On_Call Landscape and Architectural Design Se.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

RFQC #25-042

ON-CALL LANDSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICES

RESPONSE DUE DATE: APRIL 18, 2025, 2:00 PM EST

The City of Sandy Springs (“City” or “Sandy Springs”) uses a procurement portal powered by Bonfire Interactive (“Bonfire”) for accepting and evaluating bids, statements of qualification, and proposals digitally, found by using the link below:

https://sandysprings.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/177614

Any response submitted (“Response”) in any other format (e-mail, paper, fax, mail, etc.) will not be accepted for any reason.

Please contact Bonfire at Support@GoBonfire.com for technical questions related to your registration or submissions. You can also visit Bonfire’s help forum at bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc

VOLUNTARY PRE-SUBMITTAL CONFERENCE

March 28, 2025, 2:00 PM EST

VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS

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Meeting ID: 263 671 647 125

Passcode: dD3Es9Xj

Dial in by phone

+1-872-242-8893 Phone conference ID: 639 848 087#

Information concerning this solicitation may be found electronically at:

The Bonfire website will contain this Request for Qualifications (“RFQC”), any addenda, clarifications, schedule changes and other important information regarding the solicitation. Parties submitting Responses (“Respondents”) should check these electronic pages daily.

The City reserves the right, among others, to reject all Responses and to waive technicalities and informality, to make award in the best interest of the City, or to cancel this solicitation at any time.

https://sandysprings.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/23407 mailto:Support@GoBonfire.com http://bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YjAzZGU5NmItZjcxNC00N2ZjLWEzOTAtNWJlOTZhYmUyOWJm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22c6279049-e794-4541-8247-8e8261a33321%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22193126e2-2c2c-45b9-8206-94f9b81a4203%22%7d https://sandysprings.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/23407

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OFFEROR’S RFQC CHECKLIST

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION, PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

SECTION 2: SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 3: COMMUNICATIONS

SECTION 4: SUBMITTAL OF RESPONSE

SECTION 5: QUALIFICATIONS AND CONSULTANT REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 6: CONTENTS OF RESPONSE, EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS

SECTION 7: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

SECTION 8: TERMS AND CONDITIONS

SECTION 9: EVALUATIONS

RESPONDENT’S RFQC CHECKLIST

10 Critical Things to Keep in Mind When Responding to an RFQC for the City of Sandy Springs

1. _______ Read the entire document. Note critical items such as: supplies/services required; submittal dates; number of copies required for submittal; contract requirements, if any (e.g. bonding and insurance requirements).

2. _______ Note the Procurement Manager's name, address, phone numbers and e-mail address. This is the only person you are allowed to communicate with regarding the RFQC and is an excellent source of information.

3. _______ Attend the pre-submittal conference. These conferences provide an opportunity to ask questions, obtain a better understanding of the Project, or to notify the City of any ambiguities, inconsistencies, or errors in the RFQC. This conference is voluntary, but all potential Respondents are strongly encouraged to attend.

4. _______ Take advantage of the “question and answer” period. Submit your questions to the Procurement Manager by the due date listed in the RFQC and view the answers given in any formal “addenda” issued for the RFQC. All addenda issued for an RFQC will be distributed by e-mail to Respondents.

5. _______ Follow the format required in the RFQC when preparing a Response. Provide point-by-point responses to all sections in a clear and concise manner.

6. _______ Provide complete answers/descriptions. Read and answer all questions and requirements. Don’t assume the City or Evaluation Committee will know what your company capabilities are or what items/services you can provide, even if you have previously contracted with the City. Responses are evaluated based on the information and materials provided in response to the RFQC.

7. _______ Use the forms provided, e.g. cover page, reference questionnaire, etc.

8. _______ Review the RFQC document again to make sure that you have addressed all requirements. The original Response and the requested copies must be identical and complete. The copies are provided to the Evaluation Committee members and will be used to evaluate Responses.

9. _______ Submit the Response on time. Note all the dates and times listed in this RFQC, and be sure to submit all required items on time. Late Responses will not be accepted.

This checklist is provided for assistance only and should not be submitted with your Response.

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION, PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

The City of Sandy Springs (“City”) seeks Responses to this RFQC from highly qualified firms experienced in engineering, landscape and architectural design services (“Services”) to provide all personnel, materials and services necessary for various City projects.

PURPOSE

This is a qualifications based procurement. Firms that respond to this RFQC and are determined by the City to be sufficiently qualified may be invited to make formal presentations to individuals tasked with evaluating responses. All Respondents are subject to instructions communicated in this document, and are cautioned to review the entire RFQC and follow instructions carefully. The City reserves the right to reject any or all Responses and to waive technicalities and informalities at the discretion of the City.

Utilizing criteria described herein, the selected Respondent(s) will assist the City in the implementation of various landscape design projects

BACKGROUND

Located in Fulton County, north of the City of Atlanta area and less than an hour from the world’s busiest airport, Sandy Springs It is the seventh-largest city in the State of Georgia. The City balances the best of urban southern living with high-rise towers, riding stables, world-class medical centers, national river corridor, international consulates, and neighborhoods that resemble botanical gardens.

Sandy Springs was incorporated in 2005, the first new city in Georgia in more than 50 years. Based on 2019 Census estimates, the City is home to more than 108,000 residents, with the population more than doubling during the business day due to the heavy concentration of businesses located in Sandy Springs. Among the many Fortune 500 and 1,000 companies, which call the City home, are UPS, Newell, Inspire Brands, Focus Brands, Cox Enterprises, and Mercedes-Benz USA. Among the business reasons, Sandy Springs is a desirable city in which to location a business: An interstate road network connecting goods and people to the Eastern U.S. in hours – not days; Abundant intellectual capital as Georgia Tech, Emory, the University of Georgia, Georgia State and Kennesaw State all sit at our front door; A location in the economic heartbeat of the Metro Atlanta area.

Sandy Springs also excels as a place to live with amenities that stress an enhanced quality of life. More than 950 acres of parkland surround Sandy Springs, and residents and visitors of all ages can enjoy the many activities found in any one of the City’s sixteen (16) parks. The City’s Recreation and Parks Department, in partnership with the National Park Service, maintain beautiful trails for hiking and exploring along the City’s twenty-two (22) miles of the Chattahoochee River shoreline. Sandy Springs also encourages embracing arts and culture. In 2018, the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center at City Springs opened, adding performance and visual arts from jazz to musical theatre to rock concerts to dance, to sculpture and rotating galleries. City Springs features the 1,100 seat Byers Theatre, Studio Theatre, Sandy Springs Conference Center, and the event-programmed City Green.

SECTION 2: SCOPE OF WORK

The City intends to contract with one (1) or more approved qualified consultants/firms (“Awarded

Consultant”) to expedite future projects that may include engineering, landscape, architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical or renovation design and/or any combination thereof on an as needed basis.

Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following: landscape design, pavilions, park concessions, sports fields, entire park layouts, surveys, park projects, water line/plumbing, development of plans, specifications and cost estimates for improvements along gateways including median landscaping, drainage (if needed), streets, greenways, trails, river/creek systems, roadway areas and sidewalk lighting, street trees, and other corridor amenities such as benches, footpaths, viewing areas and interpretive signs in City-owned open space areas.

The City will contact the Awarded Consultant to obtain proposals/quotes, as needed, for various City projects. The City seeks consultants that have a minimum of three (3) years’ experience in all aspects of landscape and architectural design.

SECTION 3: COMMUNICATIONS

From the date this RFQC is issued until a contract is awarded, Respondents shall not communicate with any staff or elected officials of the City regarding this procurement except the single point of contact noted below. Any unauthorized contact may disqualify the Respondent from further consideration of contract award.

A. Single Point of Contact: Contact information for the single point of contact is as follows:

Senior Contract Specialist: Edward S McAdoo III Address: 1 Galambos Way Sandy Springs, Georgia 30328 Telephone Number: 770-206-1448 E-mail Address: emcadoo@sandyspringsga.gov

B. Inquiries: Respondents with questions or requiring clarification or interpretation of any section of this RFQC shall address such matters in writing. All questions or requests for clarification shall be sent via Bonfire under:

Message - Opportunity Q&A: https://sandysprings.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/177614

Questions are due no later than April 2, 2025 at 2:00 PM EST. Questions received after this date and time may not be answered. Each question shall provide clear reference to the RFQC section, page, and item in question. Questions received after the deadline may not be considered.

C. Answers: Questions and clarifications will be answered by the City in the form of an addendum.

Any addenda, schedule changes and other important information regarding the solicitation related to this solicitation will be posted on the Bonfire website no later than April 9, 2025 at:

Respondents shall be responsible for checking the Bonfire portal frequently for any addenda or other communications related to this solicitation.

mailto:emcadoo@@sandyspringsga.gov

D. Addenda: The City may revise this RFQC by issuing an addendum prior to submission of Responses. All addenda will be posted on the Bonfire website no later than April 9, 2025 at:

Addenda will become part of the RFQC documents and subsequent contract. Respondents shall sign and return any and all addenda with their Responses. Failure to submit a posted addendum in accordance with RFQC instructions may be cause for rejection. In unusual circumstances, the City may postpone an opening in order to notify vendors and to give them sufficient time to respond to the addendum.

SECTION 4: SUBMITTAL OF RESPONSE

Responses shall be submitted through the Bonfire portal at:

no later than 2:00 PM EST on April 18, 2025.

A Response received after this date and time or at any other location will not be accepted or considered.

The City is not responsible for delays caused for any reason. It is the Respondent’s sole responsibility to submit its Response before the required deadline. Hard copy, electronic and facsimile submittals will not be accepted.

SECTION 5: QUALIFICATIONS AND CONSULTANT REQUIREMENTS

All Responses shall be submitted in accordance with the format detailed in this section.

Landscape and Architectural Qualifications:

The selected Consultant should have:

• Experience with landscaping design of parks, gardens, turf replacement projects and sports fields, landmark locations, greenways or equivalent and use of landscaping to establish a public brand.

• Experience in renovating existing facilities, including structural, mechanical, electrical and architectural design.

• Availability to attend meetings with the ad-hoc committee during the design development phase and make presentations of the design to City Council, the general public and the business community.

• Technical understanding and in-the-ground built examples of projects designed and built using sustainable landscape practices and principles.

• Technical knowledge and experience in designing and specifying high efficiency irrigation systems that meet water efficiencies.

• Familiarity with and understanding of storm water low impact development design elements.

• Ability to design landscape plans that meet all applicable ordinance and building permit requirements.

• Experience with state and federal permitting agencies such as GDOT, FEMA, GEMA, MRPA, etc.

Consultant Requirements:

• The team/Project lead shall have a philosophy, design approach, and demonstrated practice of “environmentally sensitive landscaping and park renovation.” The firm’s project history should demonstrate commitment to enhancing the environmental quality, and long-term performance of its design projects.

• The Consultant shall provide detailed demonstration of understanding of creative and sustainable projects within strict budget limitations and demonstrated knowledge of native plants, native plant associations, sustainable building materials, weather appropriate irrigation systems, etc.

SECTION 6: CONTENTS OF RESPONSE, EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS

GENERAL INFORMATION

The RFQC and Responses will enable the City to gather additional information and identify qualified companies to perform the Services described in the Scope of Work (Section 2) and specifications. The City will conduct a comprehensive, fair and impartial evaluation of all Responses received. An evaluation committee (“Evaluation Committee”) will be established by the City to evaluate Responses. The City reserves the right, among others, to determine that no qualified Responses have been received and reject all Responses.

CONTENTS OF RESPONSE

It is not necessary or desirable to prepare an elaborate or extensive Response to this RFQC; detailed brochures, documentation, artwork, or other superfluous embellishments are unnecessary and are, in fact, discouraged. The Response shall include the following:

A. Company overview (one (1) page).

B. Names and resumes of proposed Project team members, and their roles and responsibilities (one

(1) to two (2) pages)

C. Description of Respondent’s suitability for City projects based on the qualifications and requirements described in this RFQC.

D. Examples of three (3) to five (5) other government or similar entities projects the firm and/or team members have worked on in the past seven (7) years and client reference contact information (one (1) page for each similar project). Client reference contact information shall include agency name and address, contact name, contact phone number and contact e-mail address.

E. Brief discussion of Respondent’s approach to the work in order to meet City project goals (three

(3) to five (5) pages).

F. Information regarding the firm’s financial history and stability. Please submit the most recent two (2) years of audited financial statements (will be submitted as a separate exhibit).

EVALUATION CRITERIA/SCORING

The City will evaluate Responses based on criteria stated within this RFQC. A Respondent’s qualifications and experience will be assigned a pass/fail grade including but not limited to the following technical qualifications and requirements:

Quality of team proposed to manage City Projects

The credentials and experience of the person(s) assigned to our relationship and management team. Provide professional qualifications and description of experience for principal project staff. The Project manager shall be a licensed professional engineer in the state of Georgia In addition a member shall have completed the Landscape Architect Registration Exam (L.A.R.E) In the appendix section provided In Bonfire proposers shall provide detailed information on the exact proposed team and their relevant experience including any subconsultants in the Appendix section provided.

PASS/FAIL

Suitability – Capability/Resources

Provide any information that may serve to differentiate your firm from other firms in suitability for city projects:

A. Describe firm’s philosophy, design approach, and demonstrated practice of “environmentally sensitive landscaping and park renovation.” The firm’s project history should demonstrate commitment to enhancing the environmental quality, and long-term performance of their design projects.

B. Demonstrate firm’s understanding of creative and sustainable projects within strict budget limitations and demonstrated knowledge of native plants, native plant associations, sustainable building materials, weather appropriate irrigation systems, etc.

PASS/FAIL

Experience with a Similar Entity

Provide information on the firm’s experience for multi-jurisdictional clients of similar type, size, function, and complexity. Describe no more than five (5) accounts, in order of most relevant to least relevant, which demonstrate the firm’s capabilities to perform services for the City. For each account, the following information should be provided:

A. Client name, locations and dates during which services were performed.

B. Clear description of overall project and services performed by your firm.

C. Exact length of service performed by your firm, and overall project budget.

D. Client’s stated satisfaction in service of your firm.

(Include letters from clients, if available). Client (s) current contact information.

E. Letters of reference from at least two (2) of those clients for projects of similar sizes and scopes. Contact names and telephone numbers must be included. (Letters of reference should describe the work completed, and contain some specific examples on how quality products were delivered on schedule and within budget.)

Methodology and Approach

Approach Consultants are required to describe the procedures and methods that the firm will use to achieve landscape designs for the City. The scope of this Project anticipates and encourages innovative landscape design solutions.

SELECTION PROCESS

Project teams that the Evaluation Committee feels can best meet the requirements of this RFQC may be invited to participate in an interview process. Final selection of a firm or forms for contract award will be made by City Council following recommendation of the RFQC Evaluation Committee. The City will make contract award(s) in its best interests.”

The process for selection of a firm for contract award shall be as follows:

A. Based on information provided in the Responses, a firm or firms will be selected for further consideration.

B. Presentations / interviews with selected firms may be conducted, and a final selection will be made after the interviews are concluded and the Evaluation Committee has had an opportunity to evaluate all information received.

SECTION 7: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

EVENT DATE

RFQC Released March 18, 2025

Pre-Qualification Conference March 28, 2025 (2:00 PM)

RFQC Deadline for Receipt of Inquiries April 3, 2025 (2:00 PM)

RFQC Deadline for Posting Written Answers to Inquiries April 9, 2025

RFQC Response Due Date April 18, 2025 (2:00 PM)

RFQC Evaluations Completed April 28, 2025

Presentations/Interviews TBD

Final Selection April/May 2025

*This proposed schedule of events is informational and is subject to change at the discretion of the City.

SECTION 8: TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Responses and supporting materials as well as correspondence relating to Responses become property of the City when received. Any proprietary information contained in a Response shall be so indicated;

however, a general indication that the entire contents, or a major portion, of the Response is proprietary will not be honored. The following terms and conditions shall also apply to this procurement:

A. All applicable federal, state and local laws, ordinances, licenses and regulations of all agencies having jurisdiction shall apply to this procurement and are incorporated herein.

B. Professionals requiring special licenses shall be licensed in the State of Georgia, and shall be responsible for obtaining licenses for applicable portions of the work as may be required by law.

C. No Response shall be accepted from, and no contract shall be awarded to, any person, firm, or corporation that (i) is in arrears to the City with respect to any debt, (ii) is in default with respect to any obligation to the City, or (iii) is deemed irresponsible or unreliable by the City.

D. The City reserves the right to request of Respondents satisfactory evidence that they have the necessary financial resources to accomplish the requirements of this procurement.

E. From the date this RFQC is issued until a firm is selected, Respondents shall not communicate with any staff or elected officials of the City regarding this procurement, except at the direction of Edward S McAdoo III, Senior Buyer for the City and Procurement Director for this solicitation. Any unauthorized contact may disqualify the Respondent from further consideration. Contact information for this single point of contact is as follows:

Edward S McAdoo III City of Sandy Springs 1 Galambos Way Sandy Springs, Georgia 30328 E-mail Address: emcadoo@sandyspringsga.gov

F. All costs for developing and delivering a Response or other materials in connection with this RFQC and any subsequent interviews or presentations of a Response as requested by the City are entirely the responsibility of the Respondent. The City shall not be liable for any expense incurred by the Respondent in the preparation and presentation of its Response.

I. The successful Respondent will be the prime contractor if a contract is awarded and shall be responsible, in total, for all work of any subcontractors. All subcontractors, if any, shall be listed in the

Response. The City reserves the right to approve all subcontractors. The successful Respondent shall be responsible to the City for the acts and omissions of all subcontractors or agents and of persons directly or indirectly employed by such subcontractors, and for the acts and omissions of persons employed directly by the successful Respondent. Further, nothing contained within this document or any contract documents created as a result of any contract award derived from this procurement shall create any contractual relationships between any subcontractor and the City and its partners.

J. The City reserves the right to award multiple contracts for the Scope of Work described in this procurement. If the contract awarded pursuant to this procurement is terminated for any reason, the City reserves the right to request from an eligible Respondent a cost proposal and an executed contract for consideration of award. The City also reserves the right to request such other documents at that time as deemed necessary to consider whether or not to make a contract award, or it may determine to pursue other methods available to it to procure required services.

SECTION 9: EVALUATIONS

5.1 Initial Review

All Responses received will be reviewed by the Procurement Manager to ensure that all administrative requirements of the RFQC have been met, such as all documents requiring a signature have been signed and submitted. Failure to meet these requirements may be cause for rejection. All Responses that meet the administrative requirements will be turned over to an evaluation committee selected by City management (“Evaluation Committee”) for further evaluation.

5.2 Two-Phase Procurement

After initial review described above, the City will evaluate the Responses on a pass/fail basis, considering all criteria including, without limitation, experience, references, and other data and information relating to Respondents’ qualifications. The City will determine which Respondents meet the criteria stated in the RFQC and will determine which Respondents will be invited to submit a bid in the second phase of this procurement.