Agenda - 10-17-2005-2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Upon approval of a master plan, an application must then be prepared and authorized for submittal by the Board to the planning jurisdiction in which the project is located for the required type of development permit. These applications can range from site plan approvals of 1-2 months made at staff level, to town Special Use Permits and Zoning Compliance Permits with substantial further analysis and requiring significant engineering work, construction detail and public hearings, which can take 18 months or longer. Pre-Constnaction and Award of Construction Bids In many cases, for more complicated projects, the regulatory approval process and the pre-construction process overlap (for example, some jurisdictions require construction drawing level of detail for SUP approval), Generally, this phase includes engineering and detailed design of the site with specific individual plans and maps for such components as grading, stormwater control, building elevations, road construction, planting, water and sewer extension, and others. Once regulatory approvals are received, construction documents (bid documents) must then be finalized that outline in detail the exact types of construction, materials, and specifications in both map/drawings and text form, The bid documents also specify the County's policies (High Performance Building Guidelines, for example) and procedures for construction and other expectations and information needed by prospective contractors who may be willing to bid the project, Since the bid climate in the Triangle area is one in which there are relatively few firms and many projects, having adequate bidders for a project is not a given. State law requires that all bids for construction that exceed $300,000 have a minimum of three bidders responding to the solicitation in order for them to be opened on the first date set for bid call. If insufficient interest is shown, then a second bid date must be advertised and a second bid date set. Since the first set of bid numbers remains unknown, one may only speculate that bids solicited twice may be higher in cost since contractors are now aware of their competition and the level of interest. In addition, an average of two additional weeks is tacked an to the already lengthy process because adequate bids are not received the first time. Further, it has been the County's experience that construction costs often exceed budgeted costs, which adds significant time for the value engineering items to be negotiated between owner, designer, the apparent low bid contractor and their sub contractors. Under the best of circumstances, it is likely that an advertised sealed bid for a sizable construction project will alone consume no less than 45 days from the time it is advertised until the time that it is calendared for Board approval. Construction The successful contractor is responsible for submitting the completed contract documents, along with bonds and proof of insurance and other documents that may be required by the bid within ten business days of the bid award.