2-Organization Overview.pdf

PROPOSAL FOR Acquisition and Relocation On-Call | SOLICITATION NUMBER BPM006797

Organization Overview Consultant Engineering, Inc. (CEI) has been providing comprehensive right of way (ROW) services for 23 years and is an Arizona licensed Real Estate Brokerage (AZ No. C0536756000). Our firm was established in 1996 to provide clients such as ADOT with high quality construction administration, project management, and construction inspection services for transportation related projects through full-service and staff augmentation contracts. In 2002, CEI diversified our services to include a Real Estate Services Division providing ROW services such as appraisal, acquisition, and relocation services for public and private agencies. Our ROW clients include local public agencies (LPA), state departments of transportation, and a myriad of design firms.

CEI has held ROW and other on-call and staff augmentation contracts with many LPA’s such as the Cities of Avondale, Buckeye, Chandler, Flagstaff, Glendale, Goodyear, Phoenix, Tempe, Tucson and; the Towns of Paradise Valley, Queen Creek, and Gilbert; the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT); Valley Metro; the Counties of, Maricopa, Mohave, Coconino and Pinal; and multiple design firms.

All of CEI’s ROW agents have extensive knowledge of the ADOT ROW Procedures Manual, Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended (Uniform Act), Federal Transit Administration regulations, various state statutes and other rules and regulations that govern ROW projects. They are well-versed in the legal, procedural, and policy requirements that apply to public infrastructure projects, as well as the broader economic and developmental factors that influence ROW needs across communities, municipalities, government agencies, and local businesses.

The CEI Team will work as an “extension” of ADOT’s staff to expeditiously accomplish all tasks assigned to them by ADOT and will professionally represent the agency while maintaining a high level of integrity at all times. We pride ourselves on our ability to build effective relationships and rapport with the agencies we serve and are confident that our experienced professionals can continue to meet and exceed ADOT’s contract needs and expectations.

Quality assurance is a key component of our operation to ensure the accuracy of our work. Quality begins with defining the project goals and is implemented by a team committed to their workmanship at each step in the process. For our in-house projects, work is continuously monitored by the project manager who is also responsible for disseminating new information or changes to the team.

When necessary, we assign a senior team member to mentor an agent if he/she needs it.

Senior Acquisition and Relocation Agent, Licensed Michelle Williams Ariel Star-Winters

Administrative Support Personnel Patty Ortega

PRINCIPAL/PROJECT MANAGER

M.Clark Hochstein

RELEVANT FIRM PROJECT EXPERIENCE:

ADOT—Tres Rios Freeway SR 303L – SR 202L CEI was engaged to deliver comprehensive Acquisition and Relocation Services in support of a major infrastructure initiative designed to alleviate traffic congestion in western Maricopa County. This project focuses on expanding the east-to-west freeway capacity in the region by introducing a supplementary transportation corridor that connects to Interstate 10 (I-10). The proposed project is intended to enhance overall traffic flow by improving the efficiency of the regional transportation network and its key components. By providing an alternative route, the new freeway is expected to ease pressure on I-10, significantly reduce congestion duration, improve travel times across the region, and divert traffic from the overburdened arterial street system.

Under the scope of this contract, CEI is managing the acquisition of a single property, which has led to the relocation of one residential household and three commercial operations. Among these is the relocation of a nationally recognized heavy equipment rental company, highlighting the complexity and scale of the effort. CEI’s responsibilities encompass all phases of the acquisition and relocation process. This includes issuing mandatory notifications, conducting detailed interviews with displaced occupants, assessing eligibility for relocation benefits, and preparing claims in full compliance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act. CEI ensures that all activities are carried out with professionalism and sensitivity to the needs of the affected residents and businesses, maintaining adherence to all regulatory requirements throughout the process.

Pinal County—IPAZ, Hanna and Houser Roads and SR 87 Intersection Improvements CEI was a subconsultant to TY Lin International (prime design firm) to provide acquisition services for this project that improved Hanna Road and Houser Road from SR 87 to Vail Road and SR 87 intersection and drainage improvements at both locations. The project was funded by a $15.3M federal grant for improvements associated with the Inland Port Arizona (IPAZ) development, a 2,700 acre site located east of SR 87. The development and roadways are surrounded by private properties (mostly agricultural), and involved coordination with numerous stakeholders. CEI’s ROW agents ordered and reviewed all title reports to ascertain ownership and researched any existing encumbrances that could impact the acquisitions. Our agents reviewed all legal descriptions and exhibits for accuracy. CEI’s agents ordered appraisals and appraisal reviews from an outside source and reviewed the appraisals internally to ensure all information was precise. Working for the designer and representing Pinal County, CEI agents acquired fee title and easements from 17 parcels. The APWA Arizona Chapter selected this project as the 2023 Transportation Project of the Year ($5M-$25M category).

Pinal County—Meridian Road Improvements Pinal County hired CEI to acquire the necessary right of way and easements for this improvement project. The roadway was unimproved for nearly the entire project limits, with most of the existing facility consisting of a 20-foot-wide roughly graded dirt road. Development of this corridor resulted in serving many communities within the southeast valley, including Pinal County, the Town of Queen Creek, and the City of Mesa. CEI oversaw the appraisal/valuation process, reviewed title reports and appraisals, presented all offers and negotiated with the property owners on behalf of Pinal County. The project involved 16 impacted parcels, encompassing a diverse mix of residential, commercial, and heavy industrial properties. The immense public outreach and sensitivity were key to the success of the project. Design alterations were made to appease property owner concerns regarding drainage and access.

ADOT—South Mountain Freeway CEI’s Real Estate Services Division, through our on-call acquisition and relocation contract, was tasked with multiple relocation projects, some relatively straight forward and some highly complex. CEI assisted the state in acquiring property and relocating tenants and owners in support of the new South Mountain Freeway, I-10 West to I-10 South, a new 22-mile freeway (interstate connection) project.

CEI’s ROW Agents provided business relocation services for two sections of the project. The scope included 13 landlord business relocations, 15 commercial warehouse tenant relocations, and relocation of the Country Cowboy Arena. The warehouse tenant relocations were all complex business relocations and included movement of a battery distribution warehouse and the Arizona Bottled Water company, an automated bottled water manufacturing and distributing facility.

CEI’s ROW Agents also provided residential relocation services for two sections of this project. The original scope included 27 residential relocations, comprised of 15 owner-occupants and 12 tenants. The CEI Team performed so well on the original scope of work that ADOT recalled several residential relocation files from another consulting firm and assigned them to CEI.

ADOT—Broadway Curve I-10 Improvements ADOT began the process of making improvements to I-10 at the Broadway Curve – the most heavily traveled stretch of freeway in Arizona. This project widened 11 miles of I-10 from the I-17 “Split” interchange near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to the SR 202L interchange in Chandler. CEI was selected to provide acquisition and relocation services for this federally funded project that impacts multiple properties. All of the properties were commercial and most had multiple tenants that operated a wide variety of businesses, which added to the complexity of the project. Several of the businesses required freeway frontage, which presented a challenge in finding suitable replacement properties. CEI’s agents relocated a used car dealership, water jet and laser cutting company, general contracting firm, heavy machinery sales showroom, fencing company, and two non-profit organizations. These were early acquisitions and relocations to accommodate a very tight demolition schedule.

Valley Metro—Tempe Streetcar CEI was responsible for the management of all ROW work for the Tempe Streetcar project; our team collaborated closely with the engineering and construction teams throughout the entire project process. Clark Hochstein of CEI served as the Real Estate Manager and was responsible for overseeing the entire real estate acquisition program, managing all consultants for supporting services, coordinating the activities of the City of Tempe as acquiring agency, and monitoring schedule and costs. In addition to the acquisition of rights of way and easements from all properties affected, CEI oversaw the selection process for additional services including environmental site assessments, title/escrow, appraisals and appraisal reviews. CEI also assisted with the relocation of utilities and determining cost to cures for improvements located within the areas being acquired. Review of all legal descriptions and exhibits by CEI maintained accuracy throughout the mapping and acquisition processes.

ADOT/City of Safford—20th Avenue Road Widening The City of Safford (City) contracted CEI to provide acquisition services for this federally-funded project. To accommodate continued growth and to upgrade safety features for residents in the area, the City of Safford determined it necessary to widen a stretch of 20th Avenue, an arterial road. This section of 20th Avenue hosts both residential and business parcels along the project area, including a hospital, various doctors’ offices, and a senior living facility. Since the estimated acquisition costs were less than $10,000, CEI was able to perform Restricted Use Appraisals in lieu of full appraisal reports, which resulted in a large savings to the City and the project budget. CEI’s staff completed a wide range of tasks throughout the project, including—but not limited to—presenting at the City’s public meeting, reviewing title reports, and conducting comprehensive site inspections. The team performed 43 Restricted Use Appraisals, prepared all conveying documents and offer packages, and personally presented offers to property owners. In addition, CEI negotiated on behalf of the City, coordinated all escrow processes with the title company, and managed all communications with property owners to ensure a smooth and transparent acquisition process. The City put the project on hold for two years and reactivated the project in early 2018.

ADOT/Town of Thatcher—Church Street Widening CEI’s ROW Agents provided appraisal and acquisition services in support of this federally-funded roadway widening project. Since the individual values of each of the acquisitions were determined to be less than $25,000, CEI received permission from the lead agency and FHWA to provide Restricted Use Appraisals in lieu of full appraisals. This resulted in a huge cost savings for the Town and helped to accelerate the project schedule. The scope included 50 Restricted Use Appraisals and acquisition of 50 permanent fee interests and/or utility easements.

This project proved to be highly complex for several reasons: many of the properties were mortgaged and often made it difficult for CEI Agents to obtain releases or consents to the acquisition of permanent fee interest or easements from the lenders, several of the property owners lived in other states and towns and were difficult to locate and contact, and there was a significant design change implemented midway through the project which required our Agents to revise offers to the property owners. CEI’s Agents drafted all conveying documents and presented 49 of the 50 offers in person; therefore, a significant amount of coordination was required due to the many project stakeholders. Other project tasks completed by CEI’s Agents included: facilitation of Town Hall meetings with the community members to ensure that the project goals, scope, timeline and impacts were understood by all, review of title reports, coordination with the Title company on all escrow processes, as well as management of all communications with property owners.