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RFP-Northampton Preservation Plan-2022-03.03-PDFHistoric Preservation Plan RFP (03/03/22) 1    Request for Proposals for Consulting Services City of Northampton Historic Preservation Plan The City of Northampton, acting through its Office of Planning and Sustainability and in cooperation with its Historical Commission and Planning Board, is seeking proposals for a new Historic Preservation Plan (HPP) element of the City’s existing Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan (Sustainable Northampton) (amended through 2021). The city has a rich cultural history, a wealth of historic resources, a local historic district and several national/state historic districts, and previous cultural and other related plans. The City seeks a dedicated HPP element to assess these buildings, objects, and landscapes of historic significance, and guide future actions and priorities. That current plan has historic preservation discussions sprinkled throughout, but those sections are very limited and not especially current. Estimated total value of the contract is $70,000 Proposals are due at 12:00 PM, Thursday April 7, 2022 as an electronic PDF file(s) (no hard copies) to WFeiden@NorthamptonMA.gov. Questions may directed to Sarah LaValley at SLaValley@NorthamptonMA.gov No specific format is required so long as the proposal explains how the proposal addresses these criteria, provides a budget, timeline, and qualifications. This is a performance based contract with a fixed fee for the work. The city may ask follow‐up questions and may invite semi‐finalist for an interview. The contractor agrees that their proposal is good for 60 days. We hope to sign a contract within 30 days, but reserve the 60 day period if needed. We will use a standard city contract specifying compliance with this RFP and the proposal and requiring appropriate liability and workers compensation insurance. The city will own all work products and may use in anyway it chooses. This procurement is exempt from the terms of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Uniform Procurement Act (M.G.L. c. 30B), and hence, will not be subject to its terms (M.G.L. c 30B, section 1(b) paragraph 32A: “architects and engineers and related professionals”). Overview The HPP should focus on identifying and preserving the city’s historic and cultural resources, and provide a means of integrating preservation of these resources into municipal planning efforts. The HPP must provide a coherent overall planning framework with goals and action steps for implementation. The HPP is not expected to replace or update the land use or climate resilience and regeneration sections of Sustainable Northampton that focus more broadly on where and how the city is encouraging and discouraging development. Integration into Sustainable Northampton In the context of the historic preservation element being integrated into the Sustainable Northampton, the selected consultant will: 1. Design an element with a ten-year action plan and a conceptual twenty year planning horizon. We hope that the preservation element will be updated every decade or so. Historic Preservation Plan RFP (03/03/22) 2    2. Ensure that the HPP’s voice and approach is consistent with Sustainable Northampton’s goals and resiliency efforts, while accepting that Sustainable Northampton is made up of diverse elements and purposes, each with their own voice and approach. 3. Mine existing Sustainable Northampton preservation recommendations and sections and suggest which of those can be deleted or revised with the adoption of a new plan. 4. Develop a lively, readable plan document that can be accessed easily by city officials, staff, permit applicants and committee members and by residents of the City of Northampton. 5. Once the historic preservation element is approved by the City, take the Sustainable Northampton InDesign files and bring the new element into those same files. Objectives The historic preservation plan should address the following elements:  Physical Preservation: protect historic buildings and heritage and cultural landscapes to prevent the loss of important historic resources and to preserve those resources in the future.  Documentation: complete, improve, and increase public access to the city’s inventory of historic resources.  Regulation: amend and improve city ordinances, regulations, policies and incentives, and permitting procedures to protect and enhance historic resources during the development process.  Outreach and Advocacy: increase community knowledge of and access to these historic and cultural resources. Specific project objectives include:  Assess Northampton’s historic and cultural resources, (including buildings, structures, objects, areas, landscapes, burial grounds and sites), including their current level of identification and general state of preservation, and identification of areas that may require additional inventory. The historic preservation plan is not expected nor budgeted to be include a detailed inventory of all historic properties.  Identify issues and opportunities pertinent to preservation of the city’s historic and cultural resources.  Assess the status of historic preservation in the community, including existing preservation mechanisms, and the present integration of historic preservation activities into the city’s broader planning, environmental, social, economic, and sustainability goals and procedures.  Identify historic preservation priorities and develop of an action plan to ensure implementation of priority historic preservation goals.  Identify ways to further integrate current historic preservation activities with broader planning, environmental, social, economic, and sustainability goals and procedures.  Encourage activities that identify, document, preserve and promote historic and cultural resources associated with diverse minority, ethnic, social and cultural groups who have played a role in the history of the city of Northampton and Massachusetts.  Encourage communication and cooperation between existing groups engaged in historic preservation activities and the community at large.  Identify how the city can encourage and support cooperation among existing historic preservation organizations, and ways that preservation activity will involve a representative cross-section of the Northampton population Historic Preservation Plan RFP (03/03/22) 3    HPP Format and Anticipated Table of Contents The organization of the historic preservation plan is anticipated to include the following items, guided by tasks outlined in each phase. The city is open to considering, however, other formats and to working with the selected consultant as opportunities arise to adjust this format to focus on the issues most relevant to Northampton, and combine elements as needed. 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction  Historic Preservation Planning  Historic Context and Major Themes in History of the City of Northampton  History of Historic Preservation Planning in Northampton  Annotated List of Preservation Partners and Stakeholders in Northampton 3. Investigation & Analysis  An Overview of Historic Preservation Issues and Challenges in Northampton  Historic Properties Inventory – Analysis of Existing Documentation  National Register of Historic Places and Local Historic District Analysis of Existing Listings and Eligibility  Local Public Awareness and Engagement Analysis  Analysis of Existing Municipal Ordinances, Regulations, Tools, Municipal Policy, Management and Capital Improvements Analysis 4. Recommendations  The Historic Properties Inventory – Survey Priorities  National Register of Historic Places and Local Historic District Priorities  Priorities for Preservation, Levels of Need  Public Awareness  Municipal Ordinances, Policy, Management and Capital Improvements Regulations and Other Tools  Mechanisms to Protect Public Investment in Private Historic Properties 5. Action Plan  Historic Properties Inventory – Survey Action Plan  National Register of Historic Places and Local Historic Districts  Public Awareness  Municipal Ordinances, Regulations, and Other Tools  Municipal Policy, Management and Capital Improvements 6. Bibliography and References Phase I: Background Scope of Work Tasks:  Meet with Planning and Sustainability staff to review project goals, scope of work, schedule and protocols.  Review three (3) to five (5) recent historic preservation plans from comparable communities both in and outside Massachusetts that have advanced, progressive and successful preservation programs. Historic Preservation Plan RFP (03/03/22) 4     Prepare introductory text explaining why historic preservation planning is and why it is important, and what a historic preservation plan is.  Meet with the Historical Commission or its subcommittee for brainstorming and concept tests  Develop a list of all preservation partners and stakeholders with a role in historic preservation. Prepare a brief description of the role of each partner or stakeholder.  Review the historical development of the community and its neighborhoods, including settlement patterns, architecture, demography, neighborhoods, transportation, industry, housing, and commerce, and what remains extant in today’s built environment. Prepare a statement of historic contexts and major themes in the history of Northampton’s built environment and cultural landscapes that encompasses pre-contact to present day periods. The introduction shall include a description of how historic contexts can inform good preservation planning.  Review previous planning documents, including Sustainable Northampton and its open space, resiliency and transportation elements, Housing Plans, Regional Plans, Heritage Landscape Plans, Community Preservation Plan, along with other existing preservation reports, maps and recommendations (archaeological, architectural, historical and cultural). Prepare a chronological narrative that includes plans, reports, major projects and events related to historic preservation.  Review existing historic inventory. Undertake a wide-view reconnaissance to assess inventory coverage Citywide and identify gaps. Prepare an analysis of the current status of the inventory. Preparation of new inventory forms is not part of this project, but will be utilized to inform future survey efforts  Prepare an analysis of current designations, including properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places, identified as NR-eligible as indicated in records of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and listed in the State Register of Historic Places. The analysis should include information on which properties are protected from alteration or demolition by local designation, preservation restrictions, or other means.  Review existing Ordinances and regulations that could impact historic properties and resources, including at a minimum, zoning, building codes, incentives, design review, demolition delay, scenic roads, and wetlands.  Review the status of all historic City-owned properties, objects and sites, and those on which the City has a financial or legal interest  Assess current City capabilities and staffing as related to preservation.  Meet with Planning and Sustainability staff to review Phase I activities and products. Deliverables:  Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning  Annotated Listing of Preservation Partners and Stakeholders  Historic Context and History of Historic Preservation Planning  Historic Properties Inventory Analysis  National Register of Historic Places and Local Historic District Analysis  Municipal Ordinances and Regulations Analysis Historic Preservation Plan RFP (03/03/22) 5    Phase II: Outreach Tasks:  Seek input from board and commission members and City staff, including but not limited to the Historical Commission, Planning Board and Central Business Architecture Committee, Office of Planning and Sustainability, Department of Public Works and Central Services  Develop an engagement plan, informed by community context and past experience. Suggested elements of the plan could include the following, but the consultant is encouraged to propose engagement strategies that fit the community and the task: o Seek direct input from local groups and organizations such as neighborhood groups and property owners of historic residential and/or commercial buildings and properties, business associations, cultural and historic institutions. o Convene a Public Forum to seek input and discussion from residents, local groups and organizations such as neighborhood groups, institutions, historic homeowners, business and social organizations.  Prepare text explaining the overall historic preservation issues and challenges facing Northampton. Include a description of the types of historic resources currently found in Northampton, recent and potential losses, ongoing and anticipated issues and challenges to protecting and preserving the City’s historical and archaeological resources.  Meet with Planning and Sustainability staff to review Phase II activities and accomplished tasks/products. Deliverables:  Municipal Policy, Management and Capital Improvements Analysis  Public Awareness and Engagement Analysis  Overview of Historic Preservation Issues and Challenges Phase III: Recommendations Tasks:  Develop Historic Properties Inventory recommendations and National Register of Historic Places and Local Historic District recommendations, including individual properties and districts.  Develop public awareness/education recommendations. This may include suggestions to make information more easily accessible through existing means, such as the assessor’s maps, Laserfiche, or MACRIS.  Develop municipal ordinances, policy, regulations, management and capital improvements recommendations.  Develop mechanisms to protect public investment in private historic properties and mechanisms to protect/maintain city-owned historic properties.  Develop a ten-year preservation action plan that identifies each party responsible for implementation tasks and a schedule for implementation. Said action plan should consider priorities in regards to specific properties and heritage and cultural landscapes.  Prepare an illustrated Executive Summary, suitable for distribution as a stand-alone document.  Present the recommendations of the draft Historic Preservation Plan at a Public Forum.  Prepare a summary report that describes the outreach, attendees and overall discussions at the public forum, as well as written comments received on the draft Historic Preservation Plan.  Meet with Planning and Sustainability staff to review Phase III activities and products. Historic Preservation Plan RFP (03/03/22) 6    Products:  Historic Properties Inventory Recommendations  National Register and Local Historic District Recommendations  Public Awareness, Programming and Education Recommendations  Municipal Bylaws and Regulations Recommendations  Municipal Policy, Management and Capital Improvements Recommendations  Recommendations for Mechanisms to Protect Public Investment in Private Historic Properties and Stewardship of City-Owned Historic Properties and those in which the City has a legal or financial interest  Action Plan  Executive Summary  Public Forum/Comments Summary Report Phase IV: Integration into Sustainable Northampton Task:  Prepare a final version of the Northampton Historic Preservation Plan, incorporating it into the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan, as outlined at the top of this RFP. Qualifications The overall proposal must also include: A. The identity of the individual, partnership, or corporation applying for contract award, credentials of the personnel who would actually perform the work, as well as their managers, and the nature of the supervision. State the responsibilities of each of the project personnel. B. A proposer’s qualifications statement, including professional qualifications and work experience attesting to capacity to perform the required work program. Include resume(s), detailing academic and professional work experience attesting to capacity to perform the required work program. Proposers must include a project manager with a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation, Architectural History, History, Art History, Urban Planning, or a closely related field and at least two (2) years full-time experience in an area relevant to the project or otherwise provide evidence of necessary qualifications for this project. C. A detailed explanation of the proposer’s approach to this project: methodology, demonstrated understanding of the scope of work and completion deadline, and the proposer’s expectations of assistance and services from the City. A technical work plan and project timeline for accomplishing the tasks described in the scope of services must be provided. D. A client reference list, with names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses (if available) especially for clients for whom the proposer has performed similar services within the past five (5) years. E. Sample work products for all personnel. F. Any other information deemed relevant to the project, and which the proposer believes will further the competitiveness of the proposal.