Impact
WARD: Ward 3
COMMITTEE: Administrative Department
$ IMPACT: $30,000
Title
Approval of a Consulting Contract with Pond (3500 Parkway Lane, Suite 500, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092) to conduct a Downtown Master Plan Update in the amount of $29,950.
Body
ISSUE: Approval of the selection of Pond to conduct a Downtown Master Plan Update and authorize the Mayor to execute the appropriate agreements with Pond necessary to conduct the update.
BACKGROUND: In mid-May 2019, the Smyrna Mayor and Council allocated up to $30,000 to fund an update of the Smyrna Downtown Master Plan. A detailed Scope of Services and a proposed Study Area was formulated and submitted to the City Administrator's office for review, comment and approval. The Scope and Study Area were subsequently approved by the City Administrator. In early July 2019, the City of Smyrna solicited proposals from a list of qualified consultants with expertise in the areas of planning, redevelopment, downtown design and citizen involvement/participation.
The Request for Qualifications and a supplementary request for a price proposal (broken down by specific tasks) was forwarded to five (5) qualified consulting firms: The Sizemore Group, Pond, Piper/O’Brien/Herr, Tierrnan & Patrylo and the Fitzgerald Collaborative.
Two (2) proposals were received: The Sizemore Group and Pond.
The submitted proposals were reviewed and ranked by city staff members from the Planning Division and Economic Development Division. The price proposals were not revealed to the Review Committee and were not part of the review process. The staff review was based on a combination of the qualifications and experience of the consultants and the responsiveness of the proposal they submitted. The Review Committee was unanimous in their choice of Pond as having submitted the most responsive proposal. That proposal is attached.
The end product will be a Downtown Master Plan Update. It will be presented to and reviewed by the Smyrna Downtown Development Authority and the Smyrna Planning and Zoning Commission and, if appropriate, adopted by the Smyrna Mayor and City Council.
The Downtown Master Plan Update will address the following elements:
• Existing Conditions
• Land Use
• Transportation
• Public Facilities
• Financing Plan
• Implementation Strategy
• Community Involvement
A overview of the Scope of Services is attached. It provides the boundary of the Study Area and a more detailed description of the aforementioned study elements.
While the Master Plan initiative does not include the residential areas to the east and west of the Study Area boundary it will consider the potential impact on those areas and make recommendations to address any potential impacts on those areas This plan will be utilized as a general guide for future development, redevelopment and infrastructure improvements in the Study Area.
The study will take approximately five (5) to six (6) months to complete. Because the end of the year holiday season occurs during the study timeframe it is anticipated that the study will be completed in the 1st Quarter of 2020.
A Technical Advisory Committee comprised of City staff will be established to oversee the study process. The Economic Development Manage will act as the City’s Project Manager.
RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION: It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council award the Downtown Master Plan Update contract in the amount of $29,950 to Pond and authorize the Mayor to execute the appropriate agreements.