Search

PROJECT APPROACH

The City of Nashua has identified the
need for a public dog park to serve the
growing number of resident dog own-
ers in the City. The Animal and Dog Park
Advisory Committee (ADPAC) has been
meeting monthly for over a year and has
identified a 4.75-acre lot adjacent to the
Nashua River as a potential site for the
future public dog park.

The parcel for study is a wide open field
with grass that seems well-suited for a
dog park based on the size and location.
There is a pedestrian trail north of the
field that provides access to Mine Falls
Park, and parking is available nearby.
The site sits entirely within the 100-year
floodplain. One can expect a high water
table, periodic inundation, and seasonal
standing water in some of the low spots. A portion of the site is leased to the owner of a 200’-tall
radio tower and its associated infrastructure. Existing vegetation includes widespread invasive
species. There is some evidence of dumping, vandalism, and possibly homeless encampments
near the site.

The feasibility study will help to determine if this site is suitable for use as a dog park. It will
also serve as a planning document for implementation by highlighting the opportunities and
constraints of this site, identifying the steps that will need to be taken to construct the project,
and providing a vision of the park for SS
fundraising purposes.

Our Consultant Team approach is
outlined below:

Task 1: Existing Conditions Analysis
To develop a comprehensive
understanding of the existing site, the
team will complete the following tasks:

e Conduct a site walk, taking
photographs and measurements,
making note of pedestrian activity,
soil conditions, existing vegetation,
site drainage, and any notable
opportunities or areas of concern.

Board of Aldermen — 11/14/17 Page 10

President McCarthy

And to the Downtown Improvements Committee.

PERIOD FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT

President McCarthy

| think the one gentleman who had wanted to speak has left.

REMARKS BY THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN

Alderman Lopez

| just wanted to thank the Mayor for recognition of all of the work that was put into the Veteran’s Mural on
Quincy Street. The mural is called The Promise. It was dedicated to veterans who keep their families and their
hearts and minds while they serve, and it is a promise to do the same.

Alderman O’Brien

| would like to echo out Alderman Lopez. | went to the dedication ceremony. It was cold and windy as those
who were there know, but it was definitely worth it. It’s a fine tribute to our veterans. I'd also like to take the
liberty to remark as we start this holiday season, Thanksgiving is coming up first and | wish a Happy
Thanksgiving to all.

Alderman Caron

| have been driving by Quincy Street and have watched the work progress on the mural. | am really
fascinated. | was fascinated with the job they did there. The other thing is | would like to thank our Chief of
Police, Chief Lavoie, and his staff for a wonderful program that | attended for the last nine weeks with
Alderman Wilshire, and that’s the Citizens Academy. If you haven’t had a chance to do this, you should take
the time. You would be amazed at the things that our police department does, and how safe we should feel
within this city, and how proud we should be with the young men and women who serve our community in the
Nashua Police Department. | was overwhelmed, and | know that | dealt with the police department over 40
years, but boy, we’ve come a long way. Every Chief that has been there for the last 4, 5, 10 chiefs, they really
have pushed the boundaries for their people. We can be very, very proud of them. And | hope that more
people take advantage of it next year. And also, congratulations to Ed Lecius for the fine job that he does for
putting that program together. It was nice to get a certificate that said “Honorable” on it.

Alderman Dowd

I'd just like to say | was at the dedication of the Street Art on Quincy Street. It was cold but it was a fantastic
event. There were a lot of veterans there freezing. It was a very moving tribute, and | want to thank Alderman
Lopez for all that he had to do with it. It’s something that everyone should take a look at because it’s really
nice. Also, the Veteran’s parade afterwards was a great parade. | know it was lightly attended, again, because
of the cold, but the people who were there were very enthusiastic about supporting the veterans. | was also at
the gala and a very fitting tribute for George Katsis. It was well deserved for all that he’s done.

Alderman Clemons

| wanted to just take time to just congratulate the clerk on a wonderful job done at the election. It was the first
election after the craziness that they passed at the state house this year. | know that a lot of the diligence that
comes with enforcing election laws and such like that is not easy. But it was an election that went very smooth;
there were no issues at the polls. So | think you deserve a pat on the back.

PROJECT APPROACH

e Prepare an existing conditions base map in AutoCAD format based on aerial photography, site
mapping and observations, and GIS data. The base map will provide an accurate scaled depiction
of natural and manmade elements that are visible on the site, including pavement, vegetation,
topography, structures, utilities, and wetlands. The map will be suitable for planning purposes.
During the final design phase, a topographic survey and wetland delineation by a New Hampshire
Certified Wetland Scientist will be performed to obtain additional detail.

e Locate underground structures, wires, and utilities in an area anticipated to include the 2.3-acre
open field and 10,000 sf access road using a scanning GPR antenna, electromagnetic pipe locator,
traceable rodder and GPS. Incorporate mapped objects and corresponding GPS points into the
existing conditions base map. Up to 1.5 eight-hour days of field work by a private utility locator
is budgeted, and final area may need to be reduced to what can be surveyed within the allotted
timeframe. The design team will direct the private utility locator in the field. While it is anticipated
that the approximate locations and depths of underground utilities and grounding wires can be
determined by this method, collection of this information is not guaranteed.

e Evaluate site hydrology including mapping drainage patterns and areas of standing water; examine
FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps for floodplain data and request any known flooding history from
the City to determine the probable frequency and depth of flooding.

e Meet with City Staff to better understand maintenance and management procedures for public
open space. Solicit feedback from City Staff with knowledge of existing dog parks in the City.

e Determine the closest public source of water and
electricity to the site and explore private partnerships
if that seems more economical than connecting to
public utilities.

e Determine what, if any, state and local regulatory
review will be required to build a dog park on this site.
Regulations for permits such as the NHDES Shoreland
permit, wetlands permit, and Alteration of Terrain
permit will be reviewed for applicability to the project.
Approximate regulatory reference lines and buffers
that will impact the parcel will ‘be shown on the
plan. Additionally, the need for locals permits from
the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment
will also be evaluated. Through early preliminary
field investigations and coordination with regulators,
the Consultant Team will maximize the usable area of the site for the dog park. Although the
area around the communications tower appears to be upland, we note that the NHDES Wetlands
Mapper Tool shows prime wetlands extending into the center of the project parcel around the
communications tower. As part of the feasibility study, a NH Certified Wetland Scientist will
investigate whether this area of the site meets the criteria for a prime wetland. If this area does not
appear to be a prime wetland, we will initiate conversations with NHDES and the City of Nashua, as
applicable, to determine whether the Mapping Tool can be updated. These coordination efforts will
inform the permitting path recommended in the feasibility study.

Task 1 Deliverable: Existing Conditions Base Map in PDF format.

PROJECT APPROACH

Task 2: Public Engagement

Our team will solicide input from potential users in the form of an online survey that will be de-
veloped and distributed in coordination with ADPAC and City Staff. We will create a draft survey
for committee review, publish, monitor, and host the survey using Survey Monkey, and compile
and analyze the results. To reach a wide audience, we will also publish a bi-lingual flier to distrib-
ute online and post on community message boards near the project area. ADPAC support will be
crucial for getting the survey link distributed to interested parties.

The content of the online community survey will be developed in collaboration with the City and
ADPAC to gain an understanding about potential users of the dog park. Examples of data that
may be collected include demographics of dog owners (age, whether they walk or drive to the
dog park, current use of the existing park, frequency, and time of day they would use the park);
information about their dogs (size, age, breed, activities the dogs enjoy), suggested amenities
(agility equipment, water features, etc.), and any concerns about the location. (Sample survey
items are provided in the Appendix.) Reviewing user input will help prioritize resources and en-
sure the elements incorporated in the conceptual design represent the community vision.

Task 2 Deliverable: Survey compilation and analysis

Task 3: Conceptual Design
Our Consultant Team will develop a draft conceptual design package including a color-rendered
and labeled site plan, a materials board to illustrate specified materials and amenities, a 3D visu-
alization of the dog park, and a rough order of magnitude cost estimate. A draft conceptual de-
sign package will be submitted to ADPAC and City Staff for review and comment. Comments will
be incorporated into the Final Report (Task
5). The conceptual design package will:

e Incorporate findings from Tasks 1 & 2.

e Incorporate best practices for urban
dog park design based on research and
personal experience.

e Accommodate site constraints (radio
tower infrastructure, wetlands, flood

hazards)

e Include a rough order of magnitude =
cost estimate, essentially a range
of probable development and ne

construction costs that depend ona
variety of criteria.

PROJECT APPROACH

e Recommend products and materials for surfacing, fencing, lighting, signage, plantings, and
site furnishing amenities (benches, shade structures, waste receptacles, etc).

e Develop a project timeline from design through construction.
Task 3 Deliverables: Conceptual Design Package

Task 4: Operations and Maintenance Planning

Having a realistic operations and maintenance plan is essential for any public dog park to be
successful and sustainable in the long term. To this end, our Consultant Team will help ADPAC
and the City develop sustainability goals and operations and maintenance plans for the dog park.
Under Task 4, our Consultant Team will:

e Conduct thorough research into best practices for sustainable dog waste management
(interviews with dog park management staff, internet research, etc). Along with the findings
from Tasks 1&2, this will serve as the basis for recommendations for a waste management
system.

e Develop dog park policy recommendations by researching what has and has not worked well
at other similar dog parks.

e Compile an operations and management checklist with associated annual operating costs.

e Identify funding strategies for dog park construction and ongoing management, including
grant opportunities and naming opportunities for creative donor solicitations (eg. “buy a
brick” campaign). The graphics developed for the final report will assist with fundraising
efforts by providing a clear vision for potential donors.

Task 4 Deliverables: Dog park policy
recommendations, Operations and
Maintenance Plan including sustainable dog
waste management system.

Task 5: Final Report

The final report will be a full-color PDF with a
cover, executive summary, recommendations,
and appendices. The graphic-heavy report
will rely on concise recommendations

and bulleted lists to clearly and quickly
convey the developed information and
recommendations. The final conceptual
design package, updated to address
comments from Task 3, will be included in the report. It will provide a thorough summary of the
work completed to date and it will chart a path forward. A draft of the final report will be made
available to ADPAC and City Staff for review and comment prior to finalizing the report.

Task 5 Deliverable: Final report in PDF format.

PROJECT APPROACH

Meetings and Communication

The Ironwood project manager will be the primary point of contact with City Staff and will be
available via email for discussion and coordination throughout the design process. Additionally,
several check-in meetings with our Consultant Team, ADPAC, and City Staff will be required to
present findings and solicit feedback on concepts and ideas. Until it is deemed safe to meet in
person, we anticipate that these meetings will take place online using Zoom.

The proposed meeting schedule includes:

e Project Kick-Off to make introductions, review project parameters and schedule, set goals,
and plan for stakeholder and public engagement.

e Existing Conditions and Draft Online Survey to go over the findings of Task 1 and discuss a
draft public engagement survey.

e Conceptual Design Package Review to discuss the drawings and materials in the conceptual
design package and collect feedback.

e Operations and Maintenance Plan meeting to discuss recommendations for sustainable dog
waste disposal, dog park policy recommendations, operations and maintenance plan, and
fundraising.

Clarifications, Assumptions, and Exclusions

e Project management efforts are included in all itemized tasks, and not itemized separately.
Project management efforts include coordination with teammate point persons and City Staff
and tracking project progress against timeline and budget.

e All work products, deliverables, and meetings to be reviewed/attended by a New Hampshire-
registered landscape architect.

e Survey work will be limited to private utility locator service described herein.

e Site access will be coordinated by the City with the owner of the radio tower and owner of
the two parcels. l°

e No special safety precautions or training is required to
perform the private utility locator services.

e No permitting will be undertaken as part of this planning |
effort.

e No grant writing will be undertaken as part of this
planning effort.

e No sub-surface site investigations will be undertaken as
part of this planning effort.

e No traffic studies or other impact studies will be
undertaken as part of this planning effort.

COST & TIMELINE

Reliability

The firms comprising our Consultant Team, Ironwood Design Group and Hoyle, Tanner &
Associates, are well established professionally and financially. Each has deep roots within their
communities and reputations as stellar businesses that have stood the test of time.

Capacity

Our Consultant Team members have the ability to manage a wide range of project assignments
simultaneously. Teammate capabilities are broad and this strength can be drawn upon to handle
project complexities and demanding schedules. Teammates have multiple active projects at any
given time. The Consultant Team will work with the City and its project partners to ensure that the
project requirements are met on the desired schedule and as outlined in the RFP.

Synopsis of Cost

Project Task Ironwood Design Hoyle, Tanner &
Group Fee Associates Fee

1. Existing Conditions Analysis $2,600 $12,972

2. Public Engagement $2,900 $840

3. Conceptual Design $10,900 $3,954

4. Operations & Management Plan $4,120 $1,874

5. Final Report $6,600 $2,548

Subtotal $27,120 $22,188

Direct Costs $375 0

Total Fee $49,683

Direct Costs (Reimbursable expenses)

Reimbursable expenses include items directly related to project tasks. For example:

° Shipping (if necessary)
° Printing of visual aids, plans, and sketches; creation of illustrative boards
° Travel expenses to project site and/or meetings (mileage and tolls)

Project Tasks and Fee Schedule

To provide the City with the most detailed and accurate accounting of the project fee, our
Consultant Team has made minor adjustments in project tasks compared to those outlined
in the RFP document. The effort needed to complete each task is provided with specific
descriptions to accurately delineate the project scope.

COST & TIMELINE

Ironwood Design Group Sr. LA/ | LA/ CAD/ |LDI| Copy | Total | Task Total
Tasks PIC PM GIS & Editor/ | Hrs

Graphics Admin
1. Existing Conditions Analysis $2,600
1a. Conduct Site Walk 6 6 0 0 0 12 $1,170
1b. Develop base map 0 2 2 0 0 4 $300
1c. Research and map underground 0 2 0 0 0 2 $170
structures (radio tower emphasis)
1d. Evaluate site hydrology, includ- 0 2 0 0 0 2 $170
ing drainage and flooding
le. Conduct kick off meeting with 1 4 0 0 0 5 $450
City Staff and ADPAC*
1f. Determine and map water and 0 2 0 0 0 2 $170
electric supply options
1g. Determine permitting 0 2 0 0 0 2 $170
requirements
2. Public Engagement $2,900
2a. Develop draft community survey 2 14 0 0 0 16 $1,410
for review by ADPAC and City staff
2b. Publish, manage, and analysis 0 10 0 0 6 16 $1,150
results of survey
2c. Meeting with City Staff and 0 4 0 0 0 4 $340
ADPAC*
3. Conceptual Design $10,900
3a. Develop color-rendered site plan 8 28 8 0 0 44 $3,780
3b. Prepare materials board 0 12 10 0 0 22 $1,670
3c. Create 3D visualizations 0 4 18 0 0 22 $1,510
3d. Develop preliminary cost 2 6 0 0 0 8 $730
estimate
3e. Prepare project timeline 1 2 0 0 0 3 $280
3f. Meet with City Staff and ADPAC 1 4 0 0 0 5 S450
3g. Incorporate comments and 1 14 12 0 8 35 $2,480

finalize conceptual design package

COST & TIMELINE

lronwood Design Group Sr. LA/ | LA/PM | CAD/ LDI Copy | Total Task

Tasks PIC GIS & Editor/ | Hrs Total
Graphics Admin

4. Operations and Management Plan $4,120

4a. Recommend sustainable dog 6 4 0 0 4 14 $1,200

waste management system

Ab. Prepare dog park policy 8 4 0 0 6 18 $1,520

recommendations

4c. Compile operations and manage- 4 2 0 0 4 10 $810

ment checklist with associated costs

Ad. Identify funding opportunties 2 2 0 0 4 8 $590

5. Final Report S6,600

5a. Compose executive summary 4 2 0 0 8 14 $1,010

5b. Compile draft Final Report and 10 14 0 0 20 44 $3,290

provide to ADPAC and City Staff for

comment

5c. Revise and provide Final Report 8 12 0 0 8 28 $2,300

and exhibits

Hours by Ironwood staff 64 158 50 0 68 340

Staff allocation 18.8% | 45.6% 14.7% | 0.0% 20%

Hourly rate by staff $110 $85 S65 S60 $50

Staff cost $7,040 | $13,430] $3,250 SO | $3,400

Sub-total $27,120

Direct Costs

Sub-consultant $22,188

Hoyle,Tanner & Assoc**

Travel and tolls $125

Plotting and reprographics $250

Total Fee $49,683

*Assume online/virtual meetings
**See next page for task hours

COST & TIMELINE

Hoyle,Tanner & Associates | PM III/ | Sr. Eng Eng. | Sr. Env Total Task
Tasks II Env | Coordin] Hrs Total
1. Existing Conditions Plan* 8 20 20 6 6 60 $12,972
2. Public Engagement 6 6 $840
3. Conceptual Design 2 12 20 34 $3,954
4. Operations and 2 8 4 14 $1,874
Management Plan

5. Final Report 2 10 4 2 1 19 $2,548
Hourly rate by staff $187 $140 $95 $148 $98

Total Fee $22,188

*Includes $5300 for mapping underground utilities with ground-penetrating radar in the 2.3-acre open

field and 10,000sf access road