The Conservation Land Bank (CLB), a department of San Juan County, seeks a consultant with expertise in design, civil and structural engineering, landscape architecture, habitat assessment, NEPA environmental documentation, and regulatory assistance for a 3.2-mile, accessible, multi-modal trail project located at the Beaverton Marsh Preserve and John O. Linde Community Park on San Juan Island.  FHWA funding for this project is $5.28 million.  Project development will include at a minimum of one public meeting.  Consultant will work closely with County staff and occasionally may coordinate with County administration and elected officials.  The DBE goal for this project is 16%. 

This agreement will begin immediately and must be complete by July 30, 2026.   Construction funds for this project must be allocated by September 15, 2026.

San Juan County reserves the right to retain the selected A & E consultant to serve as the engineer of record and otherwise support project during construction phase based on satisfactory performance on prior work and the negotiation of an agreement.

Technical Requirements and Qualifications

Work to be performed by the consultant consists of civil and geotechnical engineering, landscape architectural design, constructability assessments, habitat assessments, and preparation of plans, specifications, designs, and budgets.  The consultant will provide regulatory assistance including environmental and cultural resource assessments and preparation of permits.   Mandatory qualifications include:

• Expertise with FHWA and WSDOT Local Programs requirements for Federally Funded projects including the WSDOT Local Agency Guidelines Manual (LAG Manual)
• Consultant and subcontractors must have active professional licenses in the state of Washington for Professional Engineer and Landscape Architecture.
• The Consultant must have at least five (5) years of experience in design of publicly accessible natural areas, demonstrated experience designing trails and boardwalks, and related infrastructure development.
• Experience designing and projects to MUTCD, NACTO, and AASHTO standards.
• Consultant must meet WSDOT minimum qualifications for wetland biologists and demonstrate experience in biological assessment of upland and wetland ecosystems, including peatlands, in Western Washington with the proven ability to design and implement successful mitigation and restoration projects. 
• Consultant must be registered to do business in the state of Washington and must hold a Universal Business Identifier (UBI)

 Deliverables

Predesign:  Host one public meeting, provide three design alternatives which include coarse budget, timeline, and identification of risks and opportunities.

30/60/90 percent Design: Develop and update design, plans and specifications, materials, project schedule, constructability assessments, budget, and contractor bid packages.   

Regulatory: Develop project regulatory framework, completed applications, and approved local, state, and federal permits.

Final Designs: Project design package including plans, specifications, budget, project timeline, and bid documents.

Proposed Timeline

RFQ Advertised                                                                 July 2, 2025

Project Site Tour (Optional)                                         July 16, 2025

Deadline for Questions & Clarifications                   July 18, 2025

SOQ Deadline                                                                    July 25, 2025

SOQ Review & Ranking                                                  July 29, 2025

Consultant Interviews                                                    July 31, 2025

Consultant Selection                                                       August 1, 2025

Refine Scope of Work                                                     August 2025

Award Contract                                                                 August 2025

Consultant Selection Criteria (100 points possible)

1. Approach (25 points) - Consultant’s understanding of the project goals, and general approach to the project, including DBE approach and commitment.
2. Experience (20 points) - Consultant’s experience with WSDOT/FHWA standards for federally funded projects of similar function and complexity.
3. Past performance (15 points) - Demonstrated ability of the Consultant to perform high-quality work and meet schedules. Evaluation will include communication measures. A proposed schedule should be included with the Statement of Qualifications.
4. Qualifications (15 points) - Qualifications of the staff and subcontractors being assigned to this project. Specialized project experience or technical competence relating to the Study Area for each person proposed to work on this project.
5. Understanding (10 Points) - Demonstrated understanding of relevant codes and ability to coordinate projects with jurisdictional agencies and municipality projects.
6. Ability to Meet Schedule (10 points) – Demonstrated capacity to meet project deadline
7. CM Management (5 points) – Construction Management qualifications and experience of staff assigned to this project element.

The top three (3) qualified firms will be invited to interview with the County selection team, where a top firm will be identified.

 Submittal Procedure

The submittal should provide detailed information that will distinguish your team apart from other firms that may be competing for this project. Your SOQ should reflect an understanding of San Juan County Land Bank’s goals, objectives, mission & vision, demonstrate experience working on Federal and State funded transportation and/or recreation projects, experience working within unique setting of the San Juan Islands, and a demonstrate substantial experience with the subject area.

The proposal shall not exceed 12 pages (front and back) of content, including cover sheet, with a minimum 12-point font. Optional reference materials may be provided separately from the SOQ. Please use WSDOT forms 140-1565 & 140-1566 as a basis.

San Juan County reserves the right to cancel the contract award for the project at any time before the execution of the contract by both parties if cancellation is deemed to be in the County’s best interest. In no event shall the County have any liability for the cancellation of contract award.  The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this RFQ.  The County is not liable for any costs incurred by a consultant in the preparation and/or presentation of a Proposal. The Land Bank is not liable for any cost incurred by a consultant in protesting the Land Bank’s selection decision.

Statement of Qualification submittal shall be provided electronically to:

Doug McCutchen

dougmc@sjclandbank.org

RE: RFQ Beaverton Marsh Trail Project

Deadline for submittal: 4:00 P.M., Friday, July 25, 2025

The successful Consultant(s) must comply with Federal equal opportunity requirements.

San Juan County in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. This material can be made available in an alternate format by emailing Doug McCutchen, Preserve Steward at dougmc@sjclandbank.org or by calling collect (360) 378-4402.

San Juan County, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Pre-Submittal Site Visit

A project site visit will be conducted on Wednesday, July 16 at 11am.   A site visit is encouraged but not required.  Contact Preserve Steward, Doug McCutchen to register (dougmc@sjclandbank.org).

Supplemental Information

For additional project information, please contact Preserve Steward Doug McCutchen (dougmc@sjclandbank.org)