Scope of Planning Work - City of...
Transcript of Scope of Planning Work - City of...
Scope of Planning Work
Prepared for the City of Irondale, Alabama by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham
July 10, 2014
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Project Understanding The City of Irondale, located in Jefferson County, Alabama is seeking to construct its comprehensive plan. As understood by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB), the comprehensive plan update is needed in order to assist the City in addressing issues with quality of life, traffic issues and transportation infrastructure development, and to inform capital expenditures. The RPCGB recognizes that updating the comprehensive plan will aid the City of Irondale to maintain its reputation for being a business friendly environment, and provide guidance for the City’s leaders and economic developers as they seek to attract small businesses and industries, while at the same time retaining and bolstering existing businesses.
The City of Irondale (Client) has described to the RPCGB a set of specific elements that it would like for the comprehensive plan update to address. These include:
Economic Development Analysis of existing business climate including a market profile, employment profile, market assessment, segmentation profile, and development recommendations.
Activity Center/Corridor Development Recommendations for the development and/or redevelopment of specific activity centers and corridors. This will be informed by future land use policies.
Capital Improvements Strategies for prioritizing public infrastructure needs throughout the city. This may also include equipment used by municipal departments.
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Finally, the RPCGB understands that the City of Irondale would like for the project to be easily accessible and presented in a readable format across a variety of media. This includes legible and accessible maps, and electronic documents that might be printed or read/shared on mobile devices.
Following is a proposed scope of work for updating the City of Irondale’s Comprehensive Plan.
Scope of Work
General Approach The City of Irondale Comprehensive Plan Update will be market driven, and consider existing and expected commercial/retail, industrial, and real estate markets in order to direct future land‐use patterns, and inform infrastructure and service investment recommendations. This market oriented planning approach recognizes that cities, communities, and neighborhoods evolve over time in a dynamic, evolutionary way. It also recognizes the potential of real‐estate markets to allocate land efficiently. The comprehensive plan will generally facilitate land‐use changes that meet changing and evolving community needs, and encourage diverse development types.
Task 1.0. Project Management, Communications, and Stakeholder Involvement
Task 1.1. Project Management The RPCGB will manage the project and correspond with the Client throughout the life of the project, communicating issues and concerns that could potentially threaten the overall timeline and progress of the project. The RPCGB also will communicate information to the Client in order for decision‐makers, stakeholders, and the public can remain informed of the planning process and progress of the project.
Task 1.2. Project Communications The RPCGB project team members, in consultation with the Client, will identify the communications methodology for the project. There will be multiple contributing and interested parties in this process and it will be critical to identify strategies, communicators, and recipients.
Project management and communication procedures will be provided within a project management plan. This project management plan will be made available to the Client as well as all project team members, and is to be used as a guide for administrative functions such as reporting progress and invoicing. It is also to be used as a guide for communications, and conflict resolution.
Task 1.3.Stakeholder Involvement and Public Participation
Stakeholder Involvement ‐ The RPCGB, in coordination with the Client, will facilitate a stakeholder involvement process for the comprehensive plan update. A Stakeholder Involvement Program (SIP) will be developed specifically for the City of Irondale’s comprehensive plan update. The goal of the SIP is to actively seek the participation of residents, businesses, local agencies (public and private), individual interest groups, and the general public throughout the comprehensive plan’s development process. The SIP will identify stakeholders to provide input on various elements of the comprehensive plan. This includes the comprehensive plan’s vision and goals; needs and opportunities; land use, transportation, and housing alternatives; economic development; urban design, and; capital projects, services, and programs. The SIP provides the framework for achieving consensus and communicating the decision‐making process between the general public, agencies, and governmental officials to identify opportunities and solutions, and establish a policy direction for Irondale’s development future.
It is envisioned the stakeholders engaged for this plan development process will include community leaders, local experts (professional or technical) in environmental, land use, transportation, and economic development that may be impacted by the updates to the comprehensive plan, as well as other representative stakeholders. The Client will ultimately determine stakeholder participation in the plan development process, and is encouraged to ensure balanced representation in an effective and manageable workshop setting.
Public Participation ‐ The development process for updating the City of Irondale’s comprehensive plan will provide opportunities for the public to participate in the study. A comprehensive and interactive public involvement program will be conducted in order to help establish a vision, goals, and objectives. The public involvement process also will assist the Client with identifying existing issues, future needs, and opportunities for potential
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improvements and services. This process will ensure that the individual citizens, businesses, and interested groups are afforded an opportunity to provide input. Ultimately, the City of Irondale’s leadership will have adequate information on which to base policy decisions, and make both infrastructure and service investments.
Deliverable Description
Project Management Plan A detailed plan, to include schedule and budget, for advancing the project from concept to completion
Stakeholder Involvement Program A detailed plan for engaging stakeholders, which includes elected officials, business owners, civic leaders, and the public, in the plan development process.
Task 2.0. Existing Conditions Assessment and Forecast
Task 2.1. Base Data Collection The RPCGB will collect information about the City of Irondale, to include:
Land Use
Transportation, Communications, and Utilities
Residential and Commercial Development
Industrial Development
Public/Institutional Development
Parks and Recreational Facilities
Water Resources
Green Infrastructure and Natural Assets
Cultural and Historic Areas/Property, and
Undeveloped Property
The RPCGB will photograph key places and environs around the City of Irondale, and collect “hard” data for the previously listed data elements. In addition to collecting hard data, the RPCGB will inventory previous plan documents, studies, institutional master plans, private development plans, adjacent neighborhood plans, and market (retail and housing) studies. The RPCGB also will also collect information on land ownership, property development characteristics, identification of existing utility infrastructure, assess storm water management, and categorize parks, open space, and historic properties. Finally, the RPCGB will evaluate demographic data, perform market studies, and look at traffic data.
Task 2.2. Activity Center/ Corridor Development Inventory The Development Inventory includes an assessment of existing land uses, as well as housing and activity center occupancy/vacancy rates for existing development. The Development Inventory also will help with visualizing the amount/intensity and location of development within the City. It will be incumbent upon the City of Irondale to identify the up to three (3) existing activity centers and/or corridors that will be assessed through this plan work.
Task 2.3. Existing Infrastructure Analysis The Existing Infrastructure Analysis is an evaluation of existing water/wastewater, storm water, and telecommunications infrastructure in order to understand the capacity and limitations of existing infrastructure.
Task 2.4. Transportation Analysis The Transportation Analysis will look at all transportation modes in order to evaluate the impacts of potential changes to the City of Irondale. This will consider existing vehicular circulation patterns, trip making characteristics, roadway capacity, multi‐modal level of service, potential for public transit, alternative travel modes, and travel demands for both roadways and non‐motorized facilities. Consideration also will be given to how large properties are accessed, travel speeds, truck traffic, and vehicle/pedestrian conflict points. The parking component of the analysis will inventory current surface, on‐street, and structured parking, as well as parking utilization and turnover.
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Task 2.5. Economic Market Analysis The RPCGB will conduct an Economic Market Analysis for the City of Irondale concurrent with the data collection effort. The Economic Market Analysis will evaluate the competitive advantages that the City of Irondale has in terms of industrial development, commercial/office and retail development, and housing. The Economic Market Analysis will help to paint a picture of the City of Irondale’s past and present, and help to identify existing needs and potential gaps in land supply and labor. It will also assist the RPCGB to develop a forecast of expected development, and inform the planning process by speaking to existing and expected demands and opportunities for different development types, and market segments. Specific to the economic market analysis will be conducted for office and retail markets.
The RPCGB also will conduct a “Use Survey” in order to assess the types of businesses that are currently occupying existing buildings within targeted activity centers, corridors, and commercial developments. Particular attention will be paid to the ground floor spaces in buildings with two or more stories, as the types of businesses that would best fit into ground floor spaces are anticipated to be a key component of a place‐based economic development strategy.
Task 2.6. Existing Code Assessments The Existing Code Assessment will evaluate the existing zoning code, development regulations, historic preservation standards, code enforcement criteria, and both state and local laws and/or regulations as it relates to land development and urban renewal. It is intended that the Code Assessment will assist the comprehensive plan update development effort by identifying tools and conflicts that either could aid or compromise the envisioned development or redevelopment activities.
Task 2.7. Perception Surveys As part of the data collection process, the RPCGB will conduct a “Perception Survey” of stakeholders, to include the public. The survey’s purpose is to obtain input about the perception of places, infrastructure, and services within the City of Irondale. Information will be gathered about peoples’ perceptions about mobility, accessibility, parking, safety, architecture, open space, businesses, and government services.
Deliverable Description
Existing Conditions Technical Memorandum
The Existing Conditions Technical Memorandum is a synthesis of collected data and findings. It will include individual Technical Memoranda, which will be included in the comprehensive plan as appendices. These will include:
Data Dictionary
Development Inventory
Existing Infrastructure Analysis
Transportation and Parking
Code Assessments
Perception Survey
Economic Market Analysis
The Economic Market Analysis is a separate technical memoranda that will provide information about existing office, and retail markets. The Economic Market Analysis will also consider the demands for these products. This will be used to inform (a) decisions about land supply and land uses, and (b) concept designs. The Economic Market Analysis might also be able to inform branding and marketing strategies
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Task 3.0. Comprehensive Plan Development
Task 3.1. Future Land Development Concept The RPCGB, in consultation with the Client, will prepare a Future Land Development Concept. The Future Land Development Concept will provide a graphic interpretation of the City’s vision for development, and will articulate generally desired land use, density, development styles and architectural character, transportation, and cultural and art amenities.
The Future Land Development Concept is intended to inform the management of environmental resources and protect scarce resources. It also is intended to provide the City of Irondale with guidance about how the City might
use land more efficiently, create a distinct community, and administer land use regulations. It will explain and define each of the land use designations, or categories, that will be used on the Land Use Plan Map. The Future Land Development Concept also will articulate the concepts behind the function and mixing of uses. Finally, it will
offer a framework by which the Client can assess proposals for new development and/or redevelopment of existing structure, and provide general criteria for locating and siting these land use elements.
Task 3.1 Activity Center/Corridor Focused Plans A sub element of the Future Land Development Concept, the RPCGB will develop up to three (3) Activity Center Focused Plans for inclusion in the City of Irondale’s comprehensive plan update. It will be incumbent upon the City of Irondale to identify the existing activity centers and/or corridors that will be assessed through this plan work. Using a 4D analytical approach, the RPCGB will provide guidance for the development and/or redevelopment of specific activity centers, and take into consideration density, land use diversity, design characteristics, and both the location and accessibility of destinations within the activity center.
An activity center is a physically and aesthetically unified, concentrated mixed‐use area containing shopping, services, recreation, mixed‐density residential uses, and both office and institutional facilities that are arranged in a walkable, compact, pedestrian‐friendly manner. All elements and land uses are designed to function as an integrated whole (rather than as a series of unconnected, unrelated developments). Activity corridors have similar components but are aligned linearly. Both support their neighborhood, community, or region, respectively, and may even be focal points for the surrounding neighborhood and community. Activity centers and corridors should have a strong sense of identity.
Task 3.2. Transportation Plan Development The RPCGB will develop a Transportation Plan for the City of Irondale. The Transportation Plan will primarily center circulation within the City, gateways, and existing and future infrastructure improvements. The Transportation Plan will:
Identify opportunities for roadway improvements, expansion, and new facilities
Provide modal priorities for City streets
Identify and prioritize non sidewalk, trail improvements
Identify and recommend on‐street bicycle facilities, to include lanes, shared lane markings, and signed routes
Identify and recommend opportunities to incorporate public transit services for circulation and commuter access
Deliverable Description
Comprehensive Plan
A comprehensive plan comprised of three (3) primary elements. They are:
Future Land Development Concept
Activity Center Focused Plans Transportation Plan
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Task 4.0. Implementation Program and Performance Monitoring
Task 4.1. Implementation Program The RPCGB will provide recommendations for phased implementation, a prioritization strategy and potential funding resources for recommended improvements for both infrastructure and services for the City of Irondale. As part of the phasing and prioritization considerations, threshold metrics or conditions will be described that would trigger the need to implement a project. The Implementation Program also will outline funding sources and specific amounts of funding that may be used towards the development and implementation of this project and its component tasks; informing the Client’s development of the Capital Improvements Program. A timeline for each phase of the project will be developed, as well as a final completion date.
Task 4.2. Performance Metrics and Monitoring The City of Irondale Comprehensive Plan will measure the success of long‐term outcomes against benchmarks related to the progress of the plan. Specifically, the Federal Livability Principles developed by the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, will be used to establish benchmarks and performance targets for the redevelopment plan. The Federal Livability Principles include:
1. Provide more transportation choices The comprehensive plan will identify opportunities to develop safe, reliable, and economical transportation choices that decrease household transportation costs; reduce City residents and business's dependence on foreign oil; improves air quality and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and; promote public health.
2. Promote equitable, affordable housing The comprehensive plan will consider strategies to expand location‐ and energy‐efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.
3. Enhance economic competitiveness The comprehensive plan will explore ways that the City of Irondale can improve its economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers, as well as expanded business access to markets.
4. Support existing communities The comprehensive plan will provide recommendations for capital improvement projects, identifying areas within the City where federal funding might be targeted through a variety of strategies such transit oriented, mixed‐use development, and adaptive reuse of existing buildings. These efforts are intended to increase community revitalization and the efficiency of public works investments.
5. Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment The comprehensive plan will identify opportunities to align the City of Irondale’s policies with federal policies and funding in order to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding, and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy
6. Value communities and neighborhoods The comprehensive plan will provide guidance for enhancing the City of Irondale’s unique characteristics by investing in strategies that help make it a healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhood.
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Deliverable Description
Implementation Program
A detailed strategy implementing the policies, concepts, projects, and programs identified in the Comprehensive Plan. This includes phased implementation approach (short‐term, mid, and long‐term), as well as anticipated costs, and priorities.
Performance Metrics and Monitoring A set of metrics and an ongoing monitoring strategy to assess the success of the plan to achieve goals, objectives, and Federal Livability Principles over time.
Task 5.0. Plan Document Development and Delivery
Task 4.1 Revise and Submit Final Plan Document The RPCGB, in consultation with the Client, will revise and publish the City of Irondale Comprehensive Plan, to include all of its elements. The RPCGB will present and submit the final plan to the City’s leadership, the City’s Planning Commission, and other stakeholders as required by the City to adopt. The RPCGB will provide the Client with standard presentations in an electronic format in order that the Client’s staff might present the comprehensive plan to neighborhood associations, garden clubs, and other interest groups as requested.
The final plan will be delivered to the Client who will advance it through the adoption process.
Task 4.2 Delivery and Formal Adoption Process The RPCGB will work with the Client to advance the comprehensive plan through the formal approval and adoption process. The RPCGB will attend meetings with the City of Irondale’s Planning Commission, the Irondale City Council Planning and Zoning Committee, and the full Irondale City Council.
The RPCGB will present the City of Irondale Comprehensive Plan at the Planning Commission’s formal public hearing and revise the plan based on instructions received from the Client following the public hearing. The RPCGB will present the City of Irondale Comprehensive Plan to the Irondale City Council and make one set of revisions based on instructions received from the Client following the meeting.
Upon delivery of the final comprehensive plan to the Irondale City Council the project will be considered complete.
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Project Staffing The RPCGB will assign appropriate staff and charge them with the responsibility for completing this project.
Project Schedule The City of Irondale Comprehensive Plan will be developed over a nine (9) month period, commencing with the return of a signed copy of the contract, to which this scope of work is appended, and the receipt of payment from the City of Irondale for the local match of federal funds applied to this project. The scope of services is based on RPCGB’s understanding of regulatory approval processes and the desired product.
Note: Many of the events in this work schedule are beyond the control of RPCGB. These events include obtaining data from the City of Irondale, the review and approval of the preliminary and final plans, delays to the workflow as requested by the Client, and information that is not available to the RPCGB at the time this proposal was prepared.
Exclusions from Scope of Work The following services are not included in RPCGB’s scope of services: environmental assessments, construction drawings, Community or business association meetings beyond those identified in the project scope, road or utility design, and any other services not specifically listed in the project scope. Any Client directed changes to the final plan after the Client’s approval of the draft revisions shall be reimbursed in accordance with RPCGB’s billing rates in effect at the time the services are performed.
Compensation The Client agrees to pay RPCGB a lump sum fee of $25,834.17 for services rendered; this amount constitutes the local match required to leverage federal funding, and $103,336.68 that is being applied to assist with this project’s funding, for a project total of $129,170.85. The City of Irondale will be required to provide the local match prior to RPCGB beginning the project.
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