Treeline Gateway Design Engineering.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP # 26-36

Treeline Gateway Design Engineering

City of Ann Arbor Public Services Area/Engineering

Due Date: August 11, 2026 by 11:00 a.m. (local time)

Issued By:

Procurement Unit

301 E. Huron Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104 https://a2central.a2gov.org/City%20Image%20Gallery/City%20Seals/City_of_Ann_Arbor_color_small1.jpg

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I: GENERAL INFORMATION

SECTION II: SCOPE OF SERVICES

SECTION III: MINIMUM INFORMATION REQUIRED

SECTION IV: ATTACHMENTS

SECTION I - GENERAL INFORMATION

A. OBJECTIVE

The Treeline Conservancy, in collaboration with the City of Ann Arbor, is seeking professional consulting services to design, permit, and prepare construction documents for the Gateway Segment of the proposed Treeline Trail. This segment includes a “signature bridge” element that will create a grade-separated connection from the Amtrak/MDOT railroad property behind 924 N. Main Street to 721 North Main.

This RFP is a joint effort of the City of Ann Arbor and the Treeline Conservancy, a 501(C)(3) non-profit. If the RFP process results in a consultant being selected, the design contract will be between the Treeline Conservancy and the consultant; the City will not be a party.

A sample professional services agreement is included with this RFP. The City’s role is as a collaborator to the extent the Project may relate to City property, facilities, and interests. The TLC is solely responsible for administration of any professional services agreement and payment of compensation due thereunder.

B. QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS / DESIGNATED CITY CONTACTS

All questions regarding this Request for Proposal (RFP) shall be submitted via e-mail.

Questions will be accepted and answered in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP.

All questions shall be submitted on or before July 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., and should be addressed as follows:

Scope of Work/Proposal Content questions shall be e-mailed to:

Norman Herbert – normanh@thetreeline.org AND Nick Hutchinson – nhutchinson@a2gov.org

RFP Process and Compliance questions shall be e-mailed to Colin Spencer, Buyer

- CSpencer@a2gov.org

Should any prospective respondent or offeror be in doubt as to the true meaning of any portion of this RFP, or should the prospective respondent find any ambiguity, inconsistency, or omission therein, the prospective respondent shall make a written request for an official interpretation or correction by the due date for questions above.

All interpretations, corrections, or additions to this RFP will be made only as an official addendum that will be posted to a2gov.org and MITN.info and it shall be the prospective respondent’s responsibility to ensure they have received all addenda before submitting a proposal. Any addendum issued by the City and The Treeline Conservancy shall become part of the RFP and must be incorporated in the proposal where applicable.

mailto:normanh@thetreeline.org mailto:nhutchinson@a2gov.org mailto:CSpencer@a2gov.org

C. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING

A pre-proposal meeting will be held on July 7, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. in the Basement Conference Room at the City Hall Larcom Center at 301 E. Huron Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48104. Because space at this location is limited, prospective offerors may also join this meeting virtually over Microsoft Teams. To obtain the link to this meeting, please contact engineering@a2gov.org by July 6, and include “RFP 26-36 Pre- Proposal Meeting” in the subject line.

The meeting is not mandatory; however, it is highly recommended that interested offerors attend the meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the project with prospective offerors and to answer any questions concerning RFP 26-36. Any questions and answers furnished in the pre-proposal meeting will not be official until verified in writing through an addendum.

D. PROPOSAL FORMAT

To be considered, each firm must submit a response to this RFP using the format provided in Section III. No other distribution of proposals is to be made by the prospective respondent. An official authorized to bind the respondent to its provisions must sign the proposal. Each proposal must remain valid for at least 120 days from the due date of this RFP.

Proposals should be prepared simply and economically providing a straightforward, concise description of the respondent’s ability to meet the requirements of the RFP.

No erasures are permitted. Mistakes may be crossed out and corrected and must be initialed in ink by the person signing the proposal.

E. SELECTION CRITERIA

Responses to this RFP will be evaluated using a point system as shown in Section III.

A selection committee comprised of staff from the City and the Treeline Conservancy will complete the evaluation.

The fee proposals will not be reviewed at the initial evaluation. After initial evaluation, the top proposals will be determined and the committee will open only those fee proposals. The committee will then determine which, if any, firms will be interviewed.

During the interviews, the selected firms will be given the opportunity to discuss their proposal, qualifications, past experience, and their fee proposal in more detail. The committee further reserves the right to interview the key personnel assigned by the selected respondent to this project. If the committee chooses to interview any respondents, the interviews will be tentatively held the September 16-18, 2026.

Offeror must be available on these dates.

mailto:engineering@a2gov.org

All proposals submitted may be subject to clarifications and further negotiation. All agreements resulting from negotiations that differ from what is represented within the RFP or in the proposal response shall be documented and included as part of the final contract.

F. SEALED PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

All proposals are due and must be delivered to the City on or before, August 11, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. (local time). Proposals submitted late or via oral, telephonic, telegraphic, electronic mail or facsimile will not be considered or accepted.

Each respondent must submit in a sealed envelope

• one (1) original proposal

• one (1) digital copy of the proposal preferably on a USB/flash drive as one file in PDF format

Each respondent must submit in a single separate sealed envelope marked Fee Proposal

• one (1) original fee proposal

• one (1) digital copy of the fee proposal

The fee proposal and all costs should be separate from the rest of the proposal.

Proposals submitted should be clearly marked: “RFP No. 26-36 – Treeline Gateway Design Engineering” and list the respondent’s name and address.

Proposals must be addressed and delivered to:

c/o Customer Service 301 East Huron Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104

All proposals received on or before the due date will be publicly opened and recorded on the due date. No immediate decisions will be rendered.

Hand delivered bids may be dropped off in the Purchasing drop box located in the Ann Street (north) vestibule/entrance of City Hall which is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm (except holidays). The City and TLC will not be liable to any prospective offeror for any unforeseen circumstances, delivery, or postal delays. Postmarking on the due date will not substitute for receipt of the proposal.

Offerors are responsible for submission of their proposal. Additional time will not be granted to a single prospective respondent. However, additional time may be granted to all prospective respondents at the discretion of the City and TLC.

A proposal may be disqualified if the following required forms are not included with the proposal:

• Attachment B – Legal Status of Offeror

• Attachment C - City of Ann Arbor Non-Discrimination Declaration of

Compliance

• Attachment D - City of Ann Arbor Living Wage Declaration of Compliance

• Attachment E - Vendor Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form of the RFP

Document

Proposals that fail to provide these forms listed above upon proposal opening may be deemed non-responsive and may not be considered for award.

Please provide the forms outlined above (Attachments B, C, D and E) within your narrative proposal, not within the separately sealed Fee Proposal envelope.

All proposed fees, cost or compensation for the services requested herein should be provided in the separately sealed Fee Proposal envelope only.

G. DISCLOSURES

Under the Freedom of Information Act (Public Act 442), the City is obligated to permit review of its files, if requested by others. All information in a proposal is subject to disclosure under this provision. This act also provides for a complete disclosure of contracts and attachments thereto.

H. TYPE OF CONTRACT

A sample of the Professional Services Agreement is included as Attachment H. Those who wish to submit a proposal are required to review this sample agreement carefully.

The Treeline Conservancy will not entertain changes to the sample Professional Services Agreement.

The Treeline Conservancy reserves the right to award the total proposal, to reject any or all proposals in whole or in part, and to waive any informality or technical defects if, in the Treeline Conservancy’s sole judgment, the best interests of Treeline Conservancy will be so served.

This RFP and the selected offeror’s response thereto, shall constitute the basis of the scope of services in the contract by reference.

I. NONDISCRIMINATION

All respondents proposing to complete the Project shall satisfy the contract compliance administrative policy adopted by the City Administrator in accordance with the Section 9:158 of the Ann Arbor City Code. Breach of the obligation not to discriminate as outlined in Attachment C shall be a material breach of the contract.

Contractors are required to post a copy of Ann Arbor’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance attached at all work locations where its employees provide services under a contract for the Project.

J. WAGE REQUIREMENTS

The Attachments provided herein outline the requirements for payment of prevailing wages or of a “living wage” to employees providing services under this contract. The successful offeror must comply with all applicable requirements and provide documentary proof of compliance when requested.

K. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE

The City of Ann Arbor Purchasing Policy requires that the consultant complete a Conflict of Interest Disclosure form as to conflicts with the City and TLC. A contract may not be awarded to the selected offeror unless and until the Procurement Unit and the City Administrator have reviewed the Disclosure form and determined that no conflict exists under applicable federal, state, or local law or administrative regulation.

Not every relationship or situation disclosed on the Disclosure Form may be a disqualifying conflict. Depending on applicable law and regulations, some contracts may be awarded on the recommendation of the City Administrator after full disclosure, where such action is allowed by law, if demonstrated competitive pricing exists and/or it is determined the award is in the best interest of the City and Treeline Conservancy.

A copy of the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form is attached.

L. COST LIABILITY

The City of Ann Arbor and The Treeline Conservancy assume no responsibility or liability for costs incurred by the offeror prior to the execution of a Professional Services Agreement. The liability of the City and The Treeline Conservancy is limited to the terms and conditions outlined in the Agreement. By submitting a proposal, offeror agrees to bear all costs incurred or related to the preparation, submission, and selection process for the proposal.

M. DEBARMENT

Submission of a proposal in response to this RFP is certification that the Respondent is not currently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, and declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any State or Federal departments or agency. Submission is also agreement that the City and the Treeline Conservancy will be notified of any changes in this status.

N. PROPOSAL PROTEST

All protests must be in writing and filed with the City Purchasing Manager within 5 business days of any notices of intent, including, but not exclusively, divisions on pre-qualification of bidders, shortlisting of bidders, or a notice of intent to award a contract.

Only bidders who responded to the solicitation may file a bid protest. The respondent must clearly state the reasons for the protest. If a respondent contacts a City Service Area/Unit and indicates a desire to protest an award, the Service Area/Unit shall refer the offeror to the Purchasing Manager. The Purchasing Manager will provide the offeror with the appropriate instructions for filing the protest. The protest shall be reviewed by the Treeline Conservancy, whose decision shall be final.

Any inquiries or requests regarding this procurement should be only submitted in writing to the Designated Contacts provided herein. Attempts by the offeror to initiate contact with anyone other than the Designated Contacts provided herein that the offeror believes can influence the procurement decision, e.g., Elected Officials, City Administrator, Selection Committee Members, Appointed Committee Members, etc., may lead to immediate elimination from further consideration.

O. SCHEDULE

The proposals submitted should define an appropriate schedule in accordance with the requirements of the Proposed Work Plan in Section III.

The following is the schedule for this RFP process.

Activity/Event Anticipated Date Pre-Proposal Meeting July 7, 2026, 1:00 p.m.

Written Question Deadline July 17, 2026, 10:00 a.m.

Addenda Published (if needed) On or before July 31, 2026 Proposal Due Date August 11, 2026, 11:00 a.m. (Local Time) Tentative Interviews (if needed) September 16-18, 2026 Selection/Negotiations October 2026

The above schedule is for information purposes only and is subject to change at the City and TLC’s discretion.

P. IRS FORM W-9

The selected offeror will be required to provide an IRS form W-9.

Q. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

1. The City and The Treeline Conservancy reserve the right in its sole and absolute discretion to accept or reject any or all proposals, or alternative proposals, in whole or in part, with or without cause.

2. The City and The Treeline Conservancy reserve the right to waive, or not waive, informalities or irregularities in of any proposal if determined by the City and The Treeline Conservancy to be in its best interest.

3. The City and The Treeline Conservancy reserve the right to request additional information from any or all offerors.

4. The City and The Treeline Conservancy reserve the right to reject any proposal that it determines to be unresponsive and deficient in any of the information requested within RFP.

5. The City and The Treeline Conservancy reserve the right to determine whether the scope of the project will be entirely as described in the RFP, a portion of the scope, or a revised scope be implemented.

6. The City and The Treeline Conservancy reserve the right to select one or more consultants to perform services.

7. The City and The Treeline Conservancy reserve the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a proposal regardless of whether that proposal is selected. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the firm of the conditions contained in this RFP, unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted.

8. The City and The Treeline Conservancy reserve the right to disqualify proposals that fail to respond to any requirements outlined in the RFP, or failure to enclose copies of the required documents outlined within RFP.

SECTION II - SCOPE OF SERVICES

1. Location and Background

The project is located within the City of Ann Arbor, in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

The Gateway Project is the northern segment of the proposed Treeline Trail, a 2.5-mile multi-use non-motorized trail between the Huron River and the University of Michigan Stadium. The proposed Treeline Trail will be located along the western edge of downtown parallel to the WATCO Railroad. As proposed, it will connect with the County-wide Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail and the State-wide Iron Belle Trail at Broadway Park West just north of the Depot Street pedestrian tunnel (also known as the Allen Creek Berm Opening).

2. Prior Studies, Data, and Plans

The following existing documents related to the Treeline Trail project are included in Attachment A:

• Draft Concept path for the Gateway Segment (INFORM Studio exhibit)

• North Segment work area & potential access points (Midwestern Consulting exhibit)

• Deed restrictions on 721 North Main

• Phase 1 and Phase 2 Environmental reports (that are currently completed)

The following documents will also be available upon request:

• FEMA Floodway/Floodplain maps

• County Allen Creek Drain drawings (easement permitted infringements)

The City is currently engaged in development of the Vision Zero North Main Transportation Study (estimated completion in December 2026).

Additional data will also be available from existing City GIS Layers:

• Wetlands

• Woodlands

• Aerial Photography

• City Utility Systems

• Parcels

• Historical Soil Boring Records

Please note that this information will only be made available to the chosen consultant and that signing a non-disclosure agreement will be required. The Consultant shall verify accuracy of any such data provided. For the purpose of preparing a response to this RFP, refer to documents in Attachment A, City maps containing limited version of the data is accessed at Map Ann Arbor.

https://www2.a2gov.org/GIS/MapAnnArbor/ParcelViewer/

3. Objective

The goal of this project is to design and develop construction documents for the north segment of the Treeline Trail (the “Gateway Segment”), extending from the MDOT Rail east/west property line at the eastern edge of 924 North Main Street to the City-owned property at 721 North Main Street to Felch Street. See attached drawing by Midwestern Consulting entitled “Treeline Route – Phase 1 City of Ann Arbor” dated 12/29/25. The work area and potential access points are shown in red. The design of the Gateway Segment of the Treeline Trail on the MDOT Rail property will be performed by others under a separate contract.

The City and The Treeline Conservancy are seeking proposals from qualified, professional Architectural – Engineering, consulting firms to perform the necessary tasks to complete the design and preparation of plans and specifications in accordance with all City of Ann Arbor standards, Ann Arbor Public Services Standard Specifications, MDOT standards, and all standards necessary to comply with State and Federal earmark requirements. The preferred firm will be able to demonstrate experience with all of the design elements described below.

Any access required as a part of this RFP will be arranged in advance by the Treeline Conservancy with the owner of the property involved.

4. Scope

In general, the following items will need to be addressed by the consulting firm, in accordance with Section III of this request and the project schedule:

A. Review existing planning documents related to the proposed Treeline Trail.

Respondents are expected to bring their own unique design to this architectural/engineering undertaking. Any existing drawings in print, on-line, or otherwise are intended solely for guidance regarding general alignment, and not architectural or structural appearance.

B. Topographical Survey - The Treeline Conservancy has retained Midwestern Consulting (MC), 3815 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 to perform topographical surveying tasks as necessary for the preparation of civil engineering construction plans. The desired surveying services will include but not be limited to the gathering of topographical survey data for the project area and providing digital submissions. It is understood that the final work product will be a complete survey that will contain all known site features and will be ready for use as a base drawing for final engineering plans. (NOTE: If a respondent elects to perform this work with their own staff or another firm, the respondent must so indicate on the bid form and provide the dollar value included in their offer for these services.)

Data collection:

i. Topographic data for 1” = 20’ scale plans.

ii. Digital copies of all files used to generate the topography data (i.e.

breaklines, points and control files).

iii. All Right-of-Way (ROW) lines and monumentation to be located and shown.

iv. Location of all planimetric features within ROW, and 10’ outside of the

ROW

v. All (public and private) utilities (gas, water, sanitary, storm, electrical, street lights and wiring, traffic lights and wiring, fiber optics, telephone, etc.) shall be located (overhead and underground).

Overhead information shall include:

Location (horizontally and vertically) and type of utility Underground information shall include:

type of structure location and type of utility size of structure measured casting elevation measured invert(s) elevation of pipe/top of pipe elevation

vi. All trees within the project area, are to be located and include trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) and canopy diameter. There will be no minimum tree size limits within the ROW, however, outside of the ROW only trees 6” DBH or greater need be located along with trees whose canopy may impact the project area.

vii. Datum to be in the City’s official vertical datum of NAVD88 and horizontal datum of NAD83 (Michigan State Plane coordinates, international feet).

viii. Sufficient ground elevations for digital terrain model (DTM) generation for 1’ contours, including around curb radii and through intersections.

ix. Where there is the potential of utilities crossing the project area, obtain utility information outside the project limits (i.e. locate downstream/upstream sanitary manholes that tie into manholes within project area).

C. Engineering Design Components – The selected firm shall be responsible to provide the following services, at a minimum:

i. Manage all aspects of the project design up to the award of the construction contract for the project. This includes, but is not limited to, the work and work product of all subconsultants and project coordination with affected agencies, stakeholders and constituents.

The end product shall be a complete set of Plans and Specifications ready for construction. The bidding and awarding of the Construction Contract will be managed by the City/TLC. The Consultant shall participate in this phase to answer questions, provide clarifications, provide additional drawings, etc.

ii. If possible, the Project shall be designed to avoid all utilities (above and below ground) and utility easements. If this is not possible and it is believed that a critical conflict exists with an underground utility that may significantly affect the design of the proposed improvements, the Consultant shall arrange to have test holes dug to determine the precise location of the utility and any changes that need to be made in the design of the proposed improvements and/or any changes that need to be made to the utility. The Consultant shall also arrange to have the necessary inspection, survey, and utility personnel on hand to observe, locate, verify, and assist with solving the conflict at each excavation. Any such excavation work that both parties to this Agreement agree is required, shall be performed by Change Order to this Agreement.

It is believed that a major conflict exists with certain overhead high-voltage wiring and other overhead utilities. If such is the case, the Consultant shall arrange with the affected utilities to redesign their wiring to avoid any conflict. In addition, the Consultant shall work with the utility(s) to ensure that any redesign is in harmony, to the extent possible, with the proposed improvements. The TLC will be responsible for having the utility(s) price the proposed changes.

The Allen Creek underground drain structure passes through the Area of Work pursuant to an Easement (See Attachment A). The drain is managed by the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office (WCWRC). Any proposed improvements that fall within this Easement must be designed in conjunction with WCWRC, placed in written form, and approved by WCWRC. The Consultant shall be responsible for obtaining this approval, if the proposed improvements require.

iii. Perform all geotechnical analysis necessary to support the design of the project.

iv. Perform architectural design and renderings of the Gateway Segment bridge and at-grade trail.

v. Evaluate feasibility and recommend potential intermediate access points to the bridge other than the identified start and end points.

vi. Consider in the design such factors as emergency access, snow removal and snowmelt, drainage, birds roosting, routine maintenance, energy efficient design options, and surface materials.

vii. Design work shall be compliant with all relevant standards, including

City of Ann Arbor, MDOT, Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office, Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (ADA/PROWAG), EGLE, and others.

viii. Structural design of the Gateway Segment bridge and any ancillary items.

ix. Lighting design on and below the bridge structure.

x. Design all landscaping on and below the bridge structure.

xi. Design a small “park” area at the north end of the Gateway Segment adjacent to the MDOT-Rail property (See attached drawing entitled Treeline Route – Phase 1 City of Ann Arbor dated 12/29/2025)

xii. Design work on 721 North Main, performed under this contract shall be limited to any continuation of the bridge structure including associated features, any earth fill required to support the trail to grade, lighting, drainage, etc. No other design work is required outside of the area occupied by the preceding work. All work, as described above, designed on 721 North Main shall be coordinated with the City and the TLC. The southern limit of the design work will be at Felch Street.

xiii. Coordinate all elements of the design with the Vision Zero North Main

Transportation Study.

xiv. Coordinate all elements of the design with all affected parties, including, but not limited to: FHWA; MDOT; Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE); City of Ann Arbor;

Washtenaw County Resources Commissioners Office; FEMA;

Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR); affected independent utilities; private utility companies; other formal and informal committees; and, the public in general.

xv. Prepare all necessary permit applications and required supporting materials for all approving agencies including, but not limited to:

MDOT, EGLE, City of Ann Arbor, FEMA, FHWA, MDNR, and

WCWRC. The Consultant will also be responsible for planning and scheduling check-in meetings with regulatory agencies and appropriate times throughout the project design.

xvi. The Treeline Conservancy retained Tetra Tech to perform Phase I and

Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) on all properties within the Project Work Area shown in Attachment A-2 except 800 North Main Street. The Michigan Department of Environmental Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) retained SME to perform a Phase I ESA and a Baseline Environmental Assessment at 800 N Main. EGLE will, at an unknown time in the future, have the orphan underground storage tanks at 800 N Main removed. The Treeline Conservancy will retain Tetra Tech to advise the Respondent on the development of a plan for managing potential soil and groundwater contamination during construction and the necessary site remediation required for the following conditions at all sites within the Project Work Ares to ensure protection of public health, safety, and the environment: 1) loadbearing foundations, 2) below earth fill, 3) landscaped and people-occupied park settings, and 4) areas below a bridge structure that will remain under the control of and occupied by the property owner.

xvii. Establish all needed pay items and specifications for the proposed work. This will include unique pay items that properly detail all required work to be performed by the Contractor so that City of Ann Arbor Standards and/or best management practices are followed in all areas of the proposed work. The City and the Treeline Conservancy reserve the right of final determination regarding specific Items of Work and if Special Provisions will be required to satisfactorily detail and describe the work.

xviii. Prepare all specifications and plan sheets in accordance with City or other appropriate design standards. All scales shall be approved by the City of Ann Arbor Engineering Unit. The format of the drawings shall be completely compatible with the City’s drawing preparation standards and layout(s). All drawings shall be provided in a format compatible with the latest version of AutoCAD, without the need to reconfigure drawings for plotting or other purposes. The City of Ann Arbor and the Treeline Conservancy shall be provided with electronic copies of all folders and files used to create engineering construction drawings.

xix. Prepare Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) plans relative to construction phasing, meeting the requirements of the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD) and the City of Ann Arbor Design Standards to construct the project. MOT plans shall be developed in coordination with the City’s Transportation Unit.

xx. Prepare any pavement marking, permanent signing, and/or traffic signal plans that may be necessary for the successful implementation of the project.

xxi. Identify, define, and prepare all legal descriptions and exhibit drawings for all easements and/or temporary grading permits that will be required to construct the proposed improvements. Areas where the expected grading permits or easements are necessary will be determined as the design of the project progresses. If the respondent proposes to do their own survey work (as opposed to using Midwestern Consulting as described in Section 3, Paragraph 4, Item 2), including legal descriptions, then this responsibility shall be included in the scope of work.

xxii. Develop an Engineer’s Estimate of construction costs and update it regularly as the project design progresses.

xxiii. Any other items that the Consultant feels are necessary so that when the design is 100% complete, all needed work is detailed on the drawings and fully described in the project specifications.

D. Public Engagement

Consultant shall propose, develop, and lead a public engagement plan throughout the course of the design of the project in conjunction with the Treeline Conservancy. This work shall include but is not limited to;

i) formation and oversight of a Treeline Gateway Advisory Design Committee;

ii) public meetings and stakeholder meetings;

iii) notetaking and recordkeeping at meetings;

iv) maintaining a project website;

v) production of informational flyers, emails, and mass mailings

vi) other information sharing techniques as proposed by the Consultant team.

Materials described above shall be prepared in a finished form to enable use by the Treeline Conservancy for fundraising efforts for construction of the Gateway Segment.

The Consultant must effectively communicate the purpose and the benefits of the project with the public and the stakeholders and assist with all necessary negotiations with the affected property owners and public and private agencies.

This requires the services of a professional(s) experienced in the preparation and execution of communications plans and making presentations to various groups.

Document all outreach and engagement activities in a written, summary document.

E. Design Project Management

Schedule and chair design progress meetings at or near milestone dates to assure proper communication of project goals and objectives and to assure the timely completion of the design project. This is to include a design kick-off meeting in which all affected parties to the design will be contacted and invited to attend.

Prepare and distribute meeting minutes for all progress and coordination meeting.

F. Design Schedule/Phasing

Design work shall be organized into two phases. Phase 1 will consist of preliminary engineering and concept design. The consultant shall maintain contact with relevant permitting agencies (such as MDOT, City of Ann Arbor, MDOT, WCWRC, FEMA and the Michigan State Police, EGLE) and check in with these agencies to gain some assurance that the concept designs are permissible before moving on to Phase 2. Phase 2 will consist of detailed engineering design and construction plan production.

SECTION III - MINIMUM INFORMATION REQUIRED

PROPOSAL FORMAT

Offerors should organize Proposals into the following Sections:

A. Professional Qualifications B. Past Involvement with Similar Projects C. Proposed Work Plan D. Fee Proposal (include in a separate sealed envelope clearly marked “Fee

Proposal”) E. Authorized Negotiator F. Attachments

The following describes the elements that should be included in each of the proposal sections and the weighted point system that will be used for evaluation of the proposals.

A. Professional Qualifications – 10 points

1. State the full name and address of your organization and, if applicable, the branch office or other subsidiary element that will perform, or assist in performing, the work hereunder. Indicate whether it operates as an individual, partnership, or corporation. If as a corporation, include whether it is licensed to operate in the State of Michigan.

2. Include the name of executive and professional personnel by skill and qualification that will be employed in the work. Show where these personnel will be physically located during the time they are engaged in the work. Indicate which of these individuals you consider key to the successful completion of the project. Identify only individuals who will do the work on this project by name and title. Resumes and qualifications are required for all proposed project personnel, including all subcontractors. Qualifications and capabilities of any subcontractors must also be included.

3. State history of the firm, in terms of length of existence, types of services provided, etc. Identify the technical details that make the firm uniquely qualified for this work.

B. Past involvement with Similar Projects – 30 points

The written proposal must include a list of specific experience in the project area and indicate proven ability in implementing similar projects for the firm and the individuals to be involved in the project. A relevant list of client references must be provided for similar projects recently completed. The list shall include the firm/agency name, address, telephone number, project title, and contact person.

C. Proposed Work Plan – 40 points

Provide a detailed and comprehensive description of how the offeror intends to provide the services requested in this RFP. This description shall include, but not be limited to: how the project(s) will be managed and scheduled, how and when data and materials will be delivered to the City and the Treeline Conservancy, communication and coordination, the working relationship between the respondent, City staff, and the Treeline Conservancy, and the company’s general philosophy in regards to providing the requested services.

Offerors shall be evaluated on the clarity, thoroughness, and content of their responses to the above items.

D. Fee Proposal - 20 points

Fee schedules should be submitted in a separate, sealed, envelope as part of the proposal. Fee quotations are to include the names, title, hourly rates, overhead factors, and any other relevant details. The proposal should highlight key staff and positions that would likely be involved with projects. Offerors shall be capable of justifying the details of the fee proposal relative to personnel costs, overhead, how the overhead rate is derived, material and time.

E. Authorized Negotiator

Include the name, phone number, and e-mail address of persons(s) in your organization authorized to negotiate the agreement with the City and The Treeline Conservancy.

F. Attachments

Legal Status of Offeror, Non-Discrimination Form, Living Wage Compliance Form, Conflict of Interest Form, and the should be returned with the proposal. These elements should be included as attachments to the proposal submission.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION

1. The selection committee will evaluate each proposal by the above-described criteria and point system (A through C) to select a short-list of firms for further consideration.

The City and The Treeline Conservancy reserve the right to reject any proposal that it determines to be unresponsive and deficient in any of the information requested for evaluation. A proposal with all the requested information does not guarantee the proposing firm to be a candidate for an interview. The committee may contact references.

2. The committee then will schedule interviews with the selected firms if necessary. The selected firms will be given the opportunity to discuss in more detail their qualifications, past experience, proposed work plan and fee proposal.

3. The interview must include the project team members expected to complete a majority of work on the project, but no more than six members total. The interview shall consist of a presentation of up to sixty minutes (or the length provided by the committee) by the offeror, including the person who will be the project manager on this contract, followed by approximately sixty minutes of questions and answers. Audiovisual aids may be used during the oral interviews. The committee may record the oral interviews.

4. The firms interviewed will then be re-evaluated by the above criteria (A through D), and adjustments to scoring will be made as appropriate. After evaluation of the proposals, further negotiation with the selected firm may be pursued leading to the award of a contract by TLC , if suitable proposals are received.

The City and the Treeline Conservancy reserve the right to waive the interview process and evaluate the respondents based on their proposals and fee schedules alone.

The City and the Treeline Conservancy will determine whether the final scope of the project to be negotiated will be entirely as described in this RFP, a portion of the scope, or a revised scope.

Any proposal that does not conform fully to these instructions may be rejected.

PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS

Proposals should have no plastic bindings but will not be rejected as non-responsive for being bound. Staples or binder clips are acceptable. Proposals should be printed double-sided on recycled paper. Proposals should not be more than 40 sheets (80 sides), not including required attachments and resumes.

Each person signing the proposal certifies that they are a person in the offeror’s firm/organization responsible for the decisions regarding the fees being offered in the Proposal and has not and will not participate in any action contrary to the terms of this provision.

ADDENDA

If it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFP, notice of the addendum will be posted to Michigan Inter-governmental Trade Network (MITN) www.mitn.info and/or the City of Ann Arbor web site www.A2gov.org for all parties to download.

Each offeror must acknowledge in its proposal all addenda it has received. The failure of an offeror to receive or acknowledge receipt of any addenda shall not relieve the offeror of the responsibility for complying with the terms thereof. The

City and The Treeline Conservancy will not be bound by oral responses to inquiries or written responses other than official written addenda.

SECTION IV - ATTACHMENTS

Attachment A – Project Maps, Deed Restrictions, Phase 1 & 2 Environmental Report

Summaries

Attachment B - Legal Status of Offeror

Attachment C – Non-Discrimination Ordinance Declaration of Compliance Form

Attachment D – Living Wage Declaration of Compliance Form

Attachment E – Vendor Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

Attachment F – Non-Discrimination Ordinance Poster

Attachment G – Living Wage Ordinance Poster

Attachment H – Sample Professional Service Agreement

ATTACHMENT A

Project maps

Deed Restrictions

Phase 1 & 2 Environmental Report Summaries

MEMORANDUM

TO: Atleen Kaur, City Attorney

Christopher Frost, Senior Assistant City Attorney

FROM: Melissa Menerey, Floodplain & Stormwater Programs Coordinator

Jennifer Lawson, Water Quality Manager

RE: Interpretation of Open Space Guidance as related to FEMA Grant Deed Restrictions at 721 N Main Street

DATE: September 16, 2024

1. In 2013, Hazard Mitigation Grant Funds were awarded by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the State of Michigan for the City of Ann Arbor to permanently remove structures located within the floodway portion of the property at 721 N. Main, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (Parcel No. 09-09-20-409-006).

2. The State of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor agreed to restrict the use of the land to open space for the floodway areas associated with this grant activity (see blue shaded area of the provided graphic).

3. Uses allowed in the floodway (blue shaded area) per the deed restriction:

a. Parks

b. Wetlands

c. Nature reserves

d. Cultivation

e. Grazing

f. Unimproved and unpaved parking lots

g. Permeable parking lots

h. Buffer zones

i. FEMA can also allow other uses if the use is compatible to conserve open space/ natural floodplain function.

4. Concerning Structures in the floodway (blue shaded area) of the deed restriction:

a. Structures shall be limited to:

i. A public facility that is open on all sides and functionally related to a designated open space or recreational use.

ii. Public rest room (must be floodproofed).

iii. FEMA can also approve a structure if the use is compatible to conserve the natural floodplain function, the City would need approval from FEMA prior to construction.

b. Any improvements on the restricted property must demonstrate sound floodplain management. This includes structures be floodproofed or elevated to the design flood elevation (.2% annual chance flood height + 1 ft per City of Ann Arbor Unified Development Code).

c. No structures built on this property may receive any disaster assistance from a federal entity or source. No applications for disaster assistance can be made to any federal entity or source. The Property is not eligible for coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for damages.

5. Areas located in the floodplain fringe area (green shaded on the map) must comply with the City of Ann Arbor’s UDC, however, it would be best practice to follow the same guidelines as outlined in the deed restricted area

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BUILDING AND USE DEED RESTRICTIONS

FOR

721 N. MAIN FLOODWAY

The City of Ann Arbor, a Michigan municipal corporation (the "City"), being the owner of the real estate commonly known as 721 N. Main, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, situated in the City of Ann Arbor, County of Washtenaw, and State of Michigan, described on the attached Exhibit A (the "Property"), effective day of September, 2013, do hereby place the following Building and Use Restrictions upon the floodway portion of the Property described on the attached Exhibit B and illustrated by the drawing attached as Exhibit C (the "Restricted Property") in accordance with and authorized by a certain Resolution of the Ann Arbor City Council known as R 13-155, approved March 4, 2013, and declare them to be a covenant running with the Restricted Property as stated here below.

RECITALS:

Whereas, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ("The Stafford Act"), Pub. L. No. 93-288 (1974), 42 U.S.C. §et seq., identifies the use of funds under Section 404 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. §5170c, for hazard mitigation grants to assist States and local governments in implementing cost-effective hazard mitigation measures to reduce the risk of future damages, hardship, loss or suffering in any area affected by a major disaster;

Whereas, the mitigation grant program provides a process for a local government, through the State, to apply for federal funds for mitigation assistance to demolish and/or remove structures, and to maintain the use of the Property as open space in perpetuity;

Time Submitted for Recordir.122 Datea2OLVIITie P 1 Lawrencetenbaum Vftehtenaw County ClerklRegister

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09/13/2013 01:30 P11 Total Pages: 9 Lawrence KestBnbaum Wuht.naw Co

111110 11111 111 I Hull 1111111 11101111] 1111111 H10 111111111111

I CO.,

BUILDING AND USE DEED RESTRICTIONS

F9 Met

721 N. MAIN FLOODWAY

The City of Ann Arbor, a Michigan municipal corporation (the "City"), being the owner of the real estate commonly known as 721 N. Main, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, situated in the City of Ann Arbor, County of Washtenaw, and State of Michigan, described on the attached Exhibit A (the "Property"), effective J- day of September, 2013, do hereby place the following Building and Use Restrictions upon the floodway portion of the Property described on the attached Exhibit B and illustrated by the drawing attached as Exhibit C (the "Restricted Property") in accordance with and authorized by a certain Resolution of the Ann Arbor City Council known as R 13-155, approved March 4, 2013, and declare them to be a covenant running with the Restricted Property as stated here below.

RECITALS:

Whereas, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ("The Stafford Act"), Pub. L. No. 93-288 (1974) 1 42 U.S.C. §et seq., identifies the use of funds under Section 404 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. §5170c, for hazard mitigation grants to assist States and local governments in implementing cost-effective hazard mitigation measures to reduce the risk of future damages, hardship, loss or suffering in any area affected by a major disaster:

Whereas, the mitigation grant program provides a process for a local government, through the State, to apply for federal funds for mitigation assistance to demolish and/or remove structures, and to maintain the use of the Property as open space in perpetuity;

Time Submitted for Recutdlflg -’ DaIeI -, !- 20L m&.j

1 Lawrence Keatenbaum Waghtenaw CountY CterIclRegISter

4)

6166563 L: 5000 P: 39 RES. 09/13/2013 . 01:30 PM Page 2 of 9

Whereas, the State of Michigan has applied for and been awarded such funding, from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") and has entered into a mitigation grant program Grant Agreement dated October 5, 2012 with FEMA and herein incorporated by reference;

Whereas, pursuant to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Agreement between FEMA and the State, the State of Michigan is the mitigation grant program Grantee;

Whereas, the Restricted Property is located in the City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan; and the City of Ann Arbor and the Township of Ann Arbor participate in the National Flood Insurance Program ("NFIP") and are in good standing with NFIP as of the date of this instrument;

Whereas, the City of Ann Arbor, acting by and through the Ann Arbor City Council, has applied for and been awarded federal hazard mitigation grant funds pursuant to an agreement with the State of Michigan dated April 1, 2013 ("State-Local Agreement"), and herein incorporated by reference;

Whereas, pursuant to the State-Local Agreement, the City of Ann Arbor is the mitigation grant program Subgrantee;

Whereas, the terms of the mitigation grant program statutory authorities, Federal program requirements consistent with 44 C.F.R., Part 80, the Grant Agreement, and the State-Local Agreement require the Grantee and Subgrantee agree to conditions that restrict the use of the land to open space in perpetuity in order to protect and preserve natural fioodplain values.

RESTRICTION: •

Section 1. Terms. The City of Ann Arbor, owner of the Restricted Property identified as Parcel No. 09-09-20-409-006, has obtained a federal hazard mitigation grant, through the State of Michigan, to permanently remove structures located within the fioodway portion of the Property. Pursuant to the terms of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statutory authorities, Federal program requirements consistent with 44 C.F.R. Part 80, the Grant Agreement, and the State-Local Agreement, the following conditions and restrictions shall apply in perpetuity to maintain as open space, consistent with FEMA program requirements concerning the acquisition of property for open space, the Floodway Portion of Property (hereinafter referred to as the "Restricted Property") specifically identified by metes and bounds legal description in attached Exhibit B:

a. Compatible uses. The Restricted Property shall be dedicated and maintained in perpetuity as open space for the conservation of natural fioodplain functions. Such uses may include parks for outdoor recreational activities, wetlands management, nature reserves, cultivation, grazing, 6166563 L: 5000 P: 39 RES, 09/13/2013.01:30 PM Page 2 of 9

Whereas, the State of Michigan has applied for and been awarded such funding, from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") and has entered into a mitigation grant program Grant Agreement dated October 5, 2012 with FEMA and herein incorporated by reference;

Whereas, pursuant to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Agreement between FEMA and the State, the State of Michigan is the mitigation grant program Grantee;

Whereas, the Restricted Property is located in the City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan; and the City of Ann Arbor and the Township of Ann Arbor participate in the National Flood Insurance Program ("NFIP") and are in good standing with NFIP as of the date of this instrument;

Whereas, the City of Ann Arbor, acting by and through the Ann Arbor City Council, has applied for and been awarded federal hazard mitigation grant funds pursuant to an agreement with the State of Michigan dated April 1, 2013 ("State-Local Agreement"), and herein incorporated by reference;

Whereas, pursuant to the State-Local Agreement, the City of Ann Arbor is the mitigation grant program. Subgrantee;

Whereas, the terms of the mitigation grant program statutory authorities, Federal program requirements consistent with 44 C.F.R., Part…