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REQUEST  FOR  PROPOSALS  HouBike  Trail  Alignment  Study  Kent  to  Cornwall  Bridge,  CT  

 

OVERVIEW  

The  Northwest  Hills  Council  of  Governments  (NHCOG)  is  seeking  a  qualified  consultant  to  conduct  a  trail  alignment  study  for  the  proposed  HouBike  Trail  from  Kent,CT  to  Cornwall  Bridge,  CT.    There  are  several  possibilities  for  moving  the  HouBike  trail  off  of  Rt.  7  on  this  7.15  mile  stretch  between  Kent  and  Cornwall  Bridge  village  centers  including:  

• public  or  non-‐profit  owned  land,    • the  unused  space  along  both  sides  of  the  Housatonic  Line  railroad  track  owned  by  

ConnDOT,  or  • the  unused  land  next  to  Route  7  owned  by  ConnDOT  as  part  of  the  Rt.  7  right  of  way.  

During  this  alignment  study  the  Consultant  along  with  its  study  partners  will  meet  with  the  organizations  and  entities  that  own/manage  the  land  listed  above  and  work  with  all  of  them  to  find  an  acceptable  route  for  the  HouBike  Trail.    A  study  of  critical  habitat  areas  within  the  study  area  is  currently  being  conducted.    The  proposed  route  will  also  take  care  to  avoid  areas  where  the  trail  would  have  an  impact  on  critical  habitats.    

 

BACKGROUND  

Organization  This  trail  alignment  study  is  being  conducted  for  the  HouBike  Committee  of  the  Upper  Housatonic  Valley  National  Heritage  Area  (Housatonic  Heritage).  The  HouBike  Committee  is  an  advocate  for  a  biking  and  walking  trail,  the  HouBike  Trail.    The  HouBike  Trail  runs  45  miles  from  New  Milford,  CT  along  the  Housatonic  River  up  to  North  Canaan,  CT.  It  is  a  segment  of  a  longer  trail  known  as  the  Western  New  England  Greenway  which  stretches  from  New  York  City  to  Montreal.  This  trail  is  intended  to  be  used  both  by  serious  experienced  bicyclists  and  by  casual  riders,  walkers,  and  families  with  children.  It  can  also  be  used  by  commuters  and  visitors  to  the  heritage  sites  and  town  centers  of  the  eight  Connecticut  towns  the  trail  passes  by.      Much  of  the  45  mile  trail  runs  along  low  traffic  “river  roads”  allowing  for  this  diverse  range  of  users  and  purposes.  However,  the  7.15  mile  section  between  Kent,  CT  running  north  to  Cornwall  Bridge,  CT  along  Rt.7  has  higher  volumes  of  traffic,  narrow  or  no  shoulders,  and  hills  

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making  it  intimidating  to  all  but  the  experienced  cyclist.    The  study  proposed  here  would  determine  a  better  alternative  to  the  Rt.7  path  the  HouBike  trail  currently  takes  thereby  opening  it  up  to  many  more  riders  and  purposes  than  it  currently  accommodates.    Description  Of  Existing  Conditions  in  the  Project  Area  The  village  center  in  the  Town  of  Kent  provides  an  excellent  example  of  the  benefits  of  a  dedicated  bike  /  pedestrian  trail  along  the  Housatonic  that  the  project  proposed  here  could  provide.    The  village  center  itself  is  very  popular  with  regional  residents  and  tourists  who  visit  its  shops  and  restaurants  nearly  year  round.    The  Connecticut  Antique  Machinery  Museum,  Kent  Furnace  and  the  Eric  Sloane  Museum  are  roughly  1.2  miles  north  of  the  village  center  of  Kent.      Kent  Falls,  a  popular  State  Park,  is  just  over  5  miles  from  the  village.  Now,  both  attractions  can  only  be  reached  by  car  from  the  village  –  or,  if  you  are  an  experienced  cyclist,  by  bike  on  Rt.7.  An  off-‐road  bicycle  path  would  open  up  both  areas  for  tourists  and  residents  alike.    Map  1  below  shows  the  concept  map  for  the  45  mile  length  of  the  HouBike  Trail.        Map  2  below  shows  the  7.15  mile  study  area,  between  Cornwall  Bridge  and  Kent.  This  map  also  shows  the  State  owned  Wildlife  Management  Area  (WMA)  located  along  the  HouBike  Trail  which  would  be  studied  to  see  if  a  trail  alignment  through  the  WMAs  could  be  accommodated.    

 

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Alignment  Considerations    Off-‐road  alignment  preferred  Finding  an  off-‐road  alignment  for  this  section  of  the  HouBike  Trail  is  important  because  Route  7  between  Kent’s  village  center  and  Cornwall  Bridge  is  a  dangerous  road  for  cyclists.  It  has,  among  other  problems,  narrow  shoulders  and  many  short,  steep  hills.  The  hills  create  very  bad  sight  lines.    There  may  be  sections  of  Route  7  where  there  is  enough  excess  right  of  way  on  the  western  side  of  the  road  for  a  separate  trail,  but  walking  and  biking  on  a  trail  right  next  to  a  busy  road  is  less  desirable  than  an  off-‐road  alignment.    Appalachian  Trail  land  cannot  be  used  Unfortunately,  using  the  west  side  of  the  River  for  the  HouBike  Trail  is  not  possible.  The  west  bank  of  the  River  is  owned  by  the  National  Park  Service  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  Appalachian  Trail.  The  Congressional  appropriation  for  that  land  expressly  excluded  its  use  by  wheeled  vehicles.      Wildlife  Management  Area    The  Housatonic  Wildlife  Management  Area  (WMA)  consists  of  several  parcels  along  the  east  bank  of  Housatonic  River  between  Cornwall  Bridge  and  Kent.    Since  they  are  long  and  narrow,  these  parcels  cover  about  two  thirds  of  the  distance  between  the  two  villages.      The  Housatonic  WMAs  are  beautiful,  with  long  fields  and  rarely  visited  woodlands.  They  could  be  an  excellent  location  for  the  HouBike  Trail.  Using  them  would  avoid  the  complexity  of  finding  an  alternative  Trail  alignment  through  a  large  number  of  private  properties,  or  finding  an  alignment  using  surplus  land  on  the  right  of  way  of  Route  7,  or  parts  of  it,  and  getting  ConnDoT’s  approval.    However,  there  are  challenges  here  too  including  avoiding  critical  habitat  areas,  frequently  used  hunting  lands,  and  gaining  approval  from  the  Connecticut  Department  of  Energy  and  Environmental  Protection  (DEEP)  which  manages  the  WMA.  A  study  of  critical  habitat  areas  within  the  study  area  is  currently  being  conducted.    The  proposed  route  will  also  take  care  to  avoid  areas  where  the  trail  would  have  an  impact  on  critical  habitats.      Stakeholder  Agreement  Since  DEEP  owns  and  manages  so  much  of  land  between  Kent  and  Cornwall  Bridge  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Housatonic,  its  support  will  be  essential.  So  is  the  support  of  the  Connecticut  Department  of  Transportation  (ConnDoT).  ConnDoT  controls  the  use  of  excess  land  along  the  Route  7  right  of  way  that  could  be  part  of  an  alignment.  It  also  controls  the  Housatonic    Railroad  Line  right  of  way  which  may  also  be  considered  for  use  in  some  sections.  The  HouBike  Committee  has  met  with  ConnDoT  officials,  as  well  as  key  staff  at  the  Housatonic  Railroad  Line.  At  DEEP,  the  Committee  has  contacts  with,  among  others,  the  manager  of  the  Housatonic  Wildlife  Management  Area,  and  Laurie  Giannotti,  the  Director  of  Trails  and  Greenways.    Any  alignment  will  have  to  be  discussed  in  detail  by  the  groups  that  own  and  manage  the  land  along  the  proposed  route  as  well  as  other  key  stakeholders  such  as  ConnDoT,  the  Housatonic  Valley  Association,  the  Kent  Land  Trust,  the  Kent  Falls  State  Park  managers,  etc.  It  will  also  be  important  to  consider  the  views  of  the  many  homeowners  that  will  be  concerned  about  any  alignment  near  them.    All  those  discussions  will  be  efforts  in  resolving  potentially  conflicting  goals.    

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SCOPE  OF  SERVICES  

Task  1:  Catalogue  Existing  Conditions  and  Inventory  all  Potential  Routes.  Working  with  NHCOG,  Housatonic  Heritage,  and  the  HouBike  Committee  ,  the  consultant  will  identify  and  catalogue  all  potential  routes  for  this  7.15  mile  stretch  of  the  HouBike  Trail.  Existing  conditions  along  identified  routes  will  also  be  inventoried  in  order  to  determine  the  feasibility  of  constructing  a  trail.  Existing  conditions  include,  but  are  not  limited  to  the  following:    

• Property  Ownership  (and  potential  for  land  or  easement  donation/  purchase)    • Current  Land  Uses    • Restrictions/  Constraints    • Topography/  Geography      • Accessibility    • Existing  Trails    • Critical  habitat  areas  

 Task  2:  Analysis  of  Practicability  of  Potential  Routes.  Using  existing  data  and  information  collected  through  field  investigation,  the  consultant  will  assess  the  strengths  and  weaknesses  of  each  identified  route.  Analysis  will  take  into  account  but  not  be  limited  to  the  following  considerations:    

• Constructability    • Right  of  Way  Concerns    • Environmental  Constraints    • Potential  Permitting  Needs    • Cultural  and  Natural  Resources    • Conflicting  Land  Uses    

• Scenic  Value    • Accessibility    • Stakeholder/Landowner  Concerns    • Safety    • Permitting  Issues    

   Task  3:  Refine  Route  Preferences,  and  Define  a  Firm  Preferred  Route  Agreed  Upon  by  Stakeholders.  The  consultant  will  narrow  down  the  inventory  of  potential  routes,  identifying  those  that  are  most  feasible.  Stakeholder  involvement  will  be  critical  and  will  be  achieved  by  working  closely  with  the  HouBike  Committee,  NHCOG,  Housatonic  Heritage,  ConnDOT,  CT  DEEP,  Kent  Land  Trust,  Housatonic  Valley  Association  and  other  identified  stakeholders.    The  ultimate  goal  is  to  identify  a  single  agreed  upon  route.      WORK  PRODUCTS  

The  products  resulting  from  this  project  will  include:  

• a  detailed  map  showing  feasible  trail  alignment  options  for  this  7.15  mile  stretch  of  the  trail  including  a  preferred  option.    

• a  narrative  summary  report  describing  the  process  the  consultant  went  through  to  determine  the  alignment  options  including  meetings  with  stakeholders  and  property  owners/managers  and  the  outcomes  of  those  meetings.      The  narrative  will  also  describe  the  alignment  options  and  the  considerations  that  determined  the  preferred  option.  

 

PROJECT  TIMELINE  AND  OVERSIGHT  

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The  project  will  be  initiated  and  completed  between  June  15,  2017  and  December  15,  2017.  

The  consultant’s  work  will  be  overseen  by  the  NHCOG’s  Community  &  Economic  Development  Director  and  Housatonic  Heritage’s  Bike  Committee.  

 

QUALIFICATIONS  AND  SELECTION  OF  CONSULTANT  

A  selection  committee  comprised  of  representatives  from  the  NHCOG  and  the  Housatonic  Heritage  Bike  Committee  will  review  responses  to  this  request  for  proposals.    The  selection  committee  may  request  interviews  with  the  top  ranked  consultants  following  review  of  the  written  responses.    The  recommendation  of  this  selection  committee  will  be  forwarded  to  the  NHCOG  board  to  approve  the  selection  of  a  consultant.      

The  following  criteria  will  be  used  in  evaluating  proposals:  

1. Previous  experience  in  the  services  required  and  overall  qualifications  of  the  consultant.  2. Consultant  cost  estimate,  and  associated  allocation  of  personnel  resources  for  completion  

of  the  project  tasks.  3. Reasonable  proximity  to  the  Northwest  Hills  Region  and  knowledge  of  the  region.    

SUBMITTAL  REQUIREMENTS    

1. Name  and  address  of  firm  or  individual  and  contact  name.    2. Resume(s)  of  proposed  personnel.    3. Cost  estimate  for  proposed  work.  4. Statement  of  understanding  of  the  project  scope  of  services  and  work  products.    5. Description  of  similar  projects  completed  and  contacts  for  professional  reference.    6. Statement  of  capability  to  perform  the  required  work  within  the  required  time  frame.      To  be  considered,  consultant  proposals  must  be  submitted  in  electronic  form,  as  one  attachment  by  email  to  jayer@northwesthillscog.org  and  be  received  by  noon  on  May25,  2017.  

All  questions  or  inquiries  about  this  Request  for  Proposals  (RFP)  must  be  in  writing  and  addressed  to  Jocelyn  Ayer,  NHCOG  Community  &  Economic  Development  Director  at  jayer@northwesthillscog.org  by  May  18,  2017.  All  responses  to  questions  received  will  be  sent  to  all  consultants  that  have  emailed  Jocelyn  Ayer  (address  above)  and  requested  to  receive  notifications  about  this  RFP.  

NHCOG  is  an  Affirmative  Action  Equal  Opportunity  Employer.  M/F/V/H/EOE  

NHCOG  retains  the  right  to  reject  any  submittals,  request  additional  information,  or  re-‐issue  this  RFP.