Task 1: Existing Conditions Assessment The consultant shall assess the study area's demographics, land use, economic development characteristics, transportation system (vehicle, freight, pedestrian, bicycle and transit access and accident data), public infrastructure capacity, environmental conditions, and established design elements. This shall include identification of physical constraints such as topography, right-of-way, impacts to potentially historic properties, environmental features, and locations of utilities. The analysis should consider all relevant existing studies and design concepts, including, but not limited to: 2045 Unified Plan, Comprehensive Transportation Plan, Transit Development Plan, Parks and Recreation Master Plan, Trails Master Plan, Oakbrook Parkway Small Area Plan, Southwest Gwinnett Safe Access Study, Jimmy Carter Boulevard Interchange Modification Report and Traffic Study, and the Freight Cluster Study, as well as approved capital transportation projects and recent development proposals. Task 2: Market Feasibility Study The consultant shall prepare a market feasibility study to determine the potential market for new residential (by types and units), retail and service commercial (including hotels), office and industrial space uses in the study area in order to identify the most appropriate land use mix, patterns, intensity, and massing, and to ensure the plan recommendations are realistic. The market feasibility study shall include, at a minimum, the following: • Current market conditions, including current vacancy rates, rental rates, sales rates per square foot for retail, office, industrial and residential uses and an analysis of realistic future rates; • Demand and feasibility assessment for different housing types, including affordable housing, as well as retail, office, industrial and other uses within the study area; • Customer profile development, including detailed demographics, lifestyle segmentation data, actual customer spending habits, and other pertinent information; • Characterizations of trends and conditions in competing commercial business districts within a reasonable radius of the study area; • Best practices and development incentives for catalytic development; • Identification of where new development/redevelopment should be located to catalyze further reinvestment most effectively; • Prepare proformas for select five catalytic redevelopment sites, and prepare a presentation or marketing materials highlighting the market potential based on these catalytic projects; and • Identify best practices for development incentives or financing mechanisms for funding redevelopment of catalytic sites. The County encourages the Consultant to explore redevelopment/infill development and to increase overall housing type diversity and ensure opportunities for affordable and workforce housing in the study area. Task 3: Project Management and Public Participation The County values thorough public participation and community engagement in the formulation of all plans. The consultants shall develop and implement a unique and cutting-edge public participation plan to ensure maximum involvement from the general public and stakeholders during the planning process including tactical urbanism, interactive games, combined social events, etc. The public participation process shall, at a minimum, include the following: • Project Management Team (PMT) The Director of the Department of Planning and Development (“The Department”), or designee, will serve as the County’s Project Manager (PM). Weekly updates from the Consultant shall be provided via email to the PM. The Department will establish a Project Management Team that includes, at a minimum, the Department Director, Deputy Department Director, Planning Division Director, Deputy Planning Division Director, and Senior Long-range Planner. This group shall meet, at a minimum, on a bi-weekly basis throughout the planning process. The purpose of the PMT is to provide direction on the planning process, community engagement, and preparation of deliverables. • Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) A Technical Advisory Committee will be created by the Department to include staff from the County’s Planning and Development Department, Department of Community Services, Department of Transportation, Department of Water Resources, and others as determined by the Project Manager. This team will meet, at a minimum, on a monthly basis throughout the planning process. The purpose of the TAC is to provide input on the planning process, community engagement, and preparation of deliverables. • Community Advisory Committee (CAC) The Department will establish a Community Advisory Committee that includes representatives from key stakeholder groups. The CAC shall, at a minimum, meet prior to each of the general public meetings described below. The key responsibility of the CAC is to review and comment on draft analyses and studies prior to public meetings and help advertise meetings and distribute information to the larger community. • General Public A minimum of four (4) General Public Meetings shall be conducted, as follows: • Kick-off Meeting: to provide an overview of the plan process, solicit opinions on goals and objectives of the study, as well as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the study area; • Preliminary Findings/Data Gathering Meeting: to share preliminary findings and collect information and opinions from the public on pertinent topics; • Draft Presentation Meeting: to present a draft plan for review and comment prior to finalizing the study; and • Final Presentation Open House: to present the draft final plan prior to Board of Commissioners adoption.
