Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department to enter into contract with Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc. for the design and engineering of the Blacklick Trail - Portman Park to Refugee Road.
The Blacklick Trail is a significant trail in Central Ohio. Over 14 miles of trail have been developed from Three Creeks Park to Reynoldsburg. One critical gap remains in the trail, an 800 l.f. segment near the intersection of Hines Road, Refugee Road, and the Norfolk Southern (NS) railroad. The gap prevents safe and permitted use from Portman Park to the Retreat at Turnberry trailhead. The greatest obstacle is engineering and obtaining an easement from the NS railroad for a trail underpass beneath the trestle. For the past 6 years, attempts have been unsuccessful to close this gap, and no formal plans were developed for railroad review and permitting.
This final gap in the trail receives a great deal of public comment to resolve the issue, and trail users routinely trespass along a dirt path beneath the trestle connecting to the north and south open sections of Blacklick Trail.
To solve the issue, Recreation and Parks published an RFP for engineering services to finish the remaining section, coordinate and obtain the proper permits from NS railroad for an underpass, and pave the 800 l.f. segment.
The costs for this project will be $79,818.00
Proposals were advertised through Vendor Services, in accordance with City Code Section 329, on October 5, 2016 and received by the Recreation and Parks Department on October 21, 2016. Bids were received from the following companies:
Company
Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (Columbus)
Carpenter/Marty (Columbus)
2 LMN (Columbus)
Korda Nemeth (Columbus)
FTC & H (Columbus)
GPD (Columbus)
After evaluation of the proposals, it was recommended that Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson be selected to perform the work. The firm was chosen based on their reference projects...
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