RFP - Civil Engineering and Landscape Design Services

1. Proposal Requested: The Town of Pownal, hereinafter the “Town”, is requesting statements of interest and cost proposals (“RFP”) from consultants, individuals, and firms with the appropriate experience and qualifications to provide Civil Engineering and Landscape Design services. The Town has initiated a project to build a new facility on Town-owned land located at 439 Hallowell Road to house and support a combined Fire & Rescue and Public Works departments. The Future Facilities Committee (FFC) was formed to drive this project, and will review submitted proposals. Port City Architecture was initially retained to provide a comprehensive needs assessment, schematic floor plan, and projected cost estimate. Their report was issued on September 12, 2024. The total estimated turn-key cost was projected at $5,928,000. That report is available on the Town of Pownal website and includes a schematic site plan as well as a schematic floor plan of the building. Minor changes are expected to be made to both, but both the site plan and the floor plan can be relied on for this RFP. The FFC is now researching funding opportunities for the project. Preparation of a comprehensive site plan and complete set of materials necessary to apply for and receive both local site plan approval as well as all requisite state and/or federal permits, is necessary to pursue funding opportunities. Additional site engineering and design services will be required to execute the project, but this RFP is limited to permitting requirements only.

2. Background: Pownal is a town in Cumberland County located between the towns of North Yarmouth, Freeport, Durham, and New Gloucester. Pownal was settled in 1680 and incorporated on March 3, 1808, from a portion of Freeport. According to the United States 2020 Census, Pownal has a population of 1,549, made up of 562 households within a total area of 22.9 square miles. Pownal utilizes an elected Select Board and town meeting style of town administration.

3. Deliverables: The chosen bidder will be expected to prepare and deliver to the Town certain plans including, but not necessarily limited to: 

  • Existing Conditions survey.
  • Demolition and tree removal plans.
  • Erosion and sediment control plans.
  • Material and soil analysis suitable for building foundation design.
  • Plan locating building on site.
  • Site access design, including driveway, parking, sidewalks, and site lighting.
  • Septic design.
  • Locating appropriate spot for well drilling. Identifying all utilities (electrical, telephone, gas, oil, etc.) to be utilized in the project, and how they will be either brought into the site (trenching, e.g.), or stored on-site (e.g., gas, oil).
  • Final grading plan.
  • Review of State of Maine and Town of Pownal Site permitting requirements. Information for the Town of Pownal is available through the Pownal Code Enforcement Officer. Further information is available on the Town website.

Final deliverables must be suitable for obtaining a site plan approval from the Town of Pownal Planning Board as well as all other requisite state and/or federal permitting .

4. Project Schedule RFP submissions will be due December 11, 2025 by 4:30 PM EST. Submissions received after this date will not be considered. It is the sole responsibility of the proposer to ensure timely delivery. Proposals will not be accepted at any other location than the address specified below. Faxed or e-mailed proposals will not be accepted. Interested individuals and firms shall submit twenty (20) hard copies of their proposal, and a thumb drive containing a PDF copy of the same, in a sealed envelope to:

Town of Pownal
Future Facilities Committee
429 Hallowell Road, Pownal Maine 04069

Labeled: Town of Pownal Maine, Request for Proposal – Civil Engineering and Landscape Design Services.

  • Pre-submittal questions may be sent by e-mail to: futurefacilitiescommittee@pownalmaine.org by 4:30 PM on November 6, 2025. Responses will be posted on Pownal’s town website and e-mailed to qualified respondents (www.pownalmaine.org) on or before 4:30 PM November 13, 2025. Any questions received after this date will not be considered.

If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, an addendum will be posted on the website. It will be the individual/firms’ responsibility to check the website for updates.

5. Proposal Format Requirements: Submittals must include the following components in the order listed below: 

Part 1: Cover Letter/Executive Summary/Draft Contract (5 points)
  • The names of the key members of the consultant team.
  • The mailing address, telephone number, and the name of the main point of contact for the consultant team.
  • Draft contract.
Part 2: Experience and Qualifications of Individual/Firm Members (30 points)
  • Details relating to the experience and qualifications of the members of the team, including an organizational chart showing all key personnel who will be assigned to this project.
  • Brief resumes demonstrating the training, experience, and other qualifications of key personnel who will be assigned to this project.
Part 3: Understanding of Project Scope (25 points) 
  • Information demonstrating the respondent’s capacity to deliver comprehensive and professional services. Page | 2 – Town of Pownal Maine, RFP – Civil Engineering and Landscape Design Services
Part 4: Commitment to Project Budget & Detailed Work Plan (20 points) 
  • A fee schedule including estimated costs.
Part 5: Delivery Schedule and Timeline (15 points 
  • A detailed monthly report. Individuals or firms shall review the schedule as outlined in Part 7 (below) and indicate that the schedule can be met.
Part 6: Reference Review (5 points) The review team will conduct a background reference review of each respondent including the following information for three (3) projects that the proposed consultant team worked on together:
    1. Name of project/study
    2. Location of the project
    3. Name, title, and contact information for the client
    4. Project budget 
    5. Date of completion of the project
Total Possible: 100 points
 
6. Selection Process: The Town of Pownal will use the Future Facilities Committee to review and score the submissions.
The Town, at its discretion, may interview the top ranked firms. From this process, the Town may select successful individuals and / or firm.
 
7. Proposal Terms and Conditions: Respondents shall be fully responsible for the costs of preparing and submitting responses to this RFP. The Town shall not be liable for any such costs. The Town reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submissions. The Town also reserves the right to waive any informality, technical defect, or clerical error or irregularity in any proposal. The Town also reserves the right to take any action regarding its processing of this RFP, including but not limited to its review of any submittals, that it deems to be in the best interests of the Town.
 
If a respondent is selected, the Select Board will approve the selection on December 22, 2025. A contract, in a form acceptable to the Town Attorney, shall be awarded and executed between the selected bidder and the Town on or before January 12, 2026 unless otherwise extended in the sole option of the Town. All work completed under this RFP shall be due on or before June 18, 2026. The work covered under this contract shall be subject to Site Plan Review by the Town of Pownal Planning Board and will also be subject to state and/or federal permitting. In addition to a project kick-off meeting, the selected bidder should expect to meet at least once with the Future Facilities Committee and shall present their work to a joint meeting with the Town Select Board and Planning Board. Scheduling for these meetings will be established at a future time.
 
The Town shall not be responsible for, nor be bound by, any oral instructions or interpretations or explanations issued by the Town or any of its employees or representatives as it relates to this RFP. Any contact with Town personnel related to this RFP not in conformance with the request for proposal identified above, is expressly prohibited.
 
A professional site walk will be held at 10:00 a.m. on October 28, 2025. Individuals or firms not attending will not be considered.
September 24, 2024 Port City Architecture Report