Spa City opens UDO bids

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The city received five bids recently from businesses interested in creating a Unified Development Ordinance.

Saratoga Springs previously requested responses from planning firms that could complete a comprehensive revision to the existing Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations while incorporating current policy and regulatory documents to include the city’s Complete Streets Policy and Urban Forest Master Plan into a comprehensive plan.

The city received bids from Town Planning + Urban Design Company (charge hourly and will not exceed $249,979.51); Calfee Zoning ($295,000): Camiros (estimated $154,040); Duncan Associates (estimated $125,000) and Clarion Associates ($279,285).

Bradley Birge, the city’s Administrator of Planning & Economic Development, said a goal of the UDO is for the community to better understand how the different policy documents are complimentary to each other.

Birge said the documents serve one overall objective: to create dynamic streetscapes, safe neighborhoods and promote good development in appropriate areas.

In the proposal, the city said the UDO should support the goals and policies adopted in the 2015 Comprehensive Plan. The city, according to the Comprehensive Plan, recommends the UDO center around Economic Strength and Stability, Environmental Health and Resiliency, Transportation and Mobility and Community Character.

The city had previously awarded a bid to locally owned Behan Planning and Design for the UDO.

In January, however, City Council terminated the contract. The city then issued a RFP to finish the work done

by Behan Planning and Design, but no bids were received.

The new RFP, however, resulted in the five bids the city recently received.

The city is expected to select a company April 27, with the project commencing by May 2. Mayor Meg Kelly said there will be public input throughout the process of the project.

The project is scheduled to be completed by May 3, 2019.

Town Planning + Urban Design Company, based in Franklin, TN, said in their cover letter that the company, “specializes in illustrative coding and the creation of visualization that are easily understood by the public and that clearly convey the goals of the community. The quality of our graphic tools helps build strong consensus around a tangible vision, which makes it easier to obtain policy maker and community support for adoption and implementation.”

Calfee Zoning, in Cincinnati, said the scope of the project the city desires is consistent with the work they do throughout the country. Calfee Zoning is a national zoning code consultant composed of former local government officials who have experience both using and administering zoning codes, according to the cover letter.

Camiros, Ltd, in Chicago, said they believe the key to successful development regulations ins their ability to direct new investment and reinvestment toward building the kind of physical environment that reinforces the unique character of the community.

Duncan Associates, based in Chicago, said they’re qualified for the project, partly because of their forms focus on accommodating and promoting smart growth and sustainable development practices.

Clarion Associates, from Chapel Hill, N.C., said they are experts in drafting development code. Clarion Associates said they are experts in making codes more user-friendly through reorganization and streamlining, clarification of language and use of technology to convey complex zoning concepts in a simple manner.