RFP Saybrook Pt Landscape Architecture.exhibits.pdf

Request for Proposals (“RFP”) Landscape Architecture at Saybrook Point

Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Request for Proposals (“RFP”):

Phase one: Master Plan Development Saybrook Point/145 College Street, Old Saybrook, CT

Invitation:

The Town of Old Saybrook (the “Town”) invites proposals from qualified multi-disciplinary teams (the “Consultant”) to develop a master plan for a new waterfront park in Old Saybrook, CT for public use and enjoyment. The 2.2-acre parcel affords spectacular views of the Connecticut River and its surroundings and provides a rare opportunity to create a year-round passive-use park adjacent to three other town-owned properties for residents and visitors alike.

The Town envisions that the project will be completed in two phases:

Phase One will include completion of a community-planning process and identification, development and design of a preferred design - the master plan - to be constructed in Phase Two. The selected Consultant should possess the skill set needed to successfully carry the project from Phase One through Phase Two. The intent of this RFP is to select a consultant to complete Phase One and to engage the Phase One Consultant to assist the town as it undertakes Phase Two (construction). The Consultant should possess the expertise necessary to complete Phase One including, but not limited to: landscape architecture and design related to waterfront park planning, design development, community planning, environmental planning and permitting, interpretive element design, project management, and cost estimating.

Refer to Part Two of this RFP for a proposed Scope of Services.

Proposal Submission Deadline: July 1, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. at which time all received submissions will be opened. Proposals submitted after that date and time will be rejected. Refer to Part One for information related to proposal submission and requirements.

Parcel Description:

In the fall of 2026, the Town anticipates acquiring 2.23 acres of waterfront property which will offer a rare opportunity to create a public waterfront park. The parcel is located at 145 College Street and is situated at Saybrook Point, bounded on the east by Long Island Sound, to the north and west by town parks (Gardiners Landing Park and Fort Saybrook Monument Park respectively) and to the south by other land owned by the town consisting of a public mini-golf course and parking. The area is zoned SP 2 pursuant to the town’s zoning regulations and sits in a FEMA designated VE 100-year flood zone. The parcel affords a spectacular view of the Connecticut River as it flows into Long Island Sound. The parcel will ultimately be under the management and control of the Town’s Parks & Recreation Commission. The parcel is currently a vacant, mostly asphalt lot in poor condition. The property historically operated as a privately-owned restaurant which Tropical Storm Irene destroyed in 2011. After being rebuilt and reopened in 2012, Tropical Storm Sandy destroyed the building again and the property has been vacant since. The property has adjacent docks that are in disrepair. (See attached survey of the property – Exhibit A) The parcel, despite its condition, is currently being utilized, somewhat informally, by the public as passive open space mainly by people in parked cars admiring the view.

The Town will acquire the parcel by exchanging the Vicki Duffy Pavilion, a year-round municipal building consisting of 1845 square feet (which sits on the land to the south of the subject property). The Duffy Pavilion will be owned by a new business entity that will sign a land lease with the Town of Old Saybrook. No work shall commence on this project until the town is the record owner of the property.

PART ONE: Proposal Considerations and Design Services Phase One: Master Plan Development Saybrook Point Waterfront Park

Pre-proposal Briefing:

A pre-proposal briefing will be held on June 23, 2026 at 12:00 pm at the Duffy Pavilion, 155 College Street, Old Saybrook. All interested qualified proposers are encouraged to attend the briefing. This will also be an opportunity to tour the site to be developed.

Proposal Submission Deadline:

Proposals shall be submitted no later than 2:30 P.M. on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

Proposals submitted after that date and time will be rejected. The submitted proposals will be publicly opened. Faxed or electronic proposals will not be accepted. Please address proposals to:

Carl P. Fortuna, Jr., First Selectman Town of Old Saybrook 302 Main Street Old Saybrook, CT

Proposals shall be in a sealed envelope, clearly marked “Consulting Services – Master Plan Development for Saybrook Point” with the name and address of the submitting consultant clearly identified. Submit seven [7] hard copies and an electronic copy on a

USB flash drive. Proposals should identify all costs associated with individual tasks and shall include all costs and expenses to complete the work. No later than June 23, 2026, questions regarding the RFP and/or technical requirements may be emailed to carl.fortuna@oldsaybrookct.gov. The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to cancel this Request for Proposals if it is in the Town's best interest to do so.

Consultant’s Fee Proposal:

The proposers are asked to provide a Consultant’s Fee, Schedule of Hourly Rates and to identify all consultants who will be engaged in this project. Include the name, estimated hours, responsibilities, and anticipated tasks. Each Consultant agrees, by virtue of submitting a proposal, that said proposal shall be available for acceptance by the Town for a period of sixty (60) business days from the deadline for receipt of proposals. The time for acceptance may be extended by mutual agreement of the Town and the submitting consultants.

Proposal Requirements:

Consultants shall submit an original proposal and seven [7] copies plus an electronic copy on a USB flash-drive. At a minimum, the following information should be provided:

Name, location, size and type of firm(s), and years in business for all consultants including all subcontractors;

Names and registration numbers of all partners, officers, directors and owners;

Names and resumes of all key persons who will be directly involved with this project and identify the prime consultant. Include the name, estimated hours, responsibilities and anticipated tasks for each consultant;

A project team organization chart with lines of responsibilities;

List of and contact information for all relevant design projects undertaken and completed/built within the past seven (7) years; include brief description of comparable projects especially public waterfront parks and historic landscapes and the role of this RFP’s primary consultant;

List and include contact information for all current design projects especially those in Connecticut and discuss the level of work effort in these projects expected of key staff to be involved in the master plan development for Saybrook Point;

Additional qualifying statements (training and/or experience of key staff) that may be relevant when reviewing qualifications and experience;

Proposed project approach including a project timeline for completing this project through Phase One: Master Plan Development and Final Design. The Town’s anticipated timeline for completion of Phase One, including development of estimated budget for construction, is 9 months from the date of mailto:carl.fortuna@oldsaybrookct.gov the Town’s Notice of Award to the selected Consultant. The parties, by mutual agreement, may agree to additional time if necessary.

Statement of understanding of project’s goals and identification of design opportunities and challenges specific to this site;

Statement that the applicant certifies under penalties of perjury that the information provided is correct;

Amount and type of general liability insurance. Provide proof of coverage for required insurances (see Exhibit B).

A minimum of two relevant client references with names, addresses, telephone numbers for whom the consultant(s) has performed similar services in the past;

and, Certificates of non-collusion and tax compliance (Attachment C).

Any proposal that does not include all of the above information may be rejected as non-responsive and may not be afforded a complete review by the evaluation committee.

General Conditions:

The Consultant shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Proposals, which are conditional, obscure or which contain additions not called for in the specifications, erasure, alteration or irregularities may be rejected. The Town of Old Saybrook reserves the right to reject all proposals, to waive technicalities and minor informalities, to advertise for new proposals, and to make awards as may be in the best interest of the Town.

Reports and materials developed by the Consultant after awards are made and submitted to the Town of Old Saybrook are considered public information and cannot be copyrighted. All proposals and deliverables become the property of the Town. The Town has the right to disclose information contained in the proposals once awards have been made.

Contract Period:

The contract period shall be from the Notice of Award until completion of the project, which the town anticipates to be nine (9) months.

Form of Contract:

The Consultant selected will execute a contract with the town within five (5) business days of presentation of the contract by the Town.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria:

In reviewing proposals, the Town shall use the following evaluation criteria:

Quality, Clarity and Responsiveness of the Written Proposal:

A demonstrated understanding of the tasks expected of the Consultant to complete Phase One in the time allotted.

Experience and Quality of Similar Projects: Demonstrated experience of the Consultant team in public waterfront park development, especially in a coastal marine environment, and success of completing similar projects on time and within budget.

Staff Skill Set: Identification of the key consultants and their skill sets deemed essential by the Consultant for this project’s successful completion.

Team Organization: An organization chart that illustrates the reporting structure and responsibilities of individual team members.

Project Approach and Schedule: Proposed work plan and schedule for completing this project within budget and on time.

Capacity and Availability:

The Consultant’s demonstrated ability to complete this project in a timely manner with respect to other on-going projects and the availability of key staff to attend important meetings in Old Saybrook. Some meetings, if necessary, may be conducted virtually (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, or similar). The Consultant should demonstrate proven success in conducting client and community meetings, especially for projects like Saybrook Point.

Knowledge of Connecticut Public Laws and Procedures:

Consultants shall demonstrate their knowledge and experience with Connecticut public laws and procedures, including landscape design, civil engineering, ADA compliance, preservation and conservation of historic structures, and municipal procurement.

Consultant Selection Process:

The Town of Old Saybrook has appointed an evaluation committee, the Waterfront Park Working Group (the “Working Group”), to assist the Town in choosing a consultant. The Town expects to shortlist up to three finalists based upon the quality of their written proposals. The Town then expects to interview the short-listed finalists.

The short-listed proposers will be ranked based upon the quality of their written proposals, the quality of their presentation during the individual interviews, and their performance. The Town will then compile a final ranking and determine the most advantageous overall proposal, taking into consideration price and the other evaluation factors including the written proposals and the interviews. At each step in the selection process including the proposal evaluation and the interviews, the Town will prepare a matrix based upon evaluation criteria presented in this RFP for the Working Group members (Attachment D).

The matrix will include the following ratings:

1) HA- Highly Advantageous

2) A – Advantageous

3) NA – Not Advantageous or

4) U – Unacceptable.

Interviews:

Short-listed Consultants will be interviewed by the Working Group at a mutually agreed upon time. The short-listed consultants are encouraged to orally demonstrate their understanding of the project goals and project approach, identify general site opportunities and challenges, and describe their team’s unique qualifications (especially their team leader). Each consultant is expected to bring any audio-visual equipment and materials deemed important to their presentation.

PART TWO: Scope of Services Phase One: Master Plan Development Saybrook Point (the “Park”)

Goals: Primary goals for the Park are:

1) to develop a park with seasonal interest that can be enjoyed year-round by residents and visitors with mostly passive recreation opportunities;

2) to create direct access between the Park and the adjacent properties and to create, as best as possible, the look and feel of one cohesive place amongst all three parks;

3) to incorporate hardy, low-maintenance, marine-tolerant landscape material especially indigenous plants, where feasible;

4) to protect and enhance the waterfront’s sensitive natural resources and wildlife habitat; and

5) to develop and incorporate interpretive elements that creatively inform the public about this parcel’s importance to Old Saybrook’s history.

6) to incorporate the requirements and plans from an existing CT DEEP Trails

Grant which overlaps the project area and to potentially help the town negotiate changes to this grant award to integrate into the Master Plan.

7) to construct a Master Plan that anticipates a potential Phase Three project incorporating a mechanism for transient boater and/or tourism vessel usage.

Project objectives:

1) to develop a park with seasonal interest that can be enjoyed year-round

2) to develop a park that can withstand potentially severe marine conditions.

3) to develop a community-planning process that engages segments of

Old Saybrook’s community including neighbors and nearby businesses, town officials and involved town committees, including but not limited to, the Parks & Recreation Commission, the Working Group, the Harbor Management Commission, the Historical Society and the town’s regulatory boards as necessary;

4) to incorporate handicapped accessible walkways and facilities;

5) to develop an interpretive program including signage and other elements which would creatively convey site history and environmental information; the selected consultant shall present how these elements would be integrated into the preferred concept;

6) to create shaded areas especially for seating;

7) to advise on or include aspects of the Master Plan that could include a fundraising or public buy-in mechanism.

8) to incorporate public art that is iconic and/or historic to the Old Saybrook area.

9) to advise on strategies for invasive plant removal and/or control in the area of the three parks.

Consultant Qualifications:

The project’s principal-in-charge shall be experienced in master plan development of waterfront parks. Other key team members should have demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following (and any other skills that the consultant deems important):

landscape architecture, urban design, and waterfront park master plan development, community planning, environmental planning and permitting especially for marine environments, civil engineering, horticulture, cost estimating, interpretive element design/construction (signage and art/sculptural elements that can convey relevant aspects of the parcel and its history), construction phase services, and, at least five years full-time experience in an area relevant to the project.

Anticipated Consultant Tasks and Deliverables:

1) Prepare a project work plan including schedule that includes anticipated meetings with staff and community;

2) Prepare a design program statement that incorporates goals and objectives of stakeholders and informs the development of 2-3 design concepts;

3) Prepare site opportunity and constraints plan and report through written analysis, engineering analysis, survey forms and photographs;

4) Prepare all planning materials anticipated for documentation and staff and community presentations;

5) Develop a community-planning process in consultation with the Working Group;

for example, Kick-off Meeting, Presentation of Design Concepts, Presentation of Preferred Concept and Presentation of Finalized Concept;

6) Prepare 2-3 design concepts with magnitude-of-cost estimates for each

7) Finalize the preferred concept for design development/final design, permitting and construction with cost estimates;

8) Produce a Final Project Report: deliver both hard-copies (three paper prints) and electronic version of the final report in agreed upon standard file formats accessible by the Town (Word, JPEG, XLS, PDF, etc.). The materials shall become the property of the Town of Old Saybrook and shall be available for use by the Town as necessary in future without limitation.

A brief historical narrative of the property is attached as Exhibit E