Orange County NC Website
15 <br /> 1 Request For Qualifications (RFQ) Process of Evaluation <br /> 2 In July 2023, Orange County issued a RFQ to identify a qualified consultant to provide Design <br /> 3 Services for the Greene Tract Master Plan on behalf of Orange County and the two Towns. <br /> 4 <br /> 5 Six Statements of Qualifications were received and evaluated by the proposal review committee <br /> 6 composed of Orange County, Town of Chapel Hill, and Town of Carrboro Planning staff. The <br /> 7 committee evaluation was based on the following criteria: <br /> 8 <br /> 9 1. Past performance of the lead consulting firm on similar planning projects of similar size <br /> 10 and scope <br /> 11 2. Adequate and experienced staff and proposed team for the project <br /> 12 3. Current workload and firm capacity <br /> 13 4. Strategy for providing required services <br /> 14 5. Understanding of the area where the project is located and scope of services. <br /> 15 <br /> 16 Based on the evaluation process, the review committee requested proposals from and <br /> 17 interviewed two of the firms, and unanimously recommends Thomas & Hutton Engineering Co. <br /> 18 (T&H), for contract award. T&H is a respected and established multidisciplinary firm in the <br /> 19 southeast, with 15 locations in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina, including <br /> 20 the office in Research Triangle Park that houses the primary staff for this project. T&H merged <br /> 21 with Coulter Jewell Thomas in 2022, bringing all principal staff featured in the proposal to T&H. <br /> 22 The principal management staff for this project has done work in Orange County, the Town of <br /> 23 Chapel Hill, and the Town of Carrboro, including the 2009 Rogers Road Small Area Plan for the <br /> 24 Town of Chapel Hill, designing the Homestead Road Residential Community, and leading the <br /> 25 engineering and design for the Morgan Creek Greenway Master Plan and Implementation Plans. <br /> 26 <br /> 27 Summary of Project Scope and Approach <br /> 28 Orange County Planning staff negotiated the scope of services and budget with T&H, as reflected <br /> 29 in the Letter Agreement of Services (Attachment 1). The T&H proposal is intended to assist <br /> 30 Orange County, the Town of Carrboro, and the Town of Chapel Hill with civil design services to <br /> 31 create a Greene Tract Master Plan. The intention of both the Greene Tract owners and T&H is to <br /> 32 deliver a conceptual plan that can be utilized to define and directly inform a site plan for entitlement <br /> 33 with the Town of Chapel Hill to develop the Greene Tract consistent with the terms established <br /> 34 by the 2021 Interlocal Agreement including commitments to Public Engagement, Affordable and <br /> 35 Mixed Income Housing and other uses, a School Site with Public Recreation, Connectivity, and a <br /> 36 Development Agreement; and the 2021 Resolution that affirmed land use needs and goals to <br /> 37 promote mixed-income housing opportunities; preserve environmental features; protect historical <br /> 38 and cultural resources; promote cost-effective infrastructure; incorporate school and recreation <br /> 39 sites; and earmark development areas for mixed income housing and mixed use potential. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 The design services project features four primary services: <br /> 42 <br /> 43 1) Project Coordination and Management, including all data collection and collaboration with <br /> 44 the Community Engagement consultant, Gensler; <br /> 45 <br /> 46 2) Master Planning — Housing, Recreation and Community support/service center, including <br /> 47 the preparation of an executive summary and two (2) "Conceptual Master Plans" for <br /> 48 presentation and feedback, that shall feature: <br /> 49 <br /> 50 a. Residential uses (focus on affordable housing and mixed income housing); <br /> 51 b. Non-residential uses (focus on low intensity commercial and services uses); <br />