Bid Number 2023-101 Request for Proposals: Professional Services to Create new Downtown Design Guidelines
| Agency: | City of Florence |
|---|---|
| State: | South Carolina |
| Level of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
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| Opps ID: | NBD13164947949759599 |
| Posted Date: | Jan 4, 2024 |
| Due Date: | Feb 1, 2024 |
| Solicitation No: | 2023-10 |
| Source: | Members Only |
| bid number | bid description | cloising date | bid file |
| Bid Number 2023-101 Request for Proposals: Professional Services to Create new Downtown Design Guidelines |
Bid Description
The City of Florence is accepting sealed proposals from qualified consulting firms to develop new downtown design guidelines. |
Closing Date Thu, 02/01/2024 | Bid Files |
Attachment Preview
Office of Purchasing/Contracting 324 W. Evans Street Florence, South Carolina 29501
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NO. 2023-101
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO CREATE NEW DOWNTOWN DESIGN GUIDELINES
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: February 1, 2024, 2:00 pm
PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The City of Florence, South Carolina (the City) is soliciting proposals from qualified consulting
firms specializing in historic preservation or a related field. The selected proposal will provide the
City with services for the development of new Design Guidelines for the City’s overlay districts.
This project is funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park
Service, and administered by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH).
The Downtown Design Guidelines will also assist and support the City’s existing and projected
regulatory plans and ordinances including the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and
Comprehensive Plan and Existing City Report. Responses should be submitted based on the
information and guidelines provided in this Request for Proposals (RFP).
This RFP is being publicly advertised. The City will make the selection based on the responses
submitted, interviews with firms, and then negotiate a final agreement with the selected firm.
Responders are welcome to establish consortiums or teams of firms in connection with this RFP.
The final selection of the firm will be based on the criteria set forth in this RFP.
All responses must be sealed and have “RFP 2023-101 Request for Proposals for
Professional Services to Create New Downtown Design Guidelines” clearly marked on the
outside for ease of identification by the City. Submit one (1) original and four (4) copies of the
proposal. Responses may be hand-delivered prior to the submission deadline at the address
listed above. The City does not accept electronic/emailed responses. Directions may be obtained
by calling (843) 665-3165. Any response received later than the submission deadline WILL NOT
BE ACCEPTED OR CONSIDERED.
Responses submitted by mail should be addressed to: City of Florence, Attn: Lynwood F.
Givens, Purchasing Agent, 324 W. Evans Street, Florence, SC 29501. The City will not be
responsible for late submission caused by the postal service, other carriers, or any other delivery
problems regardless of the reason.
This solicitation does not commit the City of Florence to award a contract, to pay any costs
incurred in the preparation of a response, or to procure or contract for services. The City of
Florence reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submissions received as a result of this
Request for Proposals, or to cancel it in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of the City
of Florence.
Lynwood F. Givens
Purchasing Agent
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MINORITY AND WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS
Minority Business Owners (minority or woman owned businesses) will be afforded full opportunity
to submit a response to the Request for Proposals and will not be discriminated against on the
grounds of race, color, creed, sex, or national origin in consideration for an award. It is the policy
of the City that minority business and women owned business enterprises (MBE/WBE) have an
opportunity to participate at all levels of contracting in the performance of City contracts to the
extent practical and consistent with the efficient performance of the contract. Please indicate that
you are a minority or woman owned business with your proposal submission.
The successful contractor(s) must ensure that all subcontractors, agents, personnel assigned by
or employees of prime company and subcontractors are not discriminated against because of
their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The successful contractor(s) must make positive
efforts to provide equal employment opportunity for minority and women owned businesses.
All submitted materials shall become the sole property of the City of Florence. Contractors will
relinquish claim for return of submitted material. The City shall have sole discretion in evaluating
the responses. The City reserves the right to reject any and all responses and is not bound to
accept any response if it is contrary to the best interest of the City.
INSTRUCTIONS
Responses to the Request for Proposals will only be accepted from responsible and responsive
companies that have an established reputation in the field of history, architecture, architectural
history, or historic preservation, as well as demonstrated experience creating design guidelines
and experience working with local design review boards and commissions.
No response may be withdrawn for a period of ninety (90) days after the submission date.
A responsive company is defined as one that has the capability in all respects to perform
fully the requirements mentioned in the RFP document and the integrity and reliability
which will assure good faith performance.
A responsive company is defined as one that has submitted a response which conforms
in all respects to the RFP requirements.
Protest Period: Any actual or prospective company that is aggrieved in connection with the
solicitation or award of a contract/purchase order may formally protest in writing to the Chief
Financial Officer. The protest may be submitted at any time during the procurement process.
However, if a prospective company wishes to protest, the formal protest must be submitted in
writing and must be received by the City no later than seven (7) days from the date that the
aggrieved actual or prospective company has been informed of the proposal results by the
Purchasing Agent. Protests received by the City after the expiration of the seven (7) day protest
period will not be considered by the City.
Disputes: In cases of disputes as to whether or not an item or service quoted or delivered meets
the scope of work, the decision of the City of Florence shall be final and binding on all parties.
The Purchasing Agent may request in writing the recommendation of the head of the department
of the end user or other objective sources.
Deviations: Any deviations from the scope of services contained herein must be stated in the
response for the City of Florence’s consideration.
Changes: Any changes in this Request for Proposal after a contract agreement has been
awarded must be with the written consent of the Purchasing Agent or the City Manager; otherwise,
the responsibility for such changes lies with the company. Any changes to the scope of services
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in this Request for Proposals package shall be in writing and an addendum will go out to all
prospective respondents so each respondent can compete equitably.
Ownership Of Material: Ownership of all data, material and documentation originated and
prepared for the City of Florence pursuant to this contract shall belong exclusively to the City of
Florence.
QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES: The deadline for the submission of any and all questions
and inquiries concerning this RFP is January 23, 2024 at 5:00 pm. All questions must be
directed to Lynwood F. Givens, Purchasing Agent in written format and e-mailed to
lgivens@cityofflorence.com.
A complete copy of the City of Florence Purchasing Policies and Procedures Manual can
be downloaded from the City of Florence website at www.cityofflorence.com.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The current Design Guidelines were drafted in 2005 to serve as standards for City staff, residents,
and appointed Design Review Board members charged with reviewing projects in Florence’s
historic districts. Though the City ordinance has been regularly updated, the Design Guidelines
remain unaltered since their adoption nearly two decades ago. Florence’s five local downtown
districts see considerable activity, and often Board members are tasked with interpreting broadly
written guidelines or evaluating materials that were not in use when the guidelines were written.
The goal of this project will be a new document that addresses new materials and technologies,
expands on and clarifies the approval process, provides updated historic standards, and includes
more image-based content. Educating property owners and the general public as to the value of
historic preservation and historic character are also goals of the new Guidelines. The City of
Florence intends the updated Guidelines to support efforts to improve the available resources for
current and prospective residents in the downtown districts, the Board members, and City staff.
SCOPE OF WORK
The proposed consultant will be responsible for but not limited to the following:
A. Initial Meeting with City and Public Meetings
1. City staff will schedule a meeting with the consultant before work begins to discuss the
scope of work, methodology, schedule, data formatting issues, and other matters as
necessary. All work associated with this request will be subject to review and approval by
SCDAH.
2. City staff will also schedule an initial public meeting with the consultant to introduce the
project to the public and receive public comment. This may be part of a regularly scheduled
Design Review Board meeting or a separate public meeting specifically for this purpose.
3. The Consultant will be required to make a public presentation to summarize the final
approved design guidelines.
4. The Consultant will be required to conduct a training workshop on use and application of
the final approved design guidelines specifically for City staff and members of the Design
Review Board.
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B. Design Guidelines
1. The consultant will tour the five (5) districts in order to understand the scale, context and
architectural styles of Florence.
2. The consultant will recommend appropriate formats for the design guidelines, allowing for
future updates as needed.
3. The City will choose a format and authorize the consultant to proceed with the design
guidelines.
4. The document produced by the consultant will include guidelines that assist the City of
Florence Design Review Board and property owners in determining appropriate design for
rehabilitation of existing buildings and appropriate design for new buildings proposed for
construction within the historic district. Illustrations, a combination of photographs and
drawings, may include both local and national examples to accompany text to show
examples of appropriate and inappropriate design choices for the district.
5. The City of Florence and SCDAH will review a draft of the design guidelines. The Design
Review Board and the public will also be afforded the opportunity to review and comment
on the draft document which shall be considered in finalizing the document. The consultant
will address all review comments in the final draft.
FINAL PRODUCTS
The consultant will provide the City with five bound copies of the final Design Guidelines, plus one
unbound security copy. The Design Guidelines should also be provided in digital format so that
the City may make future additions or changes. The consultant will additionally provide SCDAH
with three bound copies, one unbound copy, and one digital copy.
As part of their proposal, Consultants should affirm their compliance with the following:
1. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the
Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race,
color, national origin, disability or age in programs assisted by the U.S. Department of the
Interior.
2. Debarment Certification, 43 CFR, Part 12, Section 12.510 and stating that neither the
consultant nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment,
declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal
department or agency.
Final deliverables must be completed and provided to the City of Florence no later than
September 15th, 2024.
CONTENT OF PROPOSALS
Proposals of interested firms should provide the following information, which will be used to
establish qualifications and to select a firm.
1. Professional Experience and Qualifications - 25 points
Points for this criterion will be awarded based on an evaluation of the qualifications and
experience of the proposed firm. The firm’s personnel experience, track record for meeting
budget, quality workmanship, experience with similar projects, and all other aspects will be taken
under consideration. Please provide up to three (3) references for like or similar projects.
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2. Project Understanding and Approach - 25 points
This criterion will award points for the firm’s understanding of the goals and objectives for the
project and their proposed methodology for meeting those goals and objectives. The team is
expected to provide a narrative statement illustrating their clear and concise understanding of the
project, potential issues, proposed solutions, and an overall project schedule.
3. Not to Exceed Three (3) Previous Project Examples - 15 points
Provide up to three (3) previous project examples that are like or similar in nature to this project.
4. Management Plan and Timetable – 25 points
The terms of the grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, as
administered by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH), require that all
work be completed by September 30, 2024. In an effort to meet this requirement the City of
Florence is requiring that final deliverables be provided to the City no later than September 15th,
2024 to allow for adequate review.
5. Proposed Cost of Project- 10 points
Provide a detailed cost of the project outlining unit costs for all proposed items. A cost worksheet
is attached to this document.
Right to Reject Responses, Waive Irregularities, and Conduct Ex Parte Communications
with Contractors: The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all responses, at its
sole discretion, received as a result of this RFP, to waive minor irregularities, and to conduct
discussions with any or all prospective applicants, in any manner necessary, to secure helpful
information.
Right to Request Additional Information from Any or All Responders: The City reserves the
right to request additional information from any or all prospective applicants, if necessary, to clarify
that which is contained in the proposals.
Responders are requested to submit five (5) copies of the proposal. Due to time limitations of the
Selection Committee members, responses should be limited to no longer than twenty (20) single-
sided pages. Please include tab dividers for easy access to each section of the proposal (tab
dividers do not count toward the 20-page limit). Additional supplemental information may be
submitted, under separate cover, in order to aid in firm selection. This information may include
staff resumes, descriptions of similar municipal projects, project references, etc.
SELECTION PROCESS
The City has formed a Selection Committee to review the proposals and recommend a firm. The
Selection Committee will be composed of the following members:
1. Downtown Development Manager
2. Senior Planner
3. Utilities Operation Director
4. Assistant City Manager
5. Purchasing Agent
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