2027-26 RFP - Professional Design Services for the Weed Beach Bathhouse Deck.pdf

Town of Darien

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP No. 2027-06

Professional Design Services for the Weed Beach Bathhouse Deck

Sealed proposals will be received in the Office of the Selectmen, Town Hall, 2 Renshaw Road, Darien, CT 06820 until 3:00 p.m. Thursday, September 10, 2026, at which time and place all proposals will be publicly opened and read aloud for supplying the Town with the following:

Professional Design Services for the Weed Beach Bathhouse Deck

Proposal shall be completed and enclosed in a sealed envelope (both outer and inner) with the above title and RFP number printed on the outside. Full Request for Proposal information is available on the Town of Darien Website www.darienct.gov/bids. Request for Proposal documents are on file in the office of the Department of Parks & Recreation at Town Hall.

Copies may be obtained upon request.

The Town of Darien is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer; Minority/Women’s

Business Enterprises are encouraged to submit proposals.

The Town of Darien reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.

Jon Zagrodzky

Purchasing Agent http://www.darienct.gov/bids

RFP 2027-06

TOWN OF DARIEN, CONNECTICUT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

PROFESSIONAL DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE WEED BEACH BATHHOUSE DECK

pg. 1

PURPOSE:

The Town of Darien is seeking architectural/engineering design services and construction documents for the replacement of the bathhouse deck at Weed Beach located at 155 Nearwater

Lane, Darien, CT 06820.

BACKGROUND:

The Weed Beach bathhouse was built in 2011/2012 and was opened to the public in June 2012.

In October 2012, the deck was submerged during Super Storm Sandy. Over the past few years, small repairs were made to parts of the deck where rot was discovered in some joists and portions of the super structure. In April 2026, a significant problem was discovered in a section of the deck with substantial rot to the joists, super structure and support beams (pictures attached in Exhibit B). Emergency repairs were made to this portion of the deck in May 2026.

Based on observation, we surmise the entire deck area of the building has similar conditions requiring replacement. We are hoping to have the construction work completed for the 2027 summer season.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The scope of work is to include an assessment of the current structure to determine whether the current deck can be repaired or should be replaced in its entirety. If it is determined that a replacement is the suggested course of action, the Town is seeking suggestions as to the recommended method and materials. The deck is to stay within the same or similar footprint.

We are seeking a deck that is attractive and will require minimal maintenance, can withstand heavy public use, will be long lasting, and can withstand the harsh beach environment.

Design must be compliant with FEMA, CT DEEP, ADA, and all other applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

The following scope of work presents the minimum activity that the Town envisions as being needed to complete the scope of this project:

• Phase A: Construction Documents o The selected firm will prepare construction drawings/plans.

o The selected firm will prepare one design package (plans, specifications, Opinion of Probable Cost) suitable for construction.

o Prepare a public Notice to Bidders (to be published by the Town of Darien).

o Prepare front-end bid documents, which will include at a minimum, detailed project description, working days for construction, bid schedule, bid item descriptions, payment methods, special provisions, technical specifications, and any specification detail sheets or standard plans, necessary to construct the project.

pg. 2

• Phase B: Permitting o The selected firm will complete a review and prepare the necessary permits required for the project and coordinate with representative agencies as necessary.

o A Building Permit will be required from the Building Department and possibly an

Electrical Permit will be needed as well.

o Possible review may also be required by the following agencies:

▪ Architectural Review Board

▪ Planning & Zoning Commission

• Phase C: Bidding o The selected firm will attend a pre-bid walk through, prepare bid addenda, prepare a tabulation of bids, and verify the references of low bidders.

• Phase D: Construction Services o The selected firm will provide part-time construction oversight services.

o Tasks will include:

▪ Facilitation of a preconstruction meeting and providing minutes of said meeting.

▪ Facilitation of any construction meetings and provide minutes of said meetings.

▪ Provide interpretation of the Contract Documents and respond to

Contractors’ Requests for Information.

▪ Coordinate, review, and approve shop drawing submittals, samples, material colors and finishes.

▪ Review and interpret test results, surveys and documentation provided by contractor for the project.

▪ Review and coordinate permit conditions documentation.

▪ Prepare and distribute a punch list of all items that are not satisfactorily completed.

▪ Assist the Town with project close-out, final inspection and follow-up of punch list items.

▪ Review and make recommendations regarding all Contractors’ change proposals.

▪ Review and approve all contractor payment applications

FORM OF PROPOSAL:

In preparing a proposal, interested firms/consultants must include the following information:

• Cover Letter

• Brief Description of Firm – Describe your firm’s areas of expertise and other information that helps to describe the firm. Provide the name, title, address, email address, and telephone number of the primary contact.

• Project Manager’s Experience – Identify the project manager who will be responsible for this project. List the project manager’s relevant experience and similar work, including references.

pg. 3

• Project Team – If there will be multiple people working on this project, include all names, qualifications and other resources relevant to the scope of this project.

Describe proposed roles and responsibilities on this project, and relevant related experience.

• Project References – Document experience in providing services similar to those being requested. Provide a summary of three (3) of your firm’s recent projects that had a similar size and scope.

• Timeline – Provide a timeline of the work needed to complete Phase A:

Construction Documents

• Any other relevant information

• Completed Fee Proposal Form

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Proposer’s attention is directed to the insurance requirements set forth in Exhibit A. It is highly recommended that bidders confer with their respective insurance carriers or brokers in advance of proposal submission. Two copies of insurance certificates covering the limits as set forth herein must be supplied by the bidder to the town within seven days after notification of award.

PRE-BID MEETING:

A site meeting will commence at 10:00am on August 26, 2026, at Weed Beach, 155 Nearwater

Lane, Darien, CT 06820 for all prospective respondents.

• Prospective respondents are strongly encouraged to inspect the relevant facilities prior to submitting a proposal.

• While the meeting is not mandatory, prospective proposers will be required to sign-in at the commencement of the meeting.

• If unable to attend the Pre-Bid Meeting and would like to review the site, contact Jennifer

Fava, Director of Parks and Recreation, via email at jfava@darienct.gov or via phone at

203-656-7325 to arrange access into Weed Beach.

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS:

Questions

Any questions concerning this RFP must be submitted in writing no later than 12:00pm on

September 2, 2026, to Jennifer Fava, Director of Parks and Recreation, via email to:

jfava@darienct.gov

The subject line must reference: RFP 2027-06 Professional Design Services for the Weed Beach

Bathhouse Deck.

Written responses to material questions will be posted as Q&A Addenda to the Town of Darien website at www.darienct.gov no later than 5:00pm September 3, 2026. It is the respondent’s responsibility to check the website for any additional information.

mailto:jfava@darienct.gov mailto:jfava@darienct.gov http://www.darienct.gov/

pg. 4

Proposals

Interested firms should submit one (1) original proposal and two (2) copies on or before 3:00pm on September 10, 2026, to:

Town of Darien

Office of the Selectmen

Town Hall

2 Renshaw Road

Darien, CT 06820

Proposals will be opened and recorded at this time. Proposals submitted after this time will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure the proposal is received prior to the deadline. Proposals shall be enclosed in an envelope (both inner and outer), sealed, and clearly marked “RFP 2027-06 Professional Design Services For The Weed Beach Bathhouse Deck” and the name of the proposer.

Electronically mailed (emailed) proposals will not be accepted.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Town of Darien reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals and reserves the right to waive technicalities where such action best serves the interest of the Town. The Town of

Darien reserves the right to withdraw this RFP at any time prior to final selection, in its sole discretion.

The Town of Darien will be the sole and exclusive judge of quality and compliance with proposal specifications in any of the matters pertaining to this RFP. The Town reserves the right to award the contract in any manner it deems to be in the best interest of the Town of Darien.

All responses provided should be as detailed as possible to provide the proposal evaluators with enough information to make a fair assessment of the proposer’s qualifications and approach.

The Town will not be liable for any costs associated with the preparation or submittal of this RFP or subsequent product demonstrations.

The Town of Darien will review and evaluate all proposals that have been received by the submission deadline. Evaluation of the proposals will be based on the information provided in the submission in accordance with the submission requirements of this RFP and any interviews, references, and additional information requested by the Town of Darien.

pg. 5

Fee Proposal Form

Proposal By: ___________________________________________________________

Company Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Phone Number Email Address

Representative

Date

In accordance with the RFP set forth by the Town of Darien, the above named agrees to the following:

COST

Phase A: Construction Documents $ ________________________

Phase B: Permitting $ ________________________

Phase C: Bidding $ ________________________

Phase D: Construction Services $ ________________________

TOTAL ALL PHASES (A-D) $ ________________________

Total All Phases (in Words) ____________________________________________________

(If there is a discrepancy between numbers and words, words will prevail.)

Any suggested services NOT covered in the RFP parameters that would be beneficial to the project:

Description Cost

1. ______________________________________ $ _____________________

2. ______________________________________ $ _____________________

3. ______________________________________ $ _____________________

pg. 6

EXHIBIT A

Insurance Summary and Requirements

The successful Bidder (referred to as the “Contractor” on this Exhibit) shall purchase from and maintain in a company or companies with an A.M. Best rating of A-, financial size category VII or better, the insurance described below.

1. Workers’ Compensation: Contractor shall provide workers’ compensation insurance in accordance with the statutory limits, and employer’s liability limits of

$500,000. for each accident, and for disease (each employee and policy limit).

2. Commercial General Liability Insurance: Contractor shall provide commercial general liability insurance including products and completed operations. Limits shall be not less than $1,000,000 each per occurrence for bodily injury & property damage, and for personal & advertising injury; damage to rented premises of $100,000, and

Medical Expenses $5,000 for any one person with a general aggregate limit of

$2,000,000 per policy. The policy should not exclude coverage for sexual abuse or molestation.

3. Commercial Automobile Insurance: Contractor shall maintain commercial automobile liability insurance including owned, hired, and non-owned vehicle coverage in an amount of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage on a combined single limit basis.

4. Umbrella or Excess Liability Insurance: Contractor shall provide umbrella or excess liability policy in excess (following form and without restriction or limitation) of those limits and coverages for commercial general liability, automobile liability and employer’s liability insurance described above. The policy shall contain limits of liability in the amount of $2,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate.

5. Professional Liability: Contractor shall provide professional liability insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence.

6. Waiver of Subrogation: A waiver of subrogation in favor of the certificate holder shall be included on all policies.

7. On all policies (except the workers’ compensation), the Town of Darien, its officials, officers, employees, agent, Boards and Commissions should be included as additional insureds, on a primary and non-contributory basis.

8. Contractor shall provide 30-days written notice to the Town in case of cancellation or non-renewal and 10-days for non-payment.

pg. 7

9. Unless otherwise provided above, the foregoing insurance shall be in effect no later than the date of execution of the Contract and shall continue in effect until three years after termination of the contract. The insurer(s) and/or their authorized agents shall provide the Town certificates of insurance prior to execution of the Contract.

pg. 8

EXHIBIT B

Weed Beach Deck

Photos of Conditions – April 30, 2026

pg. 9

pg. 10