglasville. 

3. All proposals must include a completed Pricing Form attached to this invitation.  All information regarding proposer’s name, address, telephone and contact person must be provided. 

4. All proposals must be accompanied by a Certificate of Liability Insurance to include worker’s compensation. Proposals may be withdrawn by written or faxed request, provided such withdrawals are received prior to the time and date of the opening. Prior to Notice to Proceed, Contractor shall present a Liability Insurance Certificate naming the City of Douglasville as an Additional Insured.  Contractor shall be responsible for all injuries or damages of any kind resulting from work, to persons or property. 

 Please note:  The City of Douglasville encourages you to save paper.  It is not necessary to return this entire document with your response.  Please return only the relevant pages on which your company has included a response, along with other required documentation. 

5. Invoicing for the City of Douglasville is Net 30 once the project is completed.  A valid W-9 form is required. 

6. Required Submissions
   1. All proposals must be submitted with one original and two (2) copies, unless otherwise stated in this invitation.  All copies of any proposal must contain all required documents, pricing forms, Contractor’s Oath, e-verify, a current occupational/business license, and a current and valid Certificate of Liability Insurance showing liability insurance coverage and to include workers’ compensation. 

         I.            Redevelopment Area Conditions:

Planning for the redevelopment area must address a variety of unique economic development concerns and interests. The area north of downtown is the City’s the “North side” (now called The New Horizons Redevelopment District) and is disconnected geographically by the railroad tracks to the downtown area. Based on survey results, citizens and community leaders are very concerned about the various conditions that exist on the north side and the challenges they presents for future development.

The City of Douglasville seeks the “Highest and Best Use” of the New Horizons Redevelopment District that will lead to expanded economic activity. The focus of a proposed Redevelopment Plan should include both commercial and neighborhood redevelopment. The economic analysis should focus on opportunities for commercial redevelopment, neighborhood restoration, and identification of useable space for recreational opportunities.

The Redevelopment Plan should identify and prioritize short, middle, and long-term public investment for the next 10 years.  The Redevelopment Plan will helping inform budget priorities, and help to affect further transformational investments. 

The selected planning firm will work closely with the City of Douglasville and the Douglasville Urban Redevelopment Agency staff during the planning process and development of deliverables.  Additionally, the planning firm will work collaboratively with the New Horizons Redevelopment District Citizen Committee that will include individuals from a variety of stakeholder groups, including residents, business and property owners, non-profit representatives, civic groups, students and others.

 In order to accomplish the stated objectives it is anticipated the Redevelopment Plan will address the issues described below.  This proposed Scope of Work is intended to be a general outline of the work, and not an all-inclusive description of the elements to be included in the Redevelopment Plan or accompanying planning process:

 ·         A summary of emerging trends, key issues, and opportunities facing the District, and recommendations for investments and planning mechanisms to maximize those opportunities.  Particular attention shall be focused on opportunities for land use – proposing changes to exciting  zoning and ordinance provisions intended to attract the development of residential and commercial businesses to the area;

·         Recommendations for economic development, and policies that will position the District in to  advance community goals for development and improving overall mobility into and within Downtown;

·         An inventory and analysis of existing conditions, plans, policies, demographics, resources, and other applicable categories currently influencing the form and growth of the District;

·         An extensive and innovative public engagement plan and strategy utilizing traditional and non-traditional meeting and outreach methods to encourage participation from current residents and partners;

·         A series of goals and a vision for the District based on the public involvement strategy and based on input from the New Horizons Redevelopment District Committee;

·         A build-out analysis identifying potential development scenarios for the District;

·         A set of recommendations and implementation steps that are prioritized into short, medium, and long-term actionable goals that enable the City to achieve the proposed vision for the District that is based on best practices in areas similar to the District; and,

·         A methodology and framework that will enable the City to track and report its progress to the community on a series of indicators which represent the goals established in the Redevelopment Plan.

Deliverables:  Compilation of all maps, photographic inventory, existing parking analysis, and other inventory documents in digital format.

·         The Redevelopment Plan should include a descriptive written narrative and a detailed land use summary quantifying the proposed yield of the redevelopment Plan, in terms of land use acreages, building areas and available parking.

·         The Redevelopment Plan should also include perspective sketches and other illustrative graphics to convey the development intent.

·         The Redevelopment Plan should qualify as a “redevelopment plan” under State law, and as such be eligible for related grants.

·         At the conclusion of the work a public meeting will be conducted to discuss preliminary conclusions and components.

 Deliverables:  Components, narratives, land use summary, parking needs summary, illustrative graphics and selected base/inventory information compiled in 11x17 color hardcopy format and in digital format.

 Action Component—The Action Component should clearly detail the steps necessary to achieve implementation of the above Redevelopment Plan.

 1.       Draft Action Component—Prepare a preliminary outline of the steps necessary to achieve implementation of the Redevelopment Plan. The outline will consist of recommended projects to be undertaken by the City of Douglasville and the URA, and by private sector participants and others. This Component should include estimated project cost, funding options, economic benefit, and a timetable where possible. This Component will be reviewed and approved by designated City representatives. Once approved by the City, this Component would be presented to the public.

 2.       Funding Component—This Component should accompany the Action Component and should identify potential sources, strategies, procurement responsibility for funding and/or financing. This Component may entail the creation of new funding sources such as a C.I.D. (Community Improvement District), a T.A.D (Tax Allocation District), a B.I.D. (Business Improvement District), or a P.O.A. (Property Owner’s Association) for implementation..

 3.       Regulation Component—This Component should accompany the action plan and define the boundaries of the proposed zoning district(s) within which certain development patterns are to be promoted, and should state the location of and responsibility for (i.e. public vs. private) implementation of proposed improvements. This Component should define the intended physical form of future development and redevelopment in terms consistent with the City existing ordinance format.  

4.       Implementation Component—This Component should accompany the regulation component and contain proposed ordinance provisions detailing zoning and development requirements within each zoning district. This component should place priority on the areas located near the “abandoned” area of Georgia Highway 92 and Jessie Davis Park area respectively. This ordinance should be will be drafted to be “user-friendly,” with graphic illustrations of ‘permitted’ and ‘prohibited’ land use and development practices.

a. “New Ordinance”—This document should be drafted as a series of proposed section amendments to the City existing zoning and development ordinances, utilizing standard Euclidean zoning rather than form-based zoning, and utilizing existing procedures and definitions of these existing ordinances to the greatest extent possible. Proposed new zoning districts should be drafted as new primary districts, rather than as overlay districts. The Planning Firm will work with the City Attorney or the City’s zoning litigation attorney to draft the New Ordinance in compliance with legal zoning requirements. The New Ordinance should address the following issues among others:

i. Building massing and relationship to sidewalk and street, including setbacks.

ii. Zoning District, permitted uses, accessory uses, special uses and prohibited uses.    

iii. Non-content related sign regulations within the District. 

5. Identify and assist the City in preparing needed amendments to the City’s Comprehensive Plan and land-use map.

Deliverables:

A. New ordinance, formatted to be inserted into current City zoning ordinance and development ordinance.  

B. Detailed action plan and funding plan to include a technical appendix.

C. A summarized version of the intent of the master plan, regulations plan and action plan should be included for public distribution.

For the complete proposal, contact Patrice R. Williams at williamsp@douglasvillega.gov or 404-668-6018.