A Proposal For Town Planner Services Submitted to: Steve Walls, Town Manager Town of Centreville Submitted by: Christopher N. Jakubiak, AICP President, Jakubiak & Associates, Inc. Date: July 10, 2017 Page 1 of 6
Summary of Qualifications for Assignment Jakubiak & Associates, Inc. is a Maryland planning firm founded 17 years ago. We have been called upon to shape development decision-making and along the way have built a reputation for transformative and award winning town planning including: implementation planning for the rebuilding of downtown La Plata following the 2002 tornado; the La Plata Parks & Recreation Capital Expansion Plan, the City Dock Master Plan for Annapolis, the Town of Chesapeake Beach Comprehensive Plan (American Planning Association Award), the City of Cambridge Master Plan (Chesapeake Bay Foundation s Outstanding Plan Award), the City of Crisfield Comprehensive Plan (APA Award), the Bethesda Commons Park Plan, and the Infill Design Compatibility Standards for Chevy Chase. We provide services in land use planning, zoning, development negotiation, and in current planning in which we operate as the staff planner and/or zoning administrator. In this latter role, Chris Jakubiak reviews development site plans and subdivision plats and manages the development review and approval process. Jakubiak & Associates, Inc. has prepared many comprehensive plans and has worked to update and amend others. The firm has also conducted and participated in multiple land use studies which are shaping the way communities develop and program capital facilities, including: the Queenstown Growth Area Vision Plan, the Naval Support Facility at Indian Head JLUS in Charles County, the Interstate Highway Route 99 Corridor Land Use Study in State College Pennsylvania, the Industrial Land Use Inventory and Evaluation in Frederick County, the Comprehensive Plans for the Towns of Garrett County, and the Vision Plan for Greensboro, Maryland. We have drafted new zoning codes at all levels of local government, urban and rural. We are also routinely retained to deal with difficult development issues and zoning challenges. In Frostburg, we prepared zoning standards to address overcrowding in rental housing near the college. In Annapolis, we were hired to reform the City sign regulations and to design an urban design framework for the historic downtown waterfront. In Cambridge, we were asked to improve municipal control over waterfront development so we created a floating zone with new development plan approval procedures and a form-based zoning code. In Chesapeake City, we created new infill development standards to streamline compatible redevelopment on small non-conforming lots. We have addressed many other issues including adequate public facilities ordinances, transfer of development rights, fees-in-lieu of land dedication, impact fees, and critical area regulations. We have negotiated many agreements where deep land use development knowledge is needed including annexation agreements, waterfront concession agreements, utility, access and dredging easement agreements. Chris Jakubiak is presently leading a multi-party negotiation in Salisbury for the acquisition and development of two major commercial roadways and land for a future public safety facility. Page 2 of 6
Jakubiak & Associates, Inc. has 17 years of experience working with Critical Area issues including in the review of critical area development plans, administering local programs, drafting and modernizing the regulations, and creating novel approaches for mitigation in support of smart infill redevelopment. We have led and conducted public meetings, hearings, workshops, steering committees, design review committees, and charrettes. The firm has structured public involvement strategies, conducted surveys, key person interviews, and stakeholder focus groups. We routinely present at and/or staff the work of Planning Commissions, Boards of Zoning Appeals, and the legislative bodies of local governments in Maryland. Scope of Services In his role as town planner, Chris Jakubiak would advise the Planning Commission, Board of Appeals and Town Council both formally through public presentations and staff reports and informally by answering questions and being available to discuss challenging matters. We would assist the Town s management and staff in their support and advisory capacities. Overall, our goal is to continually work to build the capabilities of our clients to deal with development issues. We would work closely with key staff reaching out to them when their responsibilities overlap with planning and zoning and seeking their assistance. In this regard, we will frequently coordinate with staff and the Town Attorney in matters relating to easements, development activities in public rights-of-way, infrastructure issues, public works agreements, and structuring certain conditions on development approvals, among other matters. When presented with a particularly difficult or consequential zoning interpretation, we would consult with the Town Attorney to ensure that the Town s legal interests are protected. We would produce effective and well written staff reports for the Board of Appeals so its members have the information to thoughtfully decide zoning cases and ensure fairness and due process are provided to all applicants and hearing participants. We would review all draft written decisions prepared by the Board s attorney and suggest revisions where necessary. We would work with the Planning Commission and encourage the growth and progress of its members and the body itself as envisioned under the Land Use Article of the MD Annotated Code. We would produce effective and well written staff reports and support the Commission s decision making on site plans, subdivision plats, ordinance amendments and other matters. We would encourage the Planning Commission to insist on high standards for applications, to support their deliberations with findings of facts, and to ensure that good practices are followed to promote transparent decision making. We would produce the Planning Commission s annual report and coordinate with the Commission in its other advisory and administrative roles. In our role advising the Town Manager and Town Council, we would remain always available to the Council Members via the Town Manager to answer questions and to alert them about issues the Council needs to be informed about. Chris Jakubiak would attend work sessions and Council meetings to present and discuss planning matters important to the Council when called upon. We would remain available to draft ordinance amendments and to advance the priorities of the Council in planning and development. Page 3 of 6
In our role assisting the Town Manager in his capacity as Zoning Administrator, we will thoroughly review each application referred to us, treat applicants fairly and with respect, and do our best to properly manage relations in those unusual circumstances when applicants are particularly demanding or difficult. We will remain available to assist town hall staff by answering questions to zoning and permit inquiries. Lastly, in our role as town planner in general, in undertaking studies and plans such as updates to the master plan, we would bring a wealth of practical experience and fresh perspectives. On any such project, we would prepare a work program with direction from the Town s leadership and undertake work in coordination with the Planning Commission s meeting schedules. Staffing Plan Chris Jakubiak would be the primary contact and person assigned to Centreville. During our time with the Town we may assign other staff to assist in the tasks related to the assignment, but the primary person and contact will be Chris Jakubiak. Note, we have employed professional planners to assist our work and from time to time we reach out to subcontractors to produce maps, urban design illustrations and graphics. When/if we do, we would do so only with the approval of the Town. As founder of Jakubiak & Associates, Inc. Christopher Jakubiak consults with Maryland communities seeking expertise in community planning and zoning. He has 25 years of professional experience. Mr. Jakubiak has served as the official town planner and/or zoning administrator in towns throughout Maryland. He has negotiated over 20 development agreements and regularly reviews development plans for compliance with local regulations and standards. He has taught a graduate urban design course at Catholic University of America, served five years on the City of Annapolis Board of Zoning Appeals and is a recognized expert witness in variance, appeals, and other zoning cases. He holds a graduate degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois, a Certification from Harvard University in Advanced Public Sector Negotiation and is member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. A Fee Proposal Our present ongoing agreement provides that we bill the Town at Chris Jakubiak s regular billing rate which is $185 per hour through 2017. This proposal provides that we provide 205 hours over the course of each year at a regular monthly rate of $2,998.58, which translates to a discounted base hourly rate of $175.00 per hour. Should performance under the Agreement require that Chris Jakubiak devote more than 17 hours in a month, we would invoice the Town for the overage at Chris Jakubiak s current professional billing rate, which rate is $185.00 through 2017 and then will be 2.7% higher beginning in 2018. We will submit invoices that break out the time devoted to each active development plan. In summary, for 205 hours, the proposed annual contract cost would be $2,998.58 x 12 or $35,982.96. Should the contract require more than 17 hours per month, the overage time only would be billed at $185.00 per hour through 2017, increasing to $190.00 beginning in 2018 and then a rate of 2.7 percent Page 4 of 6
annually thereafter. Invoices that break out time for each specific development project under review and for general town planning / zoning tasks would be provided. Conclusion Thank you for requesting this proposal. It has been an honor to assist the Town. Page 5 of 6
Christopher N. Jakubiak, AICP Mr. Jakubiak consults with communities seeking expertise in town planning and zoning. He has 24 years of experience preparing zoning ordinances, comprehensive plans, subarea master plans, land use studies, and economic/market studies, and negotiating development agreements on behalf of Maryland municipalities. He has administered zoning ordinances as the appointed Zoning Administrator and town planner for jurisdictions throughout Maryland including the City of Westminster and the Towns of Centreville, Chesapeake Beach, Church Hill, Emmitsburg, Mount Airy, and Thurmont. In 2010, he served as an instructor in the Graduate School of Architecture and Planning at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in urban design. Recognized / Accepted as an Expert in Planning and Zoning Administrative Hearing Officer and Board of Appeals, Anne Arundel County Administrative Law Judge and Board of Appeals, Baltimore County Board of Zoning and Municipal Appeals, City of Baltimore Board of Appeals, City of Annapolis Education Master s Degree in Urban Planning, University of Illinois, College of Fine and Applied Arts, Urbana-Campaign, IL. Practicum: Comprehensive Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, East St. Louis Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Executive Certificate Program in Advanced Public Sector Negotiation, Harvard University Professional Experience President and Principal, Jakubiak & Associates, Inc. (2000 - present) Principal Planner, Calvert County Department of Planning and Zoning (1996 2000) Principal Planner, Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (1992 1996) Urban Planning Instructor/Teaching/Research Assistant, University of Illinois (1990 1992) Professional Accreditation and Affiliation American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Member of the American Planning Association Recent Speaking Engagements Sustainable Urban Planning: Oresund Region, Scandinavia, U.S. Green Building Council, Baltimore Maryland and Washington, DC. Feb. 2014 and Dec 2013. Due Process and Effective Decision Making, MD Planning Commissioners Association, Nov. 2013 Climate Change Adaptation in Maryland (Cambridge), Gulf of Mexico, COCP, New Orleans, LA, 2012 Development Proposals: The Role of Negotiation Maryland Municipal League Conf., 2011 Protecting the Municipal Tax Base Through Good Planning, MD Municipal League Fall Conf., 2009 Approaches to Addressing Compatible Infill Maryland Municipal League Conf., 2008 Changing Zoning and Annexation Law in Maryland Maryland Municipal League Fall Conf., 2006 Negotiating Design Concepts for New Development, Maryland Municipal League Conf., 2004 Toward a Walkable Downtown, Rebuilding La Plata, International IMCL Conference, Carmel, CA, 2003 Page 6 of 6