Background

The Town of Essex is a growing community of 11,504 people located at the edge of the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area that includes a range of types and sizes of housing and businesses as well as a variety of landscapes from "Vermont urban" to undeveloped open space.

The Town has received a Bylaw Modernization Grant (BMG) from the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development to implement zoning reforms with the goal of encouraging infill housing in pedestrian-oriented smart growth areas. The Town's existing regulations for residential districts exhibit many classic elements of suburban zoning, which could be replaced with recommended dimensional standards of the guide "Enabling Better Places: A Zoning Guide for Vermont Neighborhoods."

Over the last 5 years, the Town has conducted substantial planning for the Essex Town Center (ETC) area, as documented in the ETC|NEXT Master Plan and associated Design Guide, and the Planning Commission is currently preparing updated regulations for this study area that would meet the goals of the BMG.

Given the pending separation of the City of Essex Junction and resulting loss of tax base, the Town is also interested in applying smart growth principles to other zoning districts, particularly along the Susie Wilson Road corridor, to maintain the fiscal stability of municipal service systems. However, it is unclear how much redevelopment would be possible in existing neighborhoods, whether municipal services could accommodate that growth, and how neighborhood design might change as a result.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

The selected consultant will model (re)development scenarios in retail, mixed-use, and residential zoning districts within the Town's sewer service core outside the Town Center study area. Modeling will be based on the standards recommended in the guide "Enabling Better Places: A Zoning Guide for Vermont Neighborhoods" and, where applicable, the Essex Town Center Design Guide. Taking into account the existing parcel and structure conditions, the consultant will estimate the total potential for new housing development, the anticipated change in demand for municipal services (specifically water, sewage, and traffic), and the resulting changes to building forms and development patterns.

Deliverables include:

• Task 1: Estimate potential housing growth under increased density standards, to include:
  • Number of dwelling units
  • Number of new lots
  • Mix of unit types (e.g., detached single-unit, townhouse, accessory dwelling)
• Task 2: Define dimensional standards or building patterns needed to achieve:
  • Specific minimum densities
  • Target growth of housing units
• Task 3: Model possible development scenarios, including:
  • Accessory dwelling / duplex conversion of single-family dwelling lots
  • Subdivision of conventional single-unit dwelling lots
  • Lot mergers to create multi-unit dwellings
• Task 4: Prepare a report outlining documenting the impacts of various scenarios on:
  • Demand for water and sewer flow capacity
  • Vehicular traffic capacity & parking demand
  • Neighborhood development patterns

Budget and Schedule

A total of $14,500 is available for consultant services from the BMG Program administered by the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development and the Town of Essex. The project will adhere to the following general schedule:

• Proposals are due on June 30, 2022 at 10:00 AM prevailing time.
• Consultant selection will be announced by July 15, 2022
• Project Work will begin August 1, 2022
• Substantial progress must be completed by February 1, 2023.
• All grant funds must be spent by January 31, 2024.

Responses to this RFP must include a detailed proposed schedule for the project which includes the basic project tasks, as enumerated above in the Scope of Work. 

Proposal Evaluation and Submission Requirements

All responses to the RFP shall include the following information:

1. Cover Letter – A letter of interest and a summary of qualifications, recommended approaches, scope of work, processes, and deliverables for the project.
2. Scope of Work – A detailed scope of work based on the work plan provided above, broken down by task. Describe the approach to the project and proposed methods. The consultant may also propose additional supplemental items to the scope of work or new/creative approaches to this project. (If chosen, alternative approaches may require approval from the state.)
3. Proposed Schedule – Provide a schedule that includes completion of work tasks and deliverables including key meetings and complies with the timeframe provided above.
4. Project Budget – Provide a detailed budget broken down by task and team member. Include your overhead and hourly rates for the individuals involved.
5. Qualifications and Staffing – Provide a qualifications profile of the lead consultant and sub-consultants, including indication of the lead consultant, the role of each consultant on the team with organizational staffing chart and percentage of time devoted to the project by each consultant. Also provide detailed information on each consultant, including contact information, the name of the firm, year established, a description of relevant experience on similar projects for each firm, and listing of their individual work experience in this role on similar projects.
6. References – A minimum of three (3) professional references for whom a similar project has been completed within the last ten (10) years.

The response to this RFP should include a cover letter, key personnel and experience, scope of work, schedule, and budget. Submissions will be reviewed by Town staff and evaluated according to the criteria above, as well as the criteria in the Town's Purchasing Policy as described below.

1. No vendor may bid on a project if they owe any delinquent Town of Village payments including but not limited to taxes, water/sewer, miscellaneous receivables, etc. Purchasing agent shall consult with the Finance Department regarding this issue prior to award of bid.
2. Prices
3. Bidder's ability to perform within the specified time limits.
4. Bidder's experience and reputation, including past performance for the Town / Village.
5. Quality of the materials and services specified in the bid.
6. Bidder's ability to meet other terms and conditions, including insurance and bond requirements.
7. Bidder's financial responsibility.
8. Bidder's availability to provide future service, maintenance, and support.
9. Nature and size of bidder.
10. Contract provisions that are acceptable to the Town / Village.
11. For construction projects over $2,000 that use federal funds, contractors indication of acceptance of wages in the current wage determination provided as part of the Request for Bids. (Not applicable in this project)
12. Any other factors that the Town Manager determines are relevant and appropriate in connection with a given project or service.
13. Qualified small, minority and women-owned businesses must be included in the solicitation list for the request or proposal.
14. The Town Manager will not select a bidder who is listed on the Excluded Parties List System, website (https://www.sam.org)
15. The Town Manager or designee will recommend a bid award for approval by the Town Selectboard / Village Trustees.
16. In addition to the above, in the case of a contract supported by federal funds, the additional criteria shall apply: There shall be no preference exercised for local contractors or suppliers.

If the award of the contract aggrieves any entity, they may appeal in writing to the Town of Essex Selectboard, 81 Main Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452. The appeal must be post-marked within fourteen (14) calendar days following the date of written notice to award the contract. Any decision of the Town of Essex Selectboard is final.

All information submitted becomes property of the Town of Essex upon submission. The Town of Essex reserves the right to increase or decrease the work and amounts stated in the quote request, as may be necessary; to reject any or all proposals received or to cancel the RFP in part or in its entirety; to negotiate with any qualified source; and to waive any formality or technicality in the proposals or to accept any proposal should the Town Manager deem it in the Town's best interest. Once submitted, the consultant team (including specific staff assigned to the project) may not be changed without written notice to and consent of Town of Essex. The cost of preparing, submitting, and presenting a proposal is the sole expense of the consultant. This solicitation of proposals in no way obligates the Town of Essex to award a contract.

Submission Requirements and RFP Schedule

Proposals may be submitted by e-mail or paper to the Town of Essex Community Development Office (contact information below) until 10:00am prevailing time on June 30, 2022. In addition to signed copies of the Town's Hold Harmless Agreement and Contractor's Qualification forms (copies of which are provided within this RPF), submissions should include:

1. One electronic version of the proposal
2. Resume for the project leader
3. Two references for the project leader

Expect a confirmation email following receipt of the proposal. If you have any questions about this project or the RFP, please address them in writing via email to the point of contact. Other than very routine questions, all questions will be answered in writing and distributed to all prospective contractors.

Contact Information

This RFP is available on the Town of Essex website (https://www.essexvt.org/Bids.aspx) or by contacting the project supervisor:

Darren Schibler
Town Planner
81 Main Street
Essex Junction, VT 05452
(802)-878-1343
dschibler@essex.org