Proposal for Professional Services Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan, including Municipal Vulnerability Program
Submitted to: City of Northampton – Office of Planning and Sustainability
January 26, 2018
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. 249 Vanderbilt Avenue │ Norwood, MA 02062 781.278.3700
27 Offices Nationwide www.gza.com
January 26, 2018 01.P000736.18 Submitted Via E-mail
Wayne Feiden, FAICP Department of Planning & Sustainability City Hall 210 Main Street Northampton, MA 01060
Re: Proposal for Engineering and Planning Services for: Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan Northampton, MA
Dear Mr. Feiden:
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.(GZA) is pleased to present this proposal in support of the “Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan Including Municipal Vulnerability Program.” GZA is passionate about creating resilient and sustainable communities by reducing the various impacts of climate change and we sincerely hope to work with you on this project. We believe that we will bring to this project “state-of-the- practice” climate adaptation, climate mitigation and hazard risk management expertise and experience. The following highlights several distinguishing capabilities and experience.
PROJECT TEAM
GZA will be the prime consultant for the project. GZA is a 625-person engineering, applied science, and planning firm. GZA is a leader in the areas of resiliency, climate adaptation and sustainability planning including natural hazard and climate mitigation, climate adaptation planning, flood hazard assessment, vulnerability assessment, resiliency funding, and community resilience outreach. We are currently assisting several communities in developing resiliency and mitigation solutions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in making their critical facilities, public infrastructure, natural resources, and vulnerable populations more sustainable long into the future.
In addition to GZA personnel, our team includes a certified planner Valerie Ferro from Good Earth Associates. Valerie is a certified planner with over 30 years of experience in municipal planning, community outreach, revitalization planning, and economic development. Valerie has launched over 200 community outreach programs with an emphasis in developing regenerative and restorative strategies for socially and economically distressed areas throughout New England.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
GZA, a Massachusetts based company, has built an extensive knowledge of Northampton through the projects we have worked on over the last decade. Since 2006 GZA has been working continuously on the City’s dams, and on the City’s flood control system on behalf of the US Army Corps of Engineers since 2011. GZA also is working on two flood mitigation
Copyright ©2018 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/H January 26, 2018 01.P000736.18 City of Northampton Page | 2 active by Designprojects for the City designed to reduce the impacts from future flooding. Our team’s local knowledge will enable GZA to hit the ground running at the onset of the project.
DISTINCTIVE CAPABILITIES AND EXPERIENCE
Highlights of our relevant experience and expertise include:
CLIMATE CHANGE MANAGEMENT: GZA has provided climate change management services to assist our clients with development of practical strategies to address greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. PLANNING: GZA’s team brings expertise in resiliency and planning, focused on the socio-economic and natural resource impacts associated with climate change. GZA has also been responsible for resiliency planning for natural and nature-based features (NNBF), critical infrastructure, transportation systems, and community assets for several inland and coastal communities. MUNICIPAL VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT: GZA has completed numerous vulnerability and risk assessment studies along the eastern coastline of the United States and has an effective and established framework in completing these studies. Our team includes a certified Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP) provider to lead the MVP process. GEOSPATIAL DATA MANAGEMENT. GZA uses GIS tools that are web-based and made client-accessible on a project basis. The geodatabase utilizes 100’s of relevant publicly-available data layers (e.g., FEMA, NOAA, etc.) as well as proprietary and project-specific GIS layers presenting the results of GZA’s numerical hydrodynamic modeling. Upon project completion, key GIS layers are provided for integration into the client’s GIS. RESILIENCY AND MITIGATION FUNDING. GZA has been instrumental in assisting communities including the City of Northampton apply for and receive $millions of dollars in federal and state grant funding in the implementation of flood mitigation and resiliency projects. GZA is currently assisting the City of Northampton in completing two recently funded FEMA hazard mitigation grant funded flood mitigation projects.
We believe that GZA brings the prerequisite skills, expertise, and experience required for this project. In particular, we bring a level of technical depth not often available for planning studies. This combination will enable us to assist Northampton in being at the forefront of climate resiliency and regeneration planning and in positioning the City for future funding opportunities. We look forward to the opportunity to meet and present our team, capabilities and demonstrated experience in person. Thank you for your consideration of us for this project.
Very truly yours, GZA GEOENVIRONMENTAL, INC.
Samuel J. Bell Senior Project Manager
Daniel C. Stapleton, P.E. Matthew Taylor, P.E. Senior Principal Consultant Reviewer
Attachments: Proposal
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter of Transmittal
Table of Contents
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL/QUALS
Section 1. PROJECT UNDERSTANDING
Section 2. FEE PROPOSAL
Section 3. SCOPE OF SERVICES
Section 4. PROJECT SCHEDULE
Section 5. QUALIFICATIONS Relevant Experience Project Team
Appendix A. Company Qualifications
Appendix B. Relevant Project Descriptions
Appendix C. Organizational Chart and Resumes
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Section 1 – Project Understanding
Technical Response for Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA 1.0 Project Understanding
Our team’s understanding of the project is based on the City of Northampton’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for Consulting Services for the Development of a Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan and answers provided by the City to questions from GZA and other firms. We understand that the project includes four interrelated components that include: 1. Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program for Northampton. 2. Technical writing and graphics to reorganize the existing Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan using the STAR Communities framework. 3. Creation of a Northampton Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan as a new chapter in Sustainable Northampton. 4. Infographics and on-line dashboard or other graphic representations of the above documents to engage the community. The City will host information provided GZA relevant to advancing the project and the City will setup project webpages and maintain their website. It is clear from the RFP that Northampton’s Planning and Sustainability department through their Director of Planning and Sustainability and two support staff has made considerable efforts in addressing sustainability, climate resiliency, adaptation, and vulnerabilities, and climate regeneration over the years resulting in various plans including but not limited to the City’s 2015 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2014 Resiliency Strategy Analysis and 2012 Stormwater and Flood Control System Assessment and Utility Plan. Additional City departments and staff expected to be engaged in this project as stakeholders include: 1. Department of Public Works, which includes stormwater (three people); 2. Mayor's office (one person with Mayor David J. Narkewicz) 3. Emergency Services (one or two people); 4. Health Department (one person); 5. Central Services, which includes energy (two people). Our team has extensive experience assisting communities and private entities in the Commonwealth and in other states in developing clear and effective frameworks and plans that address each of the four (4) interdependent areas outlined above. Below is a more detailed overview of the GZA Team’s understanding of each of the 4 areas outlined above MVP Program Executive Order (E.O.) 569 directed the state government to provide assistance to communities to conduct climate change vulnerability assessments and resiliency planning. As a result, the Massachusetts (MA) Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) established the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grant Program (MVP Program) to provide financial assistance to towns and cities throughout the Commonwealth to complete a comprehensive, baseline climate change vulnerability assessment and develop prioritized actions for dealing with climate-related and natural hazards using the field-tested approach called the Community Resilience Building (CRB) workshop guide. The GZA Team will use the CRB workshop guide framework that includes a six-step approach to completing a vulnerability assessment and developing prioritized actions for addressing climate-related hazards as required by the EEA for communities to become designated as a “MVP Community” which may lead to increased
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Section 1| Page 1 Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA standing in future funding opportunities. GZA staff attended the MEMA and EEA workshop in 2017 on the Commonwealth’s integrated State Hazard Mitigation Plan and Climate Adaptation Plan. GZA sponsored one of EEA’s MVP training workshops in 2017 and our Project Manager, Samuel Bell, assisted Adam Whelchel, Ph.D, The Nature Conservancy, in facilitating certain parts of the municipal training sessions at this event. An overview of the six steps include: 1. Prepare for the Workshop; 2. Characterize Hazards (during the workshop); 3. Identify Community Vulnerabilities and Strengths (during the workshop); 4. Identify and Prioritize Community Actions (during the workshop); 5. Determine the Overall Priority Actions (during the workshop); and 6. Put it All Together (preparing a final report based on the workshop results). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (MA EEA) selected the City of Northampton as one of seventy-one communities to receive a MVP Program grant to carry out the six steps outlined above. To assist Northampton in completing these six steps outlined above, MA EEA requires that the City will engage a state certified MVP provider, use the CRB workshop guide framework outlined above, and include newly developed climate projections and data from the Northeast Climate Science Center at UMass-Amherst. Our Project Manager, Sam Bell, is a state certified MVP provider, and has extensive experience leading climate change and vulnerability assessments, workshops and public meetings in Massachusetts. GZA’s team also includes a group of climate change and resiliency professionals with extensive experience assisting communities on similar projects. GZA proposes to apply our extensive experience and local knowledge using the CRB framework approach to assist the City of Northampton as outlined in Section 3 of this proposal. Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan GZA understands that the City has made noteworthy progress in implementing actions outlined in the 2008 Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan. We understand that the City would like to revise the existing Sustainable Northampton plan using the STAR Communities 2.0 Version framework by creating a planning template for a future update. The GZA Team understands that this effort will not involve a comprehensive planning process, but rather will result in a revised plan framework that will expedite the process of updating the revised Sustainable Northampton. GZA understands that the City is a 5-STAR Certified Community based on the STAR Version 1.0 Framework that included the same goals and objectives as those outlined in the Version 2.0 Framework. GZA will apply our experience developing similar planning documents using InDesign graphic design software that will assist in creating a living document designed for the seamless integration of new content in the future. GZA will design a revised Sustainable Northampton based on the October 2016 STAR Community Rating System Version 2.0 as a guide. The Framework Document will focus on the following seven goals that include six to seven objectives under each goal.
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Section 1| Page 2 Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA It is our understanding that we will insert relevant material for each of the seven (7) goals as applicable from existing plans, including but not limited to, the 2008 Sustainable Northampton Plan into the revised Framework Document as well as metrics from the City’s current STAR certification; however, based on our understanding of both STAR Frameworks there have been some modifications to the metrics and methodologies for evaluating the objectives. Therefore, GZA will clearly outline the methodology for the STAR Metrics under Version 2.0 to assist in the 2019 Update under the Star Communities Program that will include highlights of the changes to facilitate a timely plan update. Details on our approach to completing this work is outlined in Section 3. Climate Resiliency and Regeneration Plan GZA will help the City meet your expected goals of developing a new plan focused on climate resiliency and climate regeneration that can be integrated into relevant chapters of the updated Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan. GZA understands that Northampton has completed tremendous work dedicated to climate resilience and climate regeneration as evidenced by the numerous plans and programs focused on natural hazard mitigation, greenhouse gas emission inventories, stormwater evaluations and others outlined in our Scope of Services. Instead of reinventing the wheel, our team’s approach will be to build from the results of the MVP Workshop and build from the City’s existing plans and programs to develop an effective guide to making Northampton more resilient to future natural hazards while reducing the size of the City’s carbon footprint. Our approach to achieving these goals is to create clear frameworks for both climate resiliency and climate regeneration as presented in the following passages. GZA can help Northampton accomplish its desired plans and actions based on the depth of our team members’ experience with direct climate resilience and hazard mitigation planning, community outreach and project development related experience in Massachusetts, including in Northampton. GZA routinely assists municipalities in developing climate resilience and adaption and natural hazard mitigation plans. Our approach to completing such plans is consistent with the scope of this RFP. Our team can help Northampton in conducting extensive outreach focused on vulnerable populations, assessing community vulnerability with an emphasis on infrastructure and social resiliency to multiple natural hazards, developing recommendations to reduce impacts from future hazards, and in providing a clear resiliency framework with details on how to best implement recommendations in the future. In addition, our team members Matt Taylor and Nate Russell have most recently assisted Northampton in overseeing the implementation of flood mitigation projects on River Road and Robert Meadows Brook that will provide important local knowledge we will use to assist the City in creating a resiliency roadmap for the future.
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Section 1| Page 3 Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA GZA Public Stakeholder Group Forum in Old Saybrook, CT
FEMA/MEMA Hazard Mitigation Project designed by GZA (Restored Roberts Meadow Stream Channel, Northampton)
GZA understands that Northampton has been moving forward aggressively with climate regeneration, mitigation, and decarbonization efforts. However, a comprehensive framework is needed to accomplish your plans to adopt a 100% renewable energy resolution and working goals to achieve an 80% reduction in both GHG emissions and carbon use by 2050 and 100% reduction at some later date. Meanwhile, Northampton has initiated GHG emissions inventory work that is a fundamental aspect for achieving these goals. While the City has indicated the inventory work provides useful data points, there are also limitations and data gaps that need to be addressed.
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Section 1| Page 4 Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA GZA can help Northampton accomplish its desired plans and actions based on the depth of our experience accounting for and reducing GHG emissions. GZA routinely assists large entities with GHG emissions inventories that cover multiple countries, hundreds of facilities and emission sources, and disclosure of these results to a variety of voluntary and mandatory reporting programs. These results are often verified by third parties and the results are utilized to inform important business decisions. Our work moves beyond the accounting space, however, to identify opportunities for our clients to reduce emissions not only within their boundaries but also throughout their supply and value chains. Our in-depth technical knowledge of energy and transportation systems, commercial and industrial operations, waste management, water treatment and other critical aspects of municipalities is vital to the success of Northampton’s mission. Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Finance and Funding Plan We believe that providing the community an understanding of your City’s financing options while you are conducting stakeholder engagement for a community resilience and mitigation plan will help you set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound) goals and prioritize projects that not only provide multiple benefits to the community (public safety, avoided losses of life and wealth, and socio-economic development); but can also access multiple funding or revenue sources. A key focus for GZA on this project will be aligning your goals and proposed projects to government grants, non-profit organization or philanthropic funding and identifying the right local, regional or state government agency sponsors to champion the funding application process. GZA will include a section in the City’s Plan on funding opportunities and the need to integrate the resilience and regeneration planning into the capital improvement program planning process as presented in Section 3. Northampton Infographics and Online Dashboard To cultivate education, build advocacy and bolster support throughout the process of developing the Climate Resiliency and Regeneration Plan, GZA will develop information for the City to set up and host as a public facing Plan Website to engage the community. The website will be built on Esri’s Story Map API and hosted on GZA’s ArcGIS Online Organizational Portal. The Story Map website will serve as an informational portal and dashboard providing a variety of mixed interactive content in a visually compelling manner. Visitors to the City’s website will be able to view and interact with various components of the plan, including a variety of maps, charts, graphs and other infographics. As a member of the Esri Partner Network and ArcGIS Online Specialty Provider, GZA’s Geospatial Information Management and Solutions team employs web GIS on many project types for managing and sharing information. As an Esri Partner, we provide feedback to Esri regarding product improvements. GZA can help Northampton create an online presence like the examples presented below of Esri Story Maps used to engage the public for outreach, education and collaboration.
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Section 1| Page 5 Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA Coastal Resiliency Plan for Stratford, Connecticut This Story Map provided information about the planning process including community profile, key assets and infrastructure, coastal flood vulnerability, modeled flood, risk, impacts and strategies for climate adaptation.
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Section 1| Page 6 Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA Hickory Creek Watershed Planning Group, Will and Cook Counties, Illinois This Story Map provided information about the watershed, resources within it, ongoing projects and an annual public outreach campaign called “Bio-Blitz”, where trained volunteers assist with the collection of macroinvertebrates as part of a one-day assessment to help inform the public about ongoing aquatic assessment efforts.
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Section 1| Page 7 Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA Section 2 – Fee Proposal
Technical Response for Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA 2.0 Fee Proposal and Estimated Costs
SUMMARY This document includes the proposed costs for accomplishing Tasks 1 through 3 for the “Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan Including Municipal Vulnerability Program” Request for Proposals (RFP). The total firm and fixed price to complete these tasks is $100,000. The financial budget summary and a budget narrative are presented below as well as a detailed cost estimate on the following page. FINANCIAL BUDGET SUMMARY
Tasks Total Cost Task 1 $20,000 Task 2 $10,000 Task 3 $70,000 Total $100,000
Approved by:
BUDGET NARRATIVE Task 1. Municipal Vulnerability Plan (MVP) Process 1.1 Project Initiation and Workshop Preparation 1.2 Conduct MVP Workshop 1.3 Prepare MVP Priority Action Plan
Task 2. Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan Task 3. Northampton Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan 3.1 Develop Public Engagement Process 3.2 Conduct Workshops and Forums 3.3 Conduct a Vulnerability and Risk Assessment 3.4 Prepare Resiliency Recommendations 3.5 Create a Climate Resiliency (Adaption) Framework 3.6 Create a Clear Climate Regeneration (Mitigation) Framework 3.7 Implementation Plan and Process 3.8 Prepare Climate Resilience and Resilience Plan Document 3.9 Develop Public Information Repository
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DETAILED COST ESTIMATE Labor Category Rate Task 1 (hr) Task 2 (hr) Task 3 (hr) Total (hr) Principal $200 14 2 48 64 Senior Project Manager $177 22 16 120 158 Technical Specialist $148 12 24 142 178 Project Manager $135 10 - - 10 Engineer 1 $101 24 - 48 72 Engineer 2 $89 48 32 - 231
Total Labor Cost $19,180 $9,632 $67,479 $96,291 (GZA and Subconsultants) Expenses $820 $368 $2,521 $3,709 TOTAL $20,000 $10,000 $70,000 $100,000
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Section 3 – Scope of Services
Technical Response for Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA 3.0 Consultant Scope of Services
SCOPE OF SERVICES The following presents the GZA Team’s proposed project approach and work plan outlining our scope of services for this project. We intend to use the first team meeting as an opportunity to solicit feedback on the proposed Work Plan from the Project Team and will revise the Work Plan accordingly. GZA uses a Risk‐Based approach to conduct municipal vulnerability preparedness, climate resiliency and regeneration planning, and is a leader in use of Risk‐Informed Decision Making for assessing climate change losses and evaluating mitigation and resiliency projects. Risk‐Informed Decision Making is endorsed by the federal government for resiliency and regeneration studies. GZA has been moderating, presenting and attending presentations by EEA, MEMA, Northeast Climate Center at UMass Amherst, through our leadership on the Environmental Business Council of New England Air and Climate Change Committee. Approach At this time, we have developed our proposed Work Plan based on our careful review of this RFP, experience working on flood mitigation projects in Northampton, and our experience conducting community‐wide vulnerability assessments and preparing similar resilience and regeneration plans for municipalities and private and public corporations. GZA is flexible and open to modifying our project approach based on feedback from the Project Team. In general terms, we propose to build upon the findings of the following plans, regulations and programs. Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan (2008) FEMA/MEMA Hazard Mitigation Project designed by GZA City of Northampton Multi‐Hazard Mitigation Plan (2015) Climate Adaptation & Mitigation (AIA Communities by Design, 2015) Northampton Resiliency Strategy Analysis (2014) Planning for the Public Health Impacts of Climate Change in Northampton (2016) Stormwater and Flood Control System Assessment and Utility Plan (2012) City of Northampton Municipal Energy Reduction Plan (2010) Northampton Greenhouse Gas Inventory (2007 and 2017) Global Covenant of Mayors STAR Community Rating System Walk/Bike Northampton, Pedestrian & Bicycle Comprehensive Plan
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Work Plan GZA has designed a work plan to comprehensively address the goals and objectives outlined in the City of Northampton “Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan Including Municipal Vulnerability Program” Request for Proposals (RFP). As described below, we propose a well‐defined set of tasks to accomplish each of the elements presented in the RFP, and a collaborative approach to working with the City, the public and the stakeholders, in developing a series of complementary, effective and practical deliverables including an MVP Workshop, revised Sustainable Northampton Framework, and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan. TASK 1 MUNICIPAL VULNERABILITY PLAN PROCESS Task 1.1 Project Initiation and Workshop Preparation Project Initiation. GZA will meet with the City for a project initiation meeting. During this meeting, we will: Confirm the City’s goals for the project; Discuss our project approach and scope of work to solicit feedback from the City for modifications; Discuss and collect existing information and reports on climate change vulnerability and preparedness; Identify and stakeholders to engage and include as a part of the workshop from the municipality, including but not limited to municipal officials, business, private non‐profits, and community residents; Discuss and review existing hazards and vulnerabilities based on the Multi‐Hazard Mitigation Plan and Stormwater and Flood Control System Assessment and Utility Plan; Discuss the STAR Communities Framework to establish a framework for reorganizing the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan; and Review the City’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Inventory and Global Covenant of Mayors renewable energy resolution. As part of the project initiation, GZA will also compile and review publicly available information on the critical infrastructure, essential facilities, natural resources, vulnerable populations, and recreational assets in the City. GZA will review new and updated data from the following sources, at a minimum: MassGIS; City of Northampton’s GIS Data; City of Northampton’s Zoning By‐Laws, Wetlands Administration By‐Law, Subdivision Regulations, and other applicable regulations and planning documents; City of Northampton Water Supply Asset Management Plan; City of Northampton’s Stormwater and Utility Control Ordinance; FEMA floodplain mapping; Regional planning documents; State Hazard Mitigation Plan; City of Northampton Emergency Management Plan; and Plans outlined in the Project Approach above. Workshop Preparation: GZA will assist the City in the preparation of MVP workshop materials that will include the presentation, tabletop workshop support materials (e.g. maps, Risk Matrix tables), and workshop handouts for
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gathering participant input. GZA will prepare these materials based on the 2015 Multi‐Hazard Plan and 2012 Stormwater and Flood Control System Assessment. GZA will also assist the City including the Stormwater and Flood Control Utility and Planning & Sustainability in the coordination of the MVP Workshop with respect to providing guidance on the workshop setting arrangements for conducting the workshop (e.g. number of tables, size of room, audio‐visual aides, etc.) as well as in the preparation of workshop notice for coordinating the stakeholder outreach.
Task 1.2 Conduct MVP Workshop: GZA will lead the facilitation of one (1) MVP workshop that will begin with a presentation outlining the MVP workshop framework. The workshop will include a series of facilitated tabletop exercises based on the Community Resilience Building Framework focused on: 1) Characterizing climate change hazards (e.g. extreme heat); 2) Identifying the community vulnerabilities and strengths; 3) Identifying and prioritizing hazards; and 4) Determining overall priority actions. GZA will document the results of these table top exercises throughout the workshop that will serve as the basis for drafting the MVP Priority Action Plan (Task 1.3) that will be used as the baseline for conducting the vulnerability assessment for the Climate Resilience and Regeneration Plan in Task 3.
Based on the Community Resilience Building Framework, an overview of the typical information that will be collected for each of the four (4) focus areas listed above includes the following. GZA will assist the City in characterizing hazards during the workshop through a tabletop group exercise using a Risk Matrix by: Identifying past, current and future impacts using the best available data including newly developed climate projections from EEA, and Determine the highest priority hazards. GZA will assist the City in identifying strengths and vulnerabilities during the workshop by facilitating and gathering input using a Risk Matrix during a tabletop exercise that identify the following: infrastructural vulnerabilities and strengths; societal vulnerabilities and strengths; environmental vulnerabilities and strengths; vulnerabilities in other sectors as chosen by the community. GZA will assist the City in identifying and prioritizing community actions during the workshop by facilitating and gathering input using a Risk Matrix through a tabletop group exercise that identify the following: Infrastructure actions; Societal actions; Environmental and Other actions.
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GZA Chalker Beach Neighborhood Resiliency Public Workshop – Old Saybrook, CT
After the tabletop exercises, GZA will assist the City in determining the overall priority actions by facilitating and gathering input from each of the tabletop groups who participated in the three table‐top exercises. This will result in identifying the highest‐priority actions based on an interactive dialogue among each group.
Task 1.3 Prepare MVP Priority Action Plan: GZA will prepare a memorandum that includes sections outlining the results of Tasks 1 through 2 outlined above. The memorandum will include 1) one master Risk Matrix that integrates input from each workshop group; 2) summary of top hazards and associated impacts; 3) a distillation of principal vulnerabilities and strengths, ownership, and locations; 4) list of prioritized actions. GZA will provide a Draft MVP Action Plan to the City for review and feedback. GZA will revise MVP Action Plan to integrate the City’s comments and will provide a Final MVP Action Plan to the City. TASK 2 SUSTAINABLE NORTHAMPTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GZA will develop a new plan document template using Adobe InDesign and managed document workflow for reorganizing the existing plan with the STAR Community Rating System Version 2.0 that includes seven (7) goal areas that include 6‐7 objectives as outlined in the Figure below. The eighth category is focused on Innovation & Process that supports the evolution of sustainability practice by recognizing best practices and processes, exemplary performance, local innovation, and good governance. This approach will allow the future comprehensive planning process to be far more efficient as it will be tailored to the work flow that is consistent with the RFP. This will provide for a living document that will evolve and scale with each future project and completed section.
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STAR Communities Framework of Goals and Objectives Version 2.0
As a part of developing this new Sustainable Northampton template, GZA will leave any section or subsection of the template empty that in the framework that is not currently apart of the current plan to illustrate the work that must be done with the next plan update. As components of the framework emerge and evolve those sections will be added. GZA will replace the existing performance metrics with the STAR Communities metrics, using the findings from the City’s current STAR certification. For example, GZA would replace the current metrics for the Built Environment with the 89.8/100 rating metrics from Northampton’s current Star Rating. GZA will document and make the methodology clear for the STAR metrics since this section will be updated in 2019 after the city recertifies under STAR Communities. Below is an example overview of the rankings by the seven (7) objectives for the Built Environment that GZA will include as a part of the methodology for the STAR Metrics for each of the seven (7) goals. There is a total of 750 points available based on the STAR Metrics Rating System. GZA will create a framework that will assist Northampton in not only increasing the City’s point total in the future, but in making additional improvements to City programs relative to each objective number for each of the seven (7) goals.
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Objective Available Objective Title and Purpose Number Points BE‐1 Ambient Noise & Light: Minimize and manage ambient noise and light levels to 10* protect public health and the integrity of ecological systems BE‐2 Community Water Systems: Proved a clean and secure water supply for all local 15 users through the management of potable water, wastewater, stormwater, and other piped infrastructure. BE‐3 Compact & Complete Communities: Concentrate development in compact, 20 human‐scaled, walkable centers and neighborhoods that connect to public transit, offer diverse uses and services, and provide housing options for families of all income levels BE‐4 Housing Affordability: Construct, preserve, and maintain an adequate and diverse 15 supply of location‐efficient and affordable housing options for all residents BE‐5 Infill & Redevelopment: Focus growth and redevelopment in infill areas to reduce 10 sprawl and ensure existing infrastructure that supports the community is in satisfactory working condition BE‐6 Public Parkland: Create a system of well‐used and enjoyable public parkland that 15 feature equitable, convenient access for residents throughout the community BE‐7 Transportation Choices: Promote diverse transportation modes, including 15* walking, biking, and public transit, that are safe, low‐cost, and reduce vehicle miles traveled Total Points Available 100
*Note: Available Points for BE‐1 increased by 5 points and decreased by 5 points for BE‐7 for STAR Version 2.0
Built Environment (BE) Goal Area Objectives and Metrics
Lastly, upon completion of the additional refinement of the Walk/Bike Northampton, Pedestrian & Bicycle Comprehensive Plan, GZA will import the pre‐formatted document into the appropriate section of Sustainable Northampton along with remaining content for a separate appendix. GZA will provide the City with a Draft Sustainable Northampton Framework document for review and feedback. GZA will then revise the Sustainable Northampton Framework based on City input and will provide the City with a Final Sustainable Northampton Framework document. TASK 3 NORTHAMPTON CLIMATE RESILIENCY & REGENERATION PLAN GZA will work with Planning & Sustainability staff, other city staff to develop an extensive community outreach program, and to create a new Climate Resiliency and Regeneration Plan that will be written both as a stand‐alone plan and as appropriate chapters for integration into the update of the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan. We propose the following set of interdependent tasks to effectively complete the plan through a collaborative and interactive process with the City and stakeholders.
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Task 3.1 Develop Public Engagement Process: GZA will work in collaboration with the Planning and Sustainability Staff to create an effective and inclusive public engagement process, with special attention to traditionally under‐ represented populations, past city plans, and city staff and boards. GZA will develop a strategy that focuses on customizing and distributing materials to Northampton’s most vulnerable property owners, businesses, and agencies for this project. In addition, GZA will assist the GZA Public Forum on Vulnerability Assessment Results in Old Saybrook, CT City of Northampton Department of Planning & Sustainability in creating a comprehensive list of stakeholders during the Kick‐off Meeting including but not limited to the following: Vulnerable property owners Emergency Services (one or two people) Major property owners Health Department (one person) Institutions and businesses Central Services, which includes energy (two Elected Officials people) Department of Public Works, which includes Relevant state agencies stormwater (three people) Other applicable stakeholder organizations Mayor's office (one person and the Mayor) (e.g., neighborhood and business groups) Task 3.2 Conduct Workshops and Forums: GZA proposes to meet with the City of Northampton in conjunction with the Project Initiation meeting to review the proposed stakeholder engagement strategy that will include a timeline for conducting up to the three (3) public forums and three (3) targeted stakeholder group forums with respect to key project milestones (e.g. Initial, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Draft and/or Final Plan). Our team will assist Northampton in leading the creation, management, and distribution of public education and outreach materials. Together with the City, the GZA Team will identify a suite of materials to regularly inform and engage the public during the public GZA Stakeholder Group Forum for a Resilience Corridor in Old Saybrook, CT forums and targeted stakeholder forums relative to the topic of each one. The graphically rich, concise, and informative outreach materials may include: Custom project website and domain name Project newsletters and media briefings Social media engagement Fact sheets Online opinion survey(s) Postcard(s) Interactive polling Presentation Materials
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Task 3.3 Conduct a Vulnerability and Risk Assessment: GZA will use the results outlined in the MVP Priority Action Plan as the baseline for the Vulnerability and Risk Assessment. In addition, GZA will conduct a supporting vulnerability and risk assessment of public infrastructure (e.g., storm sewers, green infrastructure, flood control, heating and cooling shelters, microgrids) and Support, High Occupancy and Vulnerable Populations (including low to moderate income residents) with a focus on flood and heat related natural hazards. GZA will identify and inventory existing critical infrastructure, essential facilities, high value assets, and natural and recreational resources that are vulnerable to all identified hazards based on publicly available information. GZA will build from the 2012 stormwater assessment as a part of developing the inventory of public infrastructure. This effort will include but not be limited to the following: I. Infrastructure: includes, but is not limited to drainage systems, sewer, roads, utilities and critical facilities. II. Essential Facilities: includes but are not limited to schools, public safety departments (i.e. fire, police and emergency management), utilities (e.g. water, electricity, gas). III. Natural resources: include, but are not limited to estuaries, recreational areas, river corridors, trails and open space. IV. Cultural and Historic Resources: include, but are not limited to museums, libraries, etc.
GZA Hazard Mitigation GeoTool™
This effort will be limited to the identification and inventorying of existing critical infrastructure, essential facilities, high value assets, vulnerable populations and natural and recreational resources that are vulnerable to the identified hazards based on publicly available information as outlined above. We do not propose, under this scope of work, to conduct a field survey to visually assess assets that are particularly vulnerable to the identified hazards or to perform any wetland delineation or property line survey.
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As a part of this task, GZA will employ our geospatial capabilities and Enterprise GIS Infrastructure as the backbone for information management on this project as presented in the Figure above. This will serve as the central repository and information management system and will include our custom GZA GeoTool™ Web Mapping application built on Esri’s Web AppBuilder for providing access to project information via desktop, web browsers and mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. The platform will include tools for project team members to manage and share information throughout the phases and tasks. GZA will then identify the degree to which the inventoried assets are vulnerable relative to the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) and NOAA Atlas 14 data for intense precipitation using our project GIS. The flood vulnerability will be determined by assessing the effects of the predicted flood inundation limits, flood depths and flood impacts based on the FEMA FIRMS and NOAA Atlas 14 data. GZA will summarize the results in both tabular and plan format. For critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, recreational assets, and facilities, the data will identify the existing grade elevations (if publicly available), the projected flood elevations, and the controlling flood hazard.
GZA Hazard Mitigation GeoTool™ GZA will conduct a high‐level consequence analysis to estimate the consequential effects associated with the loss (or impact to) infrastructure, and natural and recreational resources within Northampton. These consequential effects will be assessed in concert with the City, relative to establishing financial consequences (e.g., loss of tourism income, loss of public service) and to prioritize future investments in mitigation and adaption measures.
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This approach will provide planning‐level quantitative loss estimates which will be used to: characterize the magnitude of impacts; identify losses; prioritize climate resiliency projects; and provide supporting data for planning, funding and implementing adaption strategies. Task 3.4 Prepare Resiliency Recommendations: GZA will use the action items outlined in the MVP Priority Action Plan from Task 1 as a starting point for developing recommendations. Also, based on the results of the supporting vulnerability and risk assessment, GZA will prepare additional resiliency recommendations focused on the public infrastructure, natural resources and social vulnerability. A key focus for GZA on this project will be aligning your goals and proposed projects to government grants, non‐profit organization or philanthropic funding and identifying the right local, regional or state government agency sponsors to champion the funding application process. Our Community Resilience Plans include a chapter on funding opportunities and the need to integrate the resilience planning into the capital improvement program planning process. We will summarize investment mechanisms that are being applied successfully to finance clean energy and energy efficiency projects that also may have the capability for financing resilience projects, including: Bonds (municipal, green, climate, environmental impact, social impact); Intermediary lending sources (green banks, infrastructure banks, revolving loan funds); Insurance linked securities (catastrophe bonds and resilience bonds); Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) and Property Assessed Resilience (PAR); HUD CDBG‐Disaster Recovery Grants, HUD National Disaster Resilience Competition Grants and FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grants; Stormwater utility fees (per Northampton’s Stormwater & Flood Control Utility Ordinance); Global Covenant of Mayors and World Bank’s City Resilience Program $4.5B Fund for financing a Global Covenant City’s (like Northampton) Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) investment plans to meet their Paris Agreement goals. Based on the results from Task 3.3, GZA will prepare recommendations with a strong focus on public infrastructure and on social resiliency and the effects on low and moderate‐income residents. These will include recommendations for the following: Design storm guidelines for new public and private infrastructure that should be designed for the useful life of that infrastructure based on relevant state and federal regulations and guidelines; Flood modeling for small streams and other flashy systems that are not covered in FEMA floodplain mapping or modeling; The portions of downtown that are only out of the floodplain by virtue of the flood control dikes and the Historic Mill River pumps; and A Capital Improvements Program resiliency scoring of new infrastructure with a summary of eligible funding sources for predevelopment, design and construction of resilience projects.
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We also do not propose to conduct additional more detailed engineering analysis of stormwater systems, flood control systems, etc. than what is either publicly available or provided by the City at the start of the project. However, we will use inspection reports and engineering evaluations, GZA prepared on behalf of the US Army Corps of Engineers, of the of the City’s two federally constructed flood control systems on the Connecticut River and Mill River in 2011 and again in 2017.This will allow us to be very efficient with the data review effort. Task 3.5 Create a Climate Resiliency and Adaptation Framework: GZA will work in partnership with the City to develop a clear framework for climate resiliency (adaptation) to be incorporated in all city policies, actions, regulations, and positions. Include, at a minimum, consideration of: Health Environmental, including Invasives Drought Flooding Stormwater Urban habitat Energy grid Agriculture Food security Waste Task 3.6 Create a Clear Climate Regeneration (Mitigation) Framework: As part of the Northampton Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan, GZA will create a clear framework for climate regeneration (or mitigation) activities by completion of the following two subtasks. GHG Emissions Inventory Update: GZA understands the most recent community‐wide GHG emissions inventory created by the city in 2017 provides useful data points but limitations exist due to the lack of data. To complete this task, GZA will utilize its experience developing complex GHG emissions inventories using a variety of accounting methods and approaches. Given Northampton’s commitment to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), GZA proposes to prepare an updated community‐wide GHG emissions inventory that will be compatible with the GCoM requirements. GCoM is currently in the process of developing a standard which creates a new common framework for community GHG emissions to be reported. The new standard is expected to be incorporated gradually in 2018 and communities with existing commitments to the initiative will report using the new standard starting January 1, 2019. It is GZA’s understanding that Northampton has an existing commitment to GCoM and would not report under the new standard until after January 1, 2019. However, preparation of an updated inventory in accordance with the GCoM standard will streamline Northampton’s future GHG disclosure efforts. As GCoM’s new standard may not be finalized until later in 2018 and given Northampton’s desire to have this task completed by December 30, 2018, GZA will initiate work by developing an updated inventory in 2018 using the Global Protocol on Community‐scale GHG Emissions (GPC) as it is globally recognized for its community scale emissions reporting procedures. This particular protocol was also previously designated by the former Compact of Mayors requirements. Application of the GPC will provide an accurate and comprehensive inventory that can then be efficiently adapted upon release of GCoM’s new standard to ensure the inventory satisfies the new standard’s requirements. If GCoM’s new standard is released by October 31, 2018, GZA will adapt the inventory to GCoM’s new standard as part of this Scope of Work. Otherwise, adapting to the GCoM’s
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new standard will need to be completed outside of this Scope of Work. GZA may also reference other leading protocols (e.g., The Climate Registry), as needed, to ensure a complete and comprehensive inventory is performed. For purposes of this proposal, GZA has assumed the updated inventory will be limited to Northampton’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions of CO2, CH4 and N2O from sources located within the city limits. It is also assumed that the full range of emissions from Scope 3 categories are not addressed within the scope of this proposal as these emissions have not historically been required by commitments to the Compact of Mayors. Emissions of other gases, such as SF6, HFCs and PFCs, may be present but it has been uncommon for communities to account for these emissions. GZA also assumes the calculation tool utilized to develop the 2017 inventory will be available for the inventory update. However, GZA will addend and/or modify its calculations for conformance with the new GCoM standard, as well as any new releases or updates to emissions factors. The updated GHG emission inventory results will be supplemented by documentation that will include a written summary in MS Word and a graphical presentation of results in MS Excel. In addition to discussing the updated GHG emissions inventory results, written documentation will include a discussion of emission sources and mitigation opportunities addressing city operations, transportation, thermal energy, electricity, renewable energy supplies, and community choice aggregation. Detailed mitigation opportunities are discussed under the next step below. The graphical presentations will include infographics, charts, diagrams or other graphic representations to be produced for use in an on‐line dashboard to engage the community. GHG and Carbon Reduction Plan: GZA understands that Northampton plans to adopt a 100% renewable energy resolution with working goals to achieve 80% reduction in both GHG emissions and carbon use by 2050 and 100% reduction at some later date. As part of the Northampton Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan to be developed under this Scope of Work, these goals will be formalized and incorporated as part of Northampton’s comprehensive plan. Northampton’s objectives for reducing GHG emissions, as specified in the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan for Goal EEC‐2, will serve as a guide. Under the comprehensive plan, GZA will develop a GHG and Carbon Reduction Plan to provide a roadmap for Northampton to achieve its renewable energy and 80%/100% GHG and carbon reduction goals. The GHG and Carbon Reduction Plan will summarize potential GHG reduction initiatives, the estimated impact of each initiative, future actions needed to accomplish each initiative, and an approach to measure and track success and improvement. Potential initiatives that promote energy efficiency and GHG reductions will also be reviewed against existing city policies, actions, regulations, and positions to determine how each of these aspects can be modified or supplemented to improve the prospects for successful implementation. GZA will evaluate a variety of reduction initiatives that are highly aggressive but achievable. The initiatives will be prioritized based on the potential reduction impact utilizing the GHG emissions inventory results and identifying the sources of significant emissions. Initiatives that may be considered include wind power, solar systems and other renewable energy generation; energy efficiency improvements; street lighting; electric vehicles and infrastructure; travel demand management (TDM); energy source switching; improved recycling programs; anaerobic digestion; residential organics capturing; and behavioral changes. Of course, additional initiatives will become clearer upon completion of the GHG emissions inventory task. As part of this task, GZA will also leverage the results of Northampton’s Municipal Energy Reduction Plan, Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan, community mitigation actions underway, and other work that has been completed by the City. GZA will work with the City of Northampton to select those reduction initiatives considered to be the most meaningful in terms of community and GHG reduction impact. Near‐term and long‐term goals and actions will
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be defined for each selected initiative, metrics will be chosen to track performance, indicators for success will be identified, and the methods for assessment will be stated. These goals and actions will provide the desired framework that will allow Northampton to measure and track success and improvements. Finally, the GHG and Carbon Reduction Plan will outline an approach for Northampton to track the impact of future reduction actions on an ongoing basis. Task 3.7 Implementation Plan and Process: As a part of preparing the implementation study and process, GZA will develop climate resiliency and regeneration recommendations in coordination with the Department of Planning & Sustainability based on the results from Tasks 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6. We will meet with the City to rank the recommended actions based on risk (i.e., vulnerability x consequence) and importance to the City. GZA will also work in collaboration with the City to identify co‐benefits of resiliency and regeneration recommended actions during the evaluation of the overall recommendations. Upon completion of this analysis and ranking, GZA will organize the results in a priority matrix. As a part of developing the priority matrix, GZA will collaborate with the City to identify the appropriate municipal commission or agency to guide implementation and identify funding sources for specific actions. The GZA Team has decades of experience assisting public agencies in identifying funding opportunities and successfully applying for projects to implement coastal resiliency projects. In addition to identifying the appropriate municipal entities, GZA will identify community‐based organizations that are authorized or acquire properties and easements and describe steps for members of the public to partner with the city to apply for mitigation grants that may become available. Project Manager Sam Bell managed FEMA’s Flood and Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and assisted communities (including Northampton) in managing millions of dollars in grant funding making communities more resilient to future natural hazards. Task 3.8 Prepare the Climate Resilience and Regeneration Plan Document: GZA will prepare a draft plan document that summarizes the results of Tasks 1.1 through 1.3 and Tasks 3.1 through 3.6. GZA will design this plan with the goal of reaching a wide cross‐section of the community. The draft plan will include the following key components that GZA will develop in coordination with the Project Team and City of Northampton. a. Vision statement and goals; b. Plan process; c. City Setting; d. Natural Hazards Characterization (i.e. current day Flood and Heat Hazards and Climate Change [e.g. Increased precipitation and temperatures]); e. Vulnerability and Risk: present flood risk profiles for the current day for areas of City to include but not be limited to: 1) City Center, 2) essential facilities, 3) roadways, 4) lifeline facilities, 5) natural resources, and 6) social and community assets including but not limited to public housing; f. Resiliency Recommendations: near‐term and long‐term solution for each as appropriate (e.g. Plan for public stormwater infrastructure); g. Climate Resiliency and Adaptation Framework; h. Climate Regeneration (Mitigation) Framework; and i. Implementation Plan and Process: will include: 1) a matrix of the resiliency and regeneration recommendations with identified potential future funding sources (e.g. FEMA mitigation grants, NOAA,
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DOE, Resiliency and Renewable Energy Grants, etc.); 2) a guide to integrating the resiliency recommendations into updates of existing plans and policies such as the City plan annexes updates, future zoning regulations, local floodplain management ordinances; and 3) a plan maintenance process. Upon completion of the Draft Plan, GZA will provide the City and interested stakeholders identified by the City with a draft version of the plan for review and feedback to include before finalizing the Draft Plan for public review. Also, upon completion of the Draft Plan, the GZA Team will assist the City in developing advertising materials for a public meeting and a public forum to gather input on the Draft Plan. As a part of this process, we will assist the City in coordinating public announcements with local newspapers and internet‐based newspapers, on the City web site, and through mailings to neighborhood organizations and other identified stakeholders. At the public input meeting, the GZA Team will present the findings of the Draft Plan to the public, provide response to questions, and relate to the public concerns. Our team will document all feedback for final plan revisions. The GZA Team will integrate revisions into a Final Plan using the input received from both the public input meeting, public forum and feedback provided by City departments and Boards, and the Department of Planning & Sustainability on the Draft Plan. We will provide the Department of Planning & Sustainability with a Final Plan for review and feedback to include before finalizing Plan. GZA will work with the City on a “final” version to ensure the report meets the City’s expectations. Upon completion of the final plan, GZA will provide the final plan to the Department of Planning & Sustainability. Task 3.9 Develop Public Information Repository: To cultivate education, build advocacy and bolster support, GZA will develop and deploy a public facing Plan Website to engage the community. The website will be built on Esri’s Story Map API and hosted on GZA’s ArcGIS Online Organizational Portal. The Story Map website will serve as an informational portal and dashboard providing a variety of mixed interactive content in a visually compelling manner. It will employ a combination of interactive web content that will provide access to the Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan and components in its various forms and media types such as images, video, maps, reports, figures and diagrams. Visitors to the website will be able to view and interact with various components of the plan, including a variety of maps, charts, graphs and other infographics. The public website will serve to engage and energize the community and stakeholders to actively advocate and participate. The figure below provides a web‐based approach consistent with this proposed approach GZA used for the Stratford Coastal Community Resilience Plan.
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FINAL DELIVERABLES 5 color copies of Draft and Final MVP Priority Action Plan 5 color copies of Draft and Final Sustainable Northampton Framework Document 5 color copies of Draft and Final Plans A digital copy of the Draft and Final MVP Priority Action Plan; GHG Emissions Inventory Update; Sustainable Northampton Framework Document and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan A digital copy of all presentations and presentation materials A digital copy of all GIS datasets and databases acquired/developed for the project: GIS data to be in ESRI shapefile format; non‐spatial databases to be in Excel format.
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Technical Response for Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA
4.0 Project Time Schedule
SCHEDULE GZA is prepared to commence work on this project upon receipt of your written authorization to proceed. Our team is prepared to begin work as early as February 1, 2018 or earlier if requested. We would propose to have the kick-off meeting within two weeks from the notice to proceed. Based on our current workload and the services outlined above, GZA anticipates the following schedule presented below for the proposed project. We propose to complete the work by December 30, 2018, as outlined in the RFP.
Duration TASK Start Date (days) End Date Task 1.1: Project Initiation and Workshop Preparation 2/1/2018 48 3/21/2018 Task 1.2: MVP Workshop 3/21/2018 14 4/4/2018 Task 1.3: Prepare MVP Priority Action Plan 4/5/2018 71 6/15/2018 Task 2: Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan Reorg 2/1/2018 226 9/15/2018 Task 3.1: Develop Public Engagement Process 2/1/2018 60 4/2/2018 Task 3.2: Conduct Workshops and Forums 4/3/2018 256 12/15/2018 Task 3.3: Conduct Vulnerability and Risk Assessment 2/1/2018 164 7/15/2018 Task 3.4: Prepare Resiliency Recommendations 6/15/2018 78 9/1/2018 Task 3.5: Create Climate Resiliency Framework 2/14/2018 275 11/16/2018 Task 3.6: Create Climate Regeneration Framework 2/14/2018 275 11/16/2018 Task 3.7: Implementation Plan and Process 6/15/2018 154 11/16/2018 Task 3.8: Prepare Climate Plan Document 7/15/2018 168 12/30/2018 Task 3.9: Develop Public Information Repository 3/1/2018 304 12/30/2018
2/1/2018 4/22/2018 7/11/2018 9/29/2018 12/18/2018
Task 1.1
Task 1.2
Task 1.3
Task 2
Task 3.1
Task 3.2
Task 3.3
Task 3.4
Task 3.5
Task 3.6
Task 3.7
Task 3.8
Task 3.9
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Section 5 – Qualifications
Technical Response for Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA
5.1 RELEVANT EXPERIENCE About GZA GZA is a 625-person full-service engineering and applied science consulting firm located in 29 offices throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions of the U.S. GZA has been practicing engineering and environmental consulting in Massachusetts for over 50 years and we currently maintain five Massachusetts offices (Boston, Amesbury, Hingham, Norwood and Springfield). GZA has 185 planners, engineers, scientists and other professionals who live and work in Massachusetts. We are committed to Massachusetts. GZA Capabilities GZA provides comprehensive consulting services in 5 primary service areas: Water; Geotechnical; Environmental; Ecology; and Construction Management. GZA uses up-to-date scientific methods and information with a focus on providing our clients with risk-based recommendations and solutions. GZA staff holds leadership roles in professional societies and is active in developing industry standards of care. GZA Principals are nationally recognized in their field of practice. GZA recognizes the integrated relationships among planning, applied science and engineering that are effective on delivering climate change adaptation and mitigation at the property, neighborhood, community, regional and watershed project scale. We are one of the few consulting firms that have an interdisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, planners and construction managers with pragmatic experience on resilience to climate change from concept, modeling, and design through construction. GZA Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Team GZA’s Hazard Risk Management and Resilience Team is a collaborative of planners, landscape architects, engineers, scientists, and computer modelers who are dedicated to natural hazard planning and mitigation and creating resilient infrastructure and communities. The Team also includes economists and members of the academic research and non-profit/NGO consulting community. Over the last 6 years, GZA’s Natural Hazard Risk Management and Climate Change professionals have performed over 50,000 technical consulting hours focused on hazard mitigation, climate change adaptation and resiliency planning, natural hazard risk assessment, and emergency preparedness, for clients ranging from power companies, healthcare providers, real estate owners, cities and towns. GZA has also performed high resolution computer flood modeling of most major U.S. watersheds and coastal areas, including Massachusetts. Our climate adaptation and mitigation experience and capabilities range from hazard analysis and vulnerability assessment… to climate mitigation and adaptation planning… to design… to project financing. GZA utilizes the process of “Risk-Informed Decision Making”, consistent with the recommendations of federal agencies such as FEMA and the US Army Corps of Engineers. GZA maintains in-house “state-of the-art” meteorology and flood modeling capabilities. GZA performs loss estimation (part of benefit-cost analyses) using accepted tools such as HAZUS-MH as well as proprietary software to assess losses to individual assets. GZA’s benefit-cost analyses are performed in a manner consistent with FEMA-accepted methodologies. Once resiliency projects have been identified, GZA assists clients with cost estimation and identifying options for securing financing through federal assistance grants, capital improvement budgets, and/or municipal bonds. GZA offers GHG management services to assist our clientele with development of practical strategies to address emissions and other aspects of operations that contribute to global climate change. Throughout the process, GZA works with stakeholders
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to communicate findings, prioritize recommendations and integrate resiliency into long-term planning and existing policies, permits and procedures. Appendix A provides additional company qualifications. Specific Project-Relevant Team Experience Specific team experience relevant to this project includes the following: Multi-Disciplinary Capabilities: Our project team provides interdisciplinary expertise including climate change and flood analysis, hazard mitigation and planning, greenhouse gas inventory and greenhouse gas reduction plans, coastal engineering, waterfront structures, geotechnical engineering, ecology, design of Natural and Nature-Based resiliency features (NNBF) including beaches, wetlands and salt marshes, and geospatial data management. We also bring to this project our experience in providing engineering and construction services for private, municipal, State, and Federal projects, which will allow us to accurately estimate the risks and costs. From our professional work and our personal experiences in Massachusetts, we have direct insight and have the unique ability to apply our understanding of these complimentary areas to assess their vulnerabilities and develop adaption strategies. Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Planning Experience: Over the last 5 years, GZA’s Natural Hazard Risk Management and Climate Change Group has performed over 50,000 technical consulting hours focused on climate change adaptation and resiliency planning, natural hazard risk assessment, and emergency preparedness, for clients ranging from power companies to municipalities. Based on expertise and experience, the GZA Team has been entrusted to lead numerous resilience projects. A sampling of municipal projects includes: • Climate Adaptation and Community Resiliency Plans for Stratford, Old Saybrook, New Haven and Westport, Connecticut to make the critical infrastructure, vulnerable populations, public buildings, transportation systems and shoreline natural areas more resilient (funded by CDBG-DR funds); • Natural Hazard Mitigation Plans for Milford and Somerset, Massachusetts (funded by FEMA HMGP funds); • Coastal Resilience Protection for the Long Wharf Area of New Haven, for the City Plan Department in New Haven, Connecticut (Apr. 2017 est. completion and funded by CDBG-DR funds); • Stormwater Infrastructure Evaluation for the Town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut; • Flood Resiliency grant applications for coastal communities resulting in several million dollars in federal and state funding; • Resiliency Outreach and Public Involvement in New York and New Jersey as a part of a $330 million grant funded by the 2014 HUD Rebuild By Design Competition; • $10 million in natural hazard risk services to the Post-Fukushima external flood hazard re-evaluations (coastal storm surge and waves, tsunami, river flooding, and local intense precipitation, from 2011 to present, to over 35% of the U.S. nuclear power plant fleet (covering the U.S. from the west coast to the Mississippi River Valley to the Gulf to the East Coast) per U.S. NRC requirements. Project included extensive hazard characterization, probabilistic analyses and numerical computer flood modeling; • $1M climate change adaptation and flood mitigation for power generation and transmission facilities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey;
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• FEMA Map Revision (LOMRs) for Massachusetts coastal communities; • Research and proposed resilience finance and governance needs for the City of Boston through August 2017; and • Develop climate change and flood mitigation for NGRID’s power generation and transmission facilities. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Management: GZA offers GHG management services to assist our clientele with development of practical strategies to address emissions and other aspects of operations that contribute to global climate change. GZA provides assistance to international organizations and communities assessing climate change matters and evolving policy at the national, regional, state, and local levels. From developing strategic plans and procedures, to creating GHG accounting systems for quantifying GHG emissions which contribute to climate change, to evaluating opportunities to reduce GHG emissions and energy use. GZA offers a comprehensive range of GHG management services. These services provide our clients with the tools needed to manage business risks related to climate change and capitalize on emission reduction opportunities. A sampling of GHG related projects includes: • Prepare GHG emissions inventories, as well as voluntary and mandatory reports, under a variety of domestic and international protocols and standards. • Evaluate GHG emission inventory results and identify carbon reduction opportunities for some of the world’s largest companies, including Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor North America. • Provide strategic planning assistance and action plans to assist clientele setting targets and approaches to meet those targets. • Develop supply chain sustainability programs designed to reduce the environmental footprint of goods and services supplied to our clientele. GZA also advise municipalities on issues relative to FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs); FEMA Community Rating System (CRS); and FEMA, HUD and CT grant opportunities. Appendix B includes more detailed project descriptions for GZA’s Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Projects. The next sections provide an overview of the most relevant climate adaptation and mitigation efforts conducted by GZA. Relevant Climate Adaptation Project-Examples Town of Stratford, CT Coastal Community Resilience Plan In 2015 and 2016, GZA developed a Community Coastal Resilience Plan for the Town of Stratford (Engineering Division, Planning & Zoning, Conservation Commission and others) with CDBG-DR grant of $100,000. The Plan was formerly adopted by the Town in March 2017 and now provides a road map for creating social, economic, and ecological resilience in relation to future sea level rise impacts, including anticipated increases in the frequency and severity of storm surge, coastal flooding, and erosion. GZA developed the plan in coordination with the South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) and the Greater Bridgeport Regional Council (GBRC) Regional Framework for Resiliency to limit redundancies, but more importantly to make the entire region more resilient by working with neighboring and nearby communities. GZA’s project team included Harriman (urban design and planners, formerly The Cecil Group of Boston) and Jamie Caplan Consulting, LLC (WBE subconsultant providing FEMA Hazard Mitigation Planning support and Community Outreach).
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The Plan included: ▪ Review of Existing Programs, Plans and Capabilities ▪ Regional Framework for Coastal Resilience ▪ Data Collection (Assets/Vulnerabilities Inventory and Mapping) ▪ Vulnerability and Risk Assessment ▪ 3 Public Outreach Meetings and Workshops ▪ Review of Adaptation Options ▪ Selection of Sandy-Impacted Neighborhoods for Neighborhood Plans ▪ Preparation of Coastal Resilience Plan Document ▪ Implementation Plan and Process ▪ Conceptual cost estimates for 26 Coastal Resilience Projects totaling $230 million ▪ Conceptual Designs and Planning for 15 Coastal Resilience Projects
Town of Westport, CT Town Wide Drainage Evaluation, Comprehensive Stream Improvement Plan, and Downtown Resiliency and Recovery Plan In 2016, GZA was retained by the Town of Westport to conduct two separate studies for completion by March 30, 2018. The Town’s CDBG-DR grant amount for the two studies is $389,000. GZA completed Study # 1 that included a Hydrologic and Hydraulic analysis of the watersheds of 8 major streams in Town, mapping of the new flood lines for the 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500-year return period, 24-hour duration storms, and recommendations for future improvements to the streams and conveyances, throughout their courses’ in Westport.
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Study 2 involves modeling coastal Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Modeling flooding in the downtown commercial district. The purpose of second study is to assess the vulnerability and resiliency of Downtown relative to riverine and coastal flooding, including stormwater considerations, and to identify resiliency and recovery opportunities to improve pre-storm preparation, mitigate the effects of future flooding, and to recover more swiftly in the future. GZA completed the modeling that demonstrated the combined effect of precipitation and storm surge is coastal flood inundation and surcharging of stormwater infra-structure. This GZA uses 2-D hydrodynamic modeling for complex settings requiring resulted in the identification of four detailed info such as structure-specific velocities, flood depths, areas of Downtown Westport that GZA durations, etc. Our 2-D models are applied to coastal, riverine, and direct precipitation flooding. The models can be coupled to model is currently developing stormwater and combined flooding sources, such as river+storm surge; surge+wind- coastal structure improvement waves; storm drainage+surface water, etc. recommendations for. Based on the Town’s flood vulnerability assessment, there are approximately 3000 properties located in an Special Flood Hazard Areas, that include many of the commercial buildings located in Downtown area. Given this history of flooding, the Town has acted to reduce impacts to future flooding by participating in the Community Rating System (CRS) as a Class 8 community that results in a 10-percent discount for NFIP insured properties located in the special flood hazard area and 5-percent discount for non- SFHA insured properties. City of Northampton, MA Roberts Meadow Brook Channel Flood Mitigation Project In response to severe erosion along the banks of Roberts Meadow Brook, GZA was initially retained by the City of Northampton’s Department of Public Works to assist with the preparation of grant application and documentation under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) administered by FEMA and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). The original grant application was submitted in the fall of 2010 and included a schematic design and cost estimate for repairs and a detailed Benefit / Cost Analysis using FEMA’s BCA Tool. In July 2014, the City was awarded a HMGP grant, allowing the project design to commence.
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In addition to supporting the City’s HMGP application, GZA’s work on the project included site reconnaissance, wetland resource area characterization and delineation, subsurface investigation, hydraulic and general engineering design, preparation of construction drawings and specifications, permitting, bid support, construction phase engineering support and resident engineer services. City of Northampton, MA River Road River Road Retaining Wall/Floodwall Improvements GZA was retained by the City of Northampton’s Department of Public Works to assist with the preparation of grant application and documentation under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) administered by FEMA and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Following acceptance of the grant application, GZA performed detailed engineering evaluations, including site reconnaissance, wetland resource area characterization and delineation, subsurface investigations, hydraulic and hydrologic analyses, roadway layout and grading and structural design of a replacement cast-in-place concrete wall and construction phase engineering support and resident engineer services. Subsequently, GZA prepared detailed construction drawings and specifications and assisted the City in bidding and construction administration. In support of the design and construction, GZA performed extensive local, state and federal permitting, including Massachusetts’ Endangered Species Act (MESA); Notice of Intent – Wetland Protection Act 310 CMR 10.00 and Municipal Wetlands Ordinance – Northampton Conservation Commission; Section 106 Permit Notification Form (Massachusetts Historical Commission). Construction was performed over the winter of 2016/2017, with completion in May 2017. Town of Old Saybrook, CT Community Resilience Plan and Infrastructure Evaluation GZA is in the process of conducting a Community Coastal Resilience Study and Infrastructure Evaluation for the Town of Old Saybrook, CT. GZA’s overall approach is to: 1) use “state-of-the-science” methodologies, including numerical models, for characterizing flood hazards and sea level rise; 2) calibrate our hazard analyses to those developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study (used for federal projects); 3) utilize HAZUS-MH for estimating losses; 4) present a blend of resiliency recommendations ranging from physical mitigation projects to change to Old Saybrook’s plans, policies and regulations; 5) take an integrated approach for physical mitigation projects including both structures and natural and nature-based features; and 6) use ArcGIS for all information management, including our web-based GIS GZA GeoTool©. The GZA team is assisting the Town with the following four tasks: 1. Community Coastal Resilience Study 2. Neighborhood Resiliency Concepts and Designs for Recovery and Adaption
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3. Comprehensive Mitigation Items Feasibility Study 4. Coastal Structure Evaluation Focus on Public Outreach GZA is using interactive exercises and dialogue during Neighborhood Outreach to assess community goals regarding necessary tradeoffs, including flood-proofing versus relocation. GZA’s team documents input for evaluation of preliminary and final conceptual designs. After the meetings, GZA circulates meeting results memo(s) to the Town and other stakeholders to solicit additional consideration.
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Relevant Climate Mitigation Project-Examples Ford Motor Company Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management GZA has assisted Ford with its annual GHG reporting obligations since 2010. In 2017, GZA prepared mandatory GHG reports on behalf of 14 manufacturing facilities within Fords Vehicle Operations and Powertrain Operations divisions. Many of these reports were prepared and submitted to USEPA through the electronic Greenhouse Gas Reporting Tool (e-GGRT) while a few reports were also submitted pursuant to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s GHG Emissions Reporting Program. GZA supported completion of emission calculations, electronic reporting forms, training sessions, monitoring plans, database management and documentation reports. In the case of the MOECC report, GZA also supported third party verification activities. Eaton Corporation CDP Supply Chain Support Services GZA has successfully assisted Eaton Corporation (Eaton) with its participation in the CDP Supply Chain Program since 2015. Eaton is one of 100 companies that annually surveys select suppliers on their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and management practices to learn more about the associated risks and opportunities within their global supply chain. GZA’s annual services have included the following: data solicitation and collection; strategic supplier engagement; supplier technical support and training; review and analysis of supplier responses; customized database development; supplier disclosure scoring; and, reporting on supplier opportunities and risks. GZA’s support has helped improve the responsiveness of Eaton’s suppliers while also providing technical assistance allowing those suppliers to improve the quality of their disclosure and performance. High disclosure rates allow member companies to better understand risks and opportunities from their supply chains and strategically address such risks and opportunities.
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Overall Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Experience Vulnerability Assessment: GZA completed a Community Coastal Resilience Plan for the Town of Stratford, Connecticut that is consistent with the Climate Resiliency portion of scope for this project. GZA is also assisting the Towns of Westport and Old Saybrook in developing Climate Resiliency Plans that include an in-depth focus on infrastructure including stormwater infrastructure. GZA also assisted the City of New Haven developing coastal resiliency recommendations for the Long Wharf area. As a part of these projects, GZA completed a vulnerability and risk assessments that included design input for the assessment using the coupled Advanced Circulation Model (ADCIRC) and SWAN, different sea level rise scenarios, flood risk (i.e. 100-year, 500-year, etc. return period floods), and resultant flood inundation for select time horizons. In Westport, GZA also conducted a hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) study of eight of the major streams that resulted in a town wide update of the flood risk that Westport will use to guide development and permitting related decisions in the future. This resulted in an update of the 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year flood extents along each stream. Our team conducted a vulnerability assessment based on these updates that served as the basis for identifying drainage infrastructure in need of flood mitigation and improvements. Our team can readily apply a similar approach for this project. GZA performs all aspects of vulnerability assessment, all in the context of risk-informed decision making that we applied in conducting vulnerability assessments town-wide for Milford and Somerset, MA, Stratford, CT, Old Sayrbook, CT, Downtown Westport, CT, and on Long Wharf in New Haven, CT. Our vulnerability assessment in each of these communities and for other private utilities includes: • Asset Inventory. Development of asset inventories, including: planimetric and assessor’s data, social-economic data (2010 census), general building stock, essential and lifeline facilities, hazardous waste and natural resources. • Physical Characteristics. Development of physical data, including bathymetry and topography, shoreline characteristics, development surface, etc. • Hazard impact. Using our high resolution numerical models, the flood hazards (ranging from tides through flood events over multiple return periods) are simulated to assess and define impacts to the above-noted assets for multiple sea level rise scenarios and time horizons. Flood impact is determined using the modelled flood depths and associated wind, wave and debris effects system response curves (aka, fragility or flood damage curves) utilized by the federal government. GZA’s approach to vulnerability and impact assessment is
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consistent with that used by the federal government and the private insurance industry. • Loss estimation. A key aspect of climate change resiliency planning is to estimate losses, both to understand community vulnerability as well as the benefits associated with prevented losses. GZA calculates losses using both our proprietary loss estimation software as well as FEMA’s HAZUS MH (Level 1, 2 and 3 analyses). GZA loss estimation includes economic loss due to direct cost and disrupted business, fatalities, impacts to critical infrastructure, displaced people and shelter requirements. Our evaluation of loss also assesses the impacts to vulnerable communities, using parameters such as the federal social vulnerability index and natural resources (beaches and wetlands). Losses are developed on a probabilistic basis and are presented both on an annualized and cumulative basis. Geographic Information Management and Solutions: GZA is a leader in creating Geospatial Information Management solutions. GZA’s scientists, engineers, planners and analysts employ Esri’s industry leading ArcGIS platform and custom tools to manage, analyze, share and visualize data. We employ geospatial data management and solutions on all GZA projects in concert with our other services. Typically, GIS is integrated with other applications in our work flows and we assist our clients with using these applications and tools to seamlessly integrate information management into their processes and businesses, helping them make informed decisions. Geospatial data and technology provides the “backbone” for all components of GZA projects, including data collection, sharing, management, analysis, and visualization (mapping and 3D modeling). GZA’s Geospatial Information Management and Solutions team includes analysts, scientists, engineers, IT and GIS professionals employing Esri’s industry leading ArcGIS platform and Enterprise GIS Stack on our own dedicated geospatial infrastructure, including ArcGIS for Server, SQL Server Enterprise Geodatabases, Portal and an ArcGIS Online Organizational Account to manage, analyze, share and visualize data. As a member of the Esri Partner Network (Silver Tier), GZA employs best practices for geospatial data management and along with mobile and web GIS solutions combined with our other services. GZA’s Coastal Engineering GeoTool™ is a customized application developed by GZA and built on the JavaScript API and Web AppBuilder for use on GZA projects. The tool is web-based, scalable and secure and is also made client-accessible on a project basis. The application utilizes 100’s of publicly-available data layers (e.g., the USACE North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study, FEMA, NOAA, USACE WIS, etc.) as well as proprietary layers presenting the results of GZA’s numerical hydrodynamic modeling. Data layers developed within GZA’s Coastal Engineering GeoTool™ are directly exportable to FEMA’s Hazus software. Our team is currently using the GZA Coastal Engineering GeoTool™ in developing data layers for Old Saybrook, Stratford and New Haven to assist in conducting the vulnerability assessments and to visually locate resiliency projects. The tool is immediately available for use on this project. Data layers created for this project will be exportable, upon completion, for use on established public access platforms (including, for example, The Nature Conservancy Coastal Resiliency Tool). GZA will present a real-time demonstration of the GeoTool, if invited for a project interview. GZA also utilizes animation and 2 and 3-D model simulations to aid in the visualization of hazard impacts, socio-economic, physical and asset data and vulnerability (including graphically demonstrated losses) for both Stratford and New Haven. The figure below presents the flood hazard impacts in Stratford for a 100-year flood event in the year 2040, relative to proposed project locations.
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Snapshot of GZA GeoTool©.
Municipal Local Land Use and Executive Boards Experience GZA has extensive experience working with local land use and executive boards on coastal engineering as well as our recent community resiliency and mitigation planning activities in communities Massachusetts and Connecticut. In addition to engaging members of the public we facilitated additional meetings with municipal Departments including Public Works, Conservation, Planning and Zoning, Economic Development, Police, Fire, and Emergency Services. Having these meetings throughout the planning process was critical to gaining input from the departments most at risk to the future impacts from climate change. These meetings served a dual purpose of gathering input on areas of concern to the Town as well as building consensus on what resiliency recommendations to include in the plan thus making the plan more of a living document that will result in actual implementation. Community Resilience Outreach and Public Awareness & Education Experience GZA has successfully completed numerous public community meetings and workshops as a part of our Resilience and Hazard Mitigation Planning projects. In addition to engaging members of the public we facilitated additional meetings with municipality departments that were critical to building consensus and gathering on the ground knowledge affecting the future economic development, public safety and ecological sustainability.
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Our team is in the process of assisting the Towns of Somerset and Milford, Massachusetts in leading hazard mitigation planning meetings and the Town of Westport, CT in conducting a Downtown Resilience and Recovery planning workshop focused on reducing the impacts from future natural hazards to town assets. We recently completed an extensive outreach program for the Town of Old Saybrook and City of New Haven, CT that included a series of community workshops and public meetings focused on Superstorm Sandy impacted communities. From these experiences we learned that it is vital the public outreach be community driven and led by community members from the start based on a well developed and tested planning process. The Community Resiliency outreach proposed here will center principally on the integration and use of the Community Resilience Building Workshop Process. The Community Resilience Building Workshop will initially require very close collaboration between the Consultant Team and key members of the Climate Change Task Force and the municipal staff to identify a Workshop participant list. The Consultant Team will then work to ensure many participants attend, contribute and ultimately become vested in the overall process of developing a Climate Resilience & Regeneration Plan for Northampton. The CRB Workshop will generate a great deal of information from the community on top hazards, vulnerability, strengths, and priority actions to improve resilience in Northampton. 5.2 PROJECT TEAM GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA) will lead a team of experts in climate change adaptation and mitigation, municipal scale vulnerability assessment and identification, resiliency financing, and planning. Our team also has local knowledge of including GZA’s previous work in characterizing the flood hazard using State of the Practice methods. GZA will be performing the work for this project with staff from our Springfield office with support from our Metro-Boston offices. Please refer to Appendix C for the Project Staffing Chart, which illustrates the responsibilities and roles of GZA’s key project staff, including staff from partner firms. Table 1 below illustrates the level of responsibility for GZA’s staff for the project. Resumes of these key individuals are also included in Appendix C as well as additional support staff. Brief biographies are presented below.
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Table 1 – Roles and Responsibilities of Key GZA Staff
Key Staff Member Title Project Role
Daniel C. Stapleton, P.E. Senior Principal, Principal-In- Climate Change and Hazard Charge Characterization, Mitigation Strategy; Project Professional Engineer of Record
Matt Taylor, P.E. Associate Principal Consultant Reviewer/QA/QC
Samuel J. Bell Hazard Mitigation Specialist and Project Manager; Primary Project Point MVP Lead of Contact; MVP and Resiliency Planning Lead
Thomas C. Klotz, CPSS Principal Environmental Engineer Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Reduction Plan
Valerie Ferro, AICP Community Outreach and Climate Change Public Outreach Sustainability Planner
Steve Lecco, AICP, CEP Senior Environmental Planner Environmental Planning and Permitting
Daniel J. Boudreau, GISP GIS Coordinator Geospatial Data Management and Infographics Lead
Nathaniel Russell, PE Civil Engineer Stormwater and Wetlands Permitting Lead
Rosalie Starvish, PE Stormwater Engineer Stormwater Resiliency
Jennifer Burke, PE, LEED Green Water Resources Engineer Water Resources Engineering Associate
Wayne Cobleigh, CPSM Resiliency Financing Lead Resiliency Financing
Daniel C. Stapleton, P.E. will serve as the Principal-in-Charge and Professional Engineer for the project. Dan is a Principal and Senior Vice-President of GZA and a leader of GZA’s Water Services group. He is currently directing GZA project teams in assessing the flood vulnerability of critical infrastructure throughout the United States and is the Principal-in- Charge for developing the Community Coastal Resilience (CCR) Plan in Stratford, CT working in collaboration with the Town, South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) and the Greater Bridgeport Regional Council (GBRC). Dan is a recognized expert in flood and geo-hazard characterization, hazard vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning and design and coastal resiliency. Dan has over 30 years of experience and advanced degrees in geology and geotechnical, civil engineering and ocean engineering, and is a Registered Professional Engineer. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Geo-Institute of ASCE and the Nuclear Energy Institute’s (NEI’s) Post-Fukushima
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response advisory group. Dan is a regular speaker on climate change and the application of “Risk-Informed Decision Making”, and has addressed municipalities, industry groups and the Army Corps of Engineers around the United States on this issue. Dan has also recently become a member of key ASCE subcommittees that form the ASCE Infrastructure Resilience Division-Civil Infrastructure and Lifeline Systems Committee. This committee supports the development of policy and procedures for resilience for critical infrastructure on a national basis. Matt Taylor, P.E. will serve as a Consultant Reviewer for the project. Mr. Taylor has over twenty years of engineering experience covering the following areas: dam and levee safety inspection and rehabilitation design, dam removal, subsurface investigations and instrumentation installations, foundation design, lateral earth support, controlled blasting, ground improvement techniques, settlement analyses, seepage and slope stability analyses, gravity stability analyses, liquefaction analyses, technical specifications and contract documents preparation, environmental permitting, and construction monitoring and documentation. Mr. Taylor is also an approved FERC Independent Consultant. Mr. Taylor has extensive experience providing engineering related services to the City of Northampton most recently including the Preliminary Design, Final Design, Environmental and Historical Permitting for Removal of the Upper Robert’s Meadows Reservoir Dam. Mr. Taylor’s local and institutional knowledge will be an asset in assisting the City and our team in completing the engineering related aspects of this project. Samuel J. Bell will serve as the Project Manager and Certified MVP Provider for the project. Sam is a Senior Hazard Mitigation Specialist and a Professional Planner with over 15 years of experience. Sam is currently the Project Manager for developing Coastal Resilience Plans and Infrastructure Evaluations in Old Saybrook and Westport, CT, and a local hazard mitigation plan for Somerset, MA. Sam led the development of Stratford Coastal Community Resilience Plan that the Town adopted in 2017 and assisted the Town in preparing a FEMA grant application for increasing the flood protection at the wastewater treatment facility. Sam also served as a Resiliency Planner providing regulatory guidance to HR&A for the development of the $350k 2016 Climate Ready Boston Plan. Prior to joining GZA, Sam worked for FEMA and was responsible for FEMA mitigation and disaster resiliency technical assistance to communities throughout New England, including across Massachusetts. His experience at FEMA includes work with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to develop strategies to make communities more resilient to future natural hazards. Sam administered grants designed to protect critical facilities, public and private infrastructure, natural resources and historic districts in coastal and riverine environments. Thomas C. Klotz, GHG-IQ will serve as the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Reduction Plan Lead. Mr. Klotz is an Environmental Engineer with nearly 20 years of experience providing environmental compliance services and air quality consulting. Experience also includes work as a design and project engineer for a major Midwest energy supplier. Areas of competence include: management of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental sustainability aspects, including corporate-wide assessments, reporting, policy evaluation, strategy development and risk/reduction opportunities. Areas of specialty also include air quality management for application of federal, state and local environmental regulations related to air pollution control, including Clean Air Act (CAA) New Source Review (NSR) and Title V emission inventories, permit applications, permit related demonstrations (i.e., MACT, BACT, LAER, PSD), air toxics control cost analyses, and air pollution dispersion modeling. Regulatory compliance experience includes SARA Title III reporting (including section 312 Tier II and section 313 Form R reports), regulatory compliance audits, and environmental assessments.
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Valarie Ferro, AICP will serve as Community Outreach and Sustainability Planner. Ms. Ferro is a certified planner possessing 30 years of experience in municipal planning, revitalization planning, urban design, economic development, brownfields redevelopment, compatible development, permitting and community outreach. Her experience ranges from regenerative and restorative strategies for socially and economically distressed areas to improvements that create or enhance a sense of place. She has applied knowledge of urban design principles, compatible growth strategies, Complete Streets and sustainable development practices. Virtually all her work has been center-stage in open forums, working respectfully and collaboratively with affected citizens, property owners, and elected officials. Having launched over 200 community outreach programs, she is experienced at proactively articulating project goals and potential issues simultaneous with providing an opportunity for participants to share insights and concerns. Stephen Lecco, AICP will serve as Environmental Planner and Permit Specialist. Steve is a professional planner with 25 years of planning and permitting for marine and riverine projects in the Northeastern and Midwestern U.S. and the Caribbean. Steve led the permitting related aspects for the Stratford Resilience Plan especially in terms of the implementation. He has evaluated impacts of dredging and shoreline construction on natural, physical and cultural resources for local, state and federal agencies including the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and the U.S. Navy. He has recently been involved in major flood mitigation projects in RI and CT where he identified flood-prone properties and assessed mitigation strategies for protecting such properties, several of which with historical significance. Steve also has experience providing planning services directly to municipalities including preparation of Municipal Master Plans, site plan review and development of land use regulations. Daniel J. Boudreau, GISP will serve as GIS Technical and Graphics Lead for the project. Dan has extensive experience in all aspects of geospatial technology. He brings over twenty-three years of combined CAD and GIS experience in data management, data development/conversion, spatial analysis, cartographic design as well as field data collection for asset management and environmental assessment. Dan is currently leading all the geospatial aspects for the Stratford Coastal Community Resilience Plan including the recent development of GIS mapping layers as well as in the compilation and collation of the Stratford CCR asset inventory for inclusion in Hazus Level 2 analysis. Dan is trained in the use of the FEMA Hazus software for mitigation planning. Dan is also the lead developer of GZA’s Coastal Engineering GeoTools™ and is familiar with most publicly available, relevant databases including the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study (NACCS), The Nature Conservancy Coastal Resiliency Tool, FEMA Flood Insurance Studies and Rate Maps, NOAA, State Heritage Foundation and USACE WIS, as well as state and municipal GIS. Nathaniel Russell, PE will serve as Stormwater and Wetlands Permitting Lead the project. Nate is a Senior Project Manager and geotechnical engineer at GZA. His experience includes Geotechnical Engineering and Design, Site Investigations, Landfill Design and Permitting, Stormwater / ESCP Design and Permitting, Wetland Permitting, Environmental Remediation / Brownfields Redevelopment, Alternative Energy Site Development, Project Management, Construction Management / Construction Quality Assurance, and Litigation Support.
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Rosalie Starvish, PE, CFM, CPMS will serve as Stormwater Resiliency Engineer the project. Rosalie is responsible for planning, coordination and operation of various projects for which she is assigned to manage, as well as providing technical support to projects both under her management and under the supervision of others. Ms. Starvish specializes in surface water resources, particularly in hydrologic, hydraulic and water quality assessment. She has a thorough background in the development of monitoring and modeling programs for the evaluation of environmental systems. Her experience includes field assessment of surface waterbodies for physical and chemical characteristics, as well as modeling the hydrology and hydraulics of these waterbodies. Ms. Starvish has been involved in projects related to stormwater and watershed management and design, lake and pond dredging, flood control, flood impact and water quality analysis, dam maintenance and planning, and environmental impact assessments and permitting. Jennifer Burke, PE, LEED Green Associate will serve as Water Resources Engineer the project. Jen serves as a GZA Project Manager and Water Resources Engineer in the office in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her projects include development and implementation of water quality sampling programs, hydrologic/hydraulic modeling of steady and non- steady flow applications, development of environmental planning documents (MEPA, CEPA, NEPA), stormwater related permitting and program support, watershed studies, dam engineering inspections, engineering analyses, construction phase services, and on-site construction monitoring activities.
Wayne Cobleigh, CPSM will serve as Resiliency Financing Lead the project. Wayne has actively participated in the Connecticut Green Building Council and is in his second term as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors. He presented at several workshops and seminar courses on topics including: financing resilience, risk assessment, and redevelopment of environmentally impacted properties and brownfields. In 2013, he initiated a voluntary effort with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and several other government stakeholders from Connecticut and New York City involved with property & casualty insurance, property assessed finance of clean energy and long-term disaster recovery and rebuilding to evaluate methods for financing flood loss reduction measures of existing structures to improve resiliency and affordability of NFIP premiums. The US Army Corp. of Engineers recognized this innovative financial initiative in response to disaster recovery and mitigation after Superstorm Sandy in their report to Congress.
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Appendix A - Company Qualifications
Technical Response for Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA Construction Geotechnical Environmental Ecological Water Management
HAZARD RISK MANAGEMENT Water AND CLIMATE CHANGE SERVICES
SERVICES SPOTLIGHT
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA) is an industry leader in natural hazard risk management.
Services include the following:
• Risk-Informed Decision Making (RIDM) • Hazard Identif cation • Hazard Vulnerability Assessment • Hazard Mitigation Plans • Emergency Response Plans • Climate Adaptation and Coastal Resiliency Plans • Mitigation and Resiliency Design and GZA is proactive by design. As recently demonstrated by the impacts of Construction “Superstorm Sandy”, the United States is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, • Geospatial Information Management including f oods, high winds, earthquakes, etc. Natural hazards impact and Solutions communities, critical infrastructure and natural resources, and can result in • Hazard Communication and Stakeholder Outreach loss of life and property and disrupt business. The eff ects of climate change, • FEMA-Related Services including sea level rise and increased intensity of storms and precipitation events, will increase the risks associated with many natural hazards.
GZA provides our clients with the information needed to identify hazards, assess vulnerability, make risk-informed decisions and implement preventive and mitigation measures to reduce risk exposure. When faced with managing the risks due to natural hazards, choose an industry leader in hazard risk management, planning and mitigation. Choose GZA. Water HAZARD RISK MANAGEMENT AND Proactive by Design CLIMATE CHANGE SERVICES
Risk-Informed Decision Making (RIDM) Emergency Response Plans Geospatial Information Management Risk-Informed Decision Making (RIDM) Emergency Response Plans def ne the and Solutions provides a systems-based metholodology specif c actions to be implemented in Geospatial data and technology enable for comprehensively characterizing risks, anticipation of, and in response to, the you to visualize hazards, risks and evaluating alternatives, benef t versus occurrence of natural hazards. GZA mitigation solutions. We apply high cost analyses, prioritizing and identifying develops action-oriented plans that resolution complex geospatial data to residual risk. GZA uses RIDM as the include step-by-step approaches to communicate smart project solutions. foundation of our hazard risk and climate protect people and property based on Hazard Communication and change management services. real-time data, and multiple hazard Stakeholder Outreach scenarios. Hazard Identif cation GZA facilitates stakeholder outreach Hazard identif cation is the critical f rst Climate Adaptation and Coastal and consensus building ranging from step in performing hazard vulnerability Resiliency Plans the boardroom to public meetings. GZA assessments and mitigation design. Climate Adaptation and Coastal is eff ective in communicating the risks GZA specializes in the identif cation Resiliency Plans provide a road map associated with natural hazards, including and detailed characterization of natural to plan for, prioritize and implement presenting alternative solutions from hazards such as f ooding, earthquakes measures to create long term resiliency. complex data and issues. and landslides. GZA prepares these plans and brings FEMA-Related Services Hazard Vulnerability Assessment specialized expertise in coastal engineering and characterization of GZA provides a full-range of FEMA- Natural hazard vulnerability assessments hazards, such as f ooding, under future related services, including: (HVAs) involve determining the impacts, climate change scenarios. 1) Preliminary Map Review and Appeal; including loss of life or property, disruption of business and eff ects to Mitigation and Resiliency Design and 2) Letters of Map Revision (LOMRs); Construction critical infrastructure and emergency 3) Hazard Mitigation Grant applications; response capabilities. GZA performs GZA’s civil, geotechnical, coastal and 4) Post-Hazard Emergency Response; and HVAs ranging from regional, state and structural engineers integrate mitigation community-scale to “building-scale”, and resiliency design, ranging from 5) Benef t-Cost Analysis. including asset portfolios. temporary mitigation measures to Hazard Mitigation Plans permanent structures, for mitigation f ood, seismic, slope stability and wind Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMPs) identify hazards. the actions and policies that can be implemented over the long term to reduce risk and future losses. GZA works with communities and stakeholders to create plans that eff ectively create the framework for reducing damages to lives, property, and the economy from future disasters.
Water Services • Marine and Waterfront Stuctures
• Dams and Levees
• Water Resources
• HAZARD RISK MANAGEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
www.gza.com We are Proactive by Design. We are One Company. We are GZA. Construction Geotechnical Environmental Ecological Water Management
Proactive by Design. Our Company Commitment.
Environmental Climate Change Management Services
SERVICES SPOTLIGHT
Additional Services
• Carbon Control Strategies • Market Analysis • Carbon Offset Project • Data Management Systems GZA is proactive by design. We take our client’s corporate sustainability • Energy Efficienc Audits and Studies initiatives seriously, and we understand that achieving sustainability in the • Environmental Management workplace begins with a commitment to change and involves innovation Systems and collaboration. Corporate governance decisions are often shaped by • Third-party Verificatio philosophical and regulatory imperatives to reduce carbon dioxide and • Renewable Energy Project Engineering and greenhouse gas emissions, and to conserve natural resources. Balancing • Scientific Studies environmental protection, community interests, and business economics • Sustainability Services is a priority GZA shares with its clients, and we offer sustainability advisory • Workshops and Training services designed to help organizations manage the impacts associated with their activities and supply chain. We integrate sustainable development ideas, practices, and solutions into our services and deliver additional value by recommending environmental actions that recycle and re-use contaminated property, reduce impacts to natural resources, correct environmental problems, and establish energy-efficient and clean-energy facilities to create a bett , more sustainable future. When looking for a partner for your sustainability initiatives, choose the firm skilled in protecting people, the planet and the corporate bottom line. Choose GZA. Environmental
ProactiveProactive by by Design.Design Climate Change Management Our Company Commitment. Services
GHG Emissions Inventories inventory, and completion of reporting develop an action plan addressing the GZA is available to assist with the design forms and internal documentation company’s risks and opportunities and development of corporate-wide GHG reports. In order to streamline the associated with its carbon footprint emission inventories (i.e., carbon footprint reporting process and assure a complete with respect to each initiative. The analyses) for purposes of estimating, and accurate report, GZA recommends study addressed various reporting managing, and reporting GHG emissions. development of customized corporate alternatives (e.g., registries, trading Aspects of an emission inventory guidance and instructions to maintain schemes, certification programs, etc.) include defining the reporting entit , consistency among various operations and an evaluation of the cost, burden, establishing boundaries, collecting activity within a corporation during the reporting resources, benefits, political implications, data, calculating emissions based on process. and participation of each alternative. appropriate methodologies, and auditing Policy Assistance The study also included a benchmark of other leading companies in the industry inventory results. GZA has experience GZA often advises its clientele on pending with various domestic and international and their participation in various GHG U.S. policies related to climate change initiatives. Finally, GZA advised the client protocols including the WRI/WBCSD GHG at the state, regional, and national level. Protocol, as well as protocols developed of the best available reporting alternatives Our experience is available to effectively in support of its action plan. Similar for the EPA Climate Leaders program, review and interpret GHG policies and California Climate Action Registry, The services are available to help strategically methodologies which directly affect position your company in consideration Climate Registry, DOE 1605(b) program, our clientele. We also have experience and ISO 14064 among others. Completion of pending carbon legislation and to reviewing proposed rulemaking and maximize climate change opportunities. of a GHG emission inventory allows GZA preparing formal comments and white the opportunity to help clients identify papers on behalf of corporations and trade cost effective reduction opportunities associations with respect to voluntary and and potential emission credit trading mandatory GHG rulemaking and policy. opportunities under various regional, As part of our policy support services, we national and global programs. often interact with the EPA, DOE, state GHG Reporting agencies and stakeholders on climate GZA has provided GHG reporting change issues. services to clientele with facilities located Strategic Planning throughout North America. GZA is GZA routinely provides assistance with available to assist with reporting needs on carbon management strategy and the a voluntary or mandatory basis at the local, development of action plans to address state, regional, national, or international strategic initiatives. An effective strategy level. The reporting process includes will consider the rapidly evolving climate collecting activity data from facilities and policy by providing a flexible action plan. industrial operations, estimating GHG During one particular assignment, GZA emissions from stationary and mobile conducted a detailed study of various sources via an appropriate emission climate change initiatives in order to www.gza.com We are Proactive by Design. We are One Company. We are GZA. Construction Geotechnical Environmental Ecological Water Management
Proactive by Design. Our Company Commitment.
Environmental Sustainability Advisory Services
SERVICES SPOTLIGHT
Sustainability Advisory Services
• Corporate Strategy Development • Carbon/Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Management • Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization • Alternative Energy/Energy Efficienc Studies • Biodiversity Assessments • Behavioral-based Culture Modificatio • Green Remediation • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) • Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Reforestation Estimates • Green Stormwater Solutions GZA is proactive by design. We take our client’s corporate • Sustainability Rating of Projects sustainability initiatives seriously, and we understand that achieving • Supply Chain Management sustainability in the workplace begins with a commitment to change and involves innovation and collaboration. Corporate governance decisions • Reporting and Disclosure are often shaped by philosophical and regulatory imperatives to reduce • Climate Change Resiliency and Adaptation carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, and to conserve natural resources. Balancing environmental protection, community interests, and Environmental Services business economics is a priority GZA shares with its clients, and we offer • Environmental Site sustainability advisory services designed to help organizations manage Assessment and the impacts associated with their activities and supply chain. We integrate Investigation sustainable development ideas, practices, and solutions into our services • Site Remediation and deliver additional value by recommending environmental actions • Environmental Health that recycle and re-use contaminated property, reduce impacts to natural and Safety Regulatory Compliance resources, correct environmental problems, and establish energy-efficien and clean-energy facilities to create a better, more sustainable future. • Air Quality When looking for a partner for your sustainability initiatives, choose the • Hazardous Materials firm skilled in protecting people, the planet and the corporate bottom line. Management / Demolition Choose GZA. • Sustainability Advisory Services Environmental
ProactiveProactive by by Design.Design Sustainability Advisory Services Our Company Commitment.
Proactive by Design. Our Company Commitment. Excelling as a multi-disciplinary, multi-office firm of proactiv bright, and dedicated people, GZA supports our clients and our profession through demonstrated expertise in each of our five core service areas. Woven together, these services integrate with each of our client-focused markets, providing unparalleled value from a single company. We are Proactive by Design. We are One Company. We are GZA.
Geotechnical Environmental Ecological Services Water Consulting Construction Services Services • Wetland Delineation, Services Management • Subsurface • Environmental Site Assessment and • Marine and Services Investigations Assessment and Design Waterfront • Project Management Investigation Structures • Deep and Shallow • Biodiversity, Habitat • Program Foundation Solutions • Site Remediation and Rare Species • Dams and Levees Management Assessment • Rock Slope • Environmental • Water Resources • Demolition and Health and Safety • Aquatic Toxicity Characterization, • Climate Change and Decommissioning Stability Assessment, Regulatory Testing Hazard Planning • High Risk Rock Fall Mitigation Compliance • Environmental Remediation/ • Soil Slope Analysis • Air Quality Impact Studies Specialty Clean and Stabilization • Hazardous Materials • Natural Resource Construction Design Management / Permitting • Construction-related • Tunneling and Demolition • Erosion and Building Services Underground • Sustainability Sedimentation • Asbestos, Lead, Construction Advisory Services Control Design PCB’s, and Mold and Compliance • Earth Support Design Abatement and Dewatering Monitoring • Seismic Evaluation • Ecological Restoration Design • Geothermal System Design • Invasive Species Management • Landfill Design • Water Quality • Instrumentation and Assessment and Deep Foundation Planning Testing • Marine and Freshwater Habitat Analysis
www.gza.com We are Proactive by Design. We are One Company. We are GZA. Construction Geotechnical Environmental Ecological Water Management
Sustainability Management Program Solutions
SERVICES SPOTLIGHT
Sustainability Management Program Solutions
• Corporate Strategy Development and Program Implementation
• Reporting and Disclosure
• Benchmark Assessment
• Climate Change Management Services
• Energy Efficiency esource Standards
• Life Cycle Assessment
• Supply Chain Management GZA is proactive by design. GZA understands that balancing environmental protection, community interests and business economics are mainstream • Renewable Energy Project Engineering and Scientific Studies issues for our clients. Business, environmental, social and corporate governance • Renewable Portfolio Standards decisions are now being shaped, at least in part, by both philosophical and regulatory imperatives. A triple bottom line business perspective, which • LEED® Accredited Professionals Consulting on Sustainable Site Planning, Low Impact considers human and environmental impacts as well as more traditional Development and High Performance Green indicators of profit, is also gaining a ceptance as a competitive advantage. Buildings • Risk-Informed Decision Making Strategies for Resiliency and Climate Change GZA recognizes that sustainability is a long journey of incremental advances Adaptation with large scale acceptance and achievements yet to be realized. We are taking corporate responsibility for sustainability seriously. We know that achieving sustainability in our work place begins with a commitment to change, innovation and collaboration. We will integrate sustainable development ideas, practices and solutions into our services with our clients and our mutual stakeholders. GZA will deliver additional value to our clients through recycling and re-using contaminated property, reducing impacts to natural resources, correcting environmental problems and establishing energy efficient and clea energy facilities to make a better future. Choose GZA.
www.gza.com Proactive by Design Sustainability Management Solutions
GZA provides a comprehensive Sustainability Built Environment • Risk-Informed Decision Making range of sustainability services to Solutions strategies for resiliency and climate help organizations manage the change adaptation In addition to the sustainability economic, environmental, and • Stormwater management design, management program outlined above, social impacts associated with their landscape architecture and water GZA also offers services which reduce activities and supply chain. Reducing quality improvement the environmental footprint and air the contribution of the built environment emission contributions to global climate to climate change and reduce the - Rain gardens change, conserving economic and environmental impacts of building - Bioretention areas natural resources, and using clean and construction and operations to promote - Bioswales renewable energy sources are all aspects sustainability and improve your triple of an effective sustainability program. bottom line in the following areas: - Native plant buffer GZA strives to develop programs that - Hydrologic modeling improve your triple bottom line (people, • Audits of existing buildings for planet, profit) by taking opportunities to potential LEED certificatio - Construction monitoring • Clean energy plant siting studies, • reduce consumption of natural • Wetland delineation, preservation permitting, geo-civil design and and restoration resources; construction monitoring of: • Lake and pond restoration • improve energy efficiency - Offshore wind and inland • generate additional revenue wind farms • Endangered and threatened species assessment and protection streams; - Geothermal and ground • protect your company’s reputation source heat pump systems and brand equity; and - Landfill gas or waste-to • reduce environmental impacts energy facilities associated with building design, - Biofuel facilities construction and operation. - Next-generation nuclear GZA provides strategic consulting power support, allowing you to establish a - Dam, levee and hydro- comprehensive management program electric power addressing voluntary and regulated aspects of sustainability. We provide • Redevelopment and remediation specialty environmental and consulting of brownfields and former engineering services to help you achieve manufactured gas plants (MGPs) your sustainability initiative. • Integrated geotechnical and environmental explorations and underground construction to promote in-fill land d velopment
We are Proactive by Design. We are One Company. We are GZA. Appendix B - Relevant Project Descriptions
Technical Response for Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA Town of Stratford Project Highlights Community Coastal Resilience Plan • Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Stratford, CT
• Adaptation Options Analysis • Public Information Meetings and Charrettes • Sandy-Impacted Neighborhoods • Living Shoreline Plan • Public Infrastructure Plan • Implementation Plan and Process • Conceptual Designs
Washington Bridge over the Housatonic River connecting the Town of Stratford and City of Milford
GZA developed a Community Coastal Resilience Plan for the Town of Stratford. The Plan provides a road map for creating social, economic, and ecological resilience in relation to future sea level rise impacts, including anticipated increases in the frequency and severity of storm surge, coastal flooding, and erosion. GZA developed the plan in coordination with the South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) and the Greater Bridgeport Regional Council (GBRC) Regional Framework for Resiliency to limit redundancies, but more importantly to make the entire region more resilient by working with neighboring and nearby communities. GZA’s project team included The Cecil Group (waterfront, coastal and urban planners) and Jamie Caplan Consulting, LLC.
Community Coastal Resilience Plan Wastewater Treatment Facility – Town of The Project Scope included: Stratford 2014
✓ Review of Existing Programs, Plans and Capabilities ✓ Regional Framework for Coastal Resilience ✓ Data Collection (Assets/Vulnerabilities Inventory and Mapping) ✓ Vulnerability and Risk Assessment ✓ Review of Adaptation Options ✓ Selection of Sandy-Impacted Neighborhoods for Neighborhood Plans ✓ Preparation of Coastal Resilience Plan Document ✓ Implementation Plan and Process ✓ Conceptual Designs ✓ Public Outreach Short Beach
© 2015 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Town of Stratford
Community Coastal Resilience Plan Stratford, CT
Below: Town of Stratford Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Preliminary Assets Inventory
Vulnerability and Risk Assessment GZA performed a HAZUS-MH Level 2/3 Hazard Vulnerability Risk to identify asset impacts associated with multiple time horizons, sea level rise scenarios and flood risk levels (e.g., 100-year and 500-year recurrence interval floods). GZA conducted the assessment using site-specific flood hazard data developed by GZA’s computer storm surge and wave models. In addition to critical infrastructure and other key assets, the vulnerability assessment focused on low and moderate income neighborhoods to evaluate the impacts to these neighborhoods associated with climate change and to ensure that these neighborhoods are represented in Town planning. We used the results of the hazard assessment to: 1) identify key resiliency projects; 2) understand future costs and needs; and 3) support implementation of coastal resiliency measures.
Project Design The Town coastal resiliency projects range from structures to natural and nature-based (aka green infrastructure) features. Examples include barrier beaches, primary dune development and maintenance and tidal wetlands, all incorporating a “Living Shorelines” design approach. GZA’s team of coastal engineers and ecologists applied a comprehensive, holistic approach to project design. The project designs utilized design input developed in GZA’s site-specific storm surge and wave models.
Public Outreach Public outreach was conducted in close collaboration with the efforts of the Project Team, Town staff, and the general public. Outreach included a series of three public information meetings and charrettes, as well as updates to Town’s website and the StormSmart™ Coasts network. The public meetings and charrettes were facilitated, with presentations, to inform the public and receive feedback throughout the planning process. From these experiences we learned that it is vital the public outreach be community driven and led by community members from the start based on a well developed and tested community resilience outreach framework. This was particularly the case for Stratford, which identified numerous at-risk areas with an equal number of potential resilience and protection projects to pursue in the future. The outreach process was critical in obtaining public buy-in, and assisted in the prioritization of projects for conceptual design. © 2015 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 2 Engineering Services for Town Wide Drainage Evaluation, Comprehensive Stream Improvement Plan, and Downtown Resiliency and Recovery Plan Westport, CT
Project Highlights
• Vulnerability and Risk Assessment • Adaptation Options Analysis • Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling • Combined Effect Flooding • Stormwater Surface – Drainage Interaction • Sandy-Impacted Neighborhoods • Public Infrastructure Planning • Structure-specific vulnerability and flood mitigation / resiliency
Aerial view of Downtown Westport (photo reference: Westport Now)
In 2016, GZA was retained by the Town of Westport to Downtown relative to riverine and coastal flooding, conduct two separate studies for completion by including stormwater considerations. September 2017. The Town’s CDBG-DR grant amount This project involves evaluating the combined effects of for the two studies is $364,990. GZA is working with the coincident coastal, river and precipitation-related Town of Westport’s Department of Public Works and flooding. It includes creating an inventory and map (GIS) Planning and Zoning on this project. The Town has of the existing stormwater infrastructure; assessing experienced flooding due to the inability of the existing flood inundation pathways, including overland flow and stormwater infrastructure to manage local intense drainage infrastructure backflow. The evaluation will precipitation, resulting in localized areas of “flash” include floods associated with multiple risk levels (i.e., flooding. Local intense precipitation can occur 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500-year recurrence interval floods). coincident with coastal storm surge and/or river flood. GZA will establish the coastal flood stillwater elevations The purpose of the first study is to provide an analysis and route the coastal and river flooding, as well as the of the watersheds of 8 streams in Town, map the precipitation into the hydrodynamic model, FLO-2D. current flood lines for the 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500-year Coupled Flo-2D – SWMM model simulations will be return period, 24-hour duration storms, and performed to capture the interactive dynamics between recommend future improvements to the streams and surface water flows and the subsurface storm drain conveyances within Westport. The purpose of second system. study is to assess the vulnerability and resiliency of
© 2015 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Modeling Once the flood hazards are characterized, the vulnerability of structures (including Town infrastructure and essential and lifeline facilities) located within the floodplain will be evaluated. Based on the Town’s flood vulnerability assessment, there are approximately 3,000 properties located in Special Flood Hazard Areas, that include many of the commercial buildings located in Downtown area.
GZA is using a collaborative approach to working with the Town to address the current and future GZA uses 2-D hydrodynamic modeling for complex settings requiring impacts of sea level rise and extreme weather detailed info such as structure-specific velocities, flood depths, events in part associated with the changing climate. durations, etc. Our 2-D models are applied to coastal, riverine, and direct precipitation flooding. The models can be coupled to model GZA will identify opportunities to prevent combined flooding sources, such as river+storm surge; surge+wind- inundation flooding if possible, or to evacuate waves; storm drainage+surface water, etc. floodwaters quickly as flood waters recede. In addition, GZA will identify those areas where flood proofing is not feasible, mitigation measures such inundation cannot be prevented, and suggest means as elevating mechanical and electrical equipment, and methods to mitigate the effects of inundation sealing utility penetrations, or installing pump systems through resilient design, hardened infrastructure, flood for post-flood recovery. barricades, flood proofing of individual properties, or if
GZA’s GeoTool (c) is a GIS-based platform for visualization of project data and modeling results.
© 2017 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 2 Ford Motor Company Project Highlights Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management • Completion of corporate GHG North America emissions inventory for North American operations
• Preparation of 14 facility-level mandatory GHG reports submitted to USEPA, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and Environment Canada • Preparation of corporate-level voluntary GHG report to The Climate Registry • Additional assistance provided to support third party verification, training, planning, and database management.
Mandatory Reporting GZA has assisted Ford with its annual GHG reporting obligations since 2010. In 2017, GZA prepared mandatory GHG reports on behalf of 14 manufacturing facilities within Ford’s Vehicle Operations and Powertrain Operations divisions. Many of these reports were prepared and submitted to USEPA through the electronic Greenhouse Gas Reporting Tool (e-GGRT) while a few reports were also submitted pursuant to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s GHG Emissions Reporting Program. GZA supported completion of emission calculations, electronic reporting forms, training sessions, monitoring plans, database management and documentation reports. In the case of the MOECC report, GZA also supported third party verification activities.
Voluntary Reporting GZA has also supported Ford with preparation and submittal of its public corporate- wide annual GHG emissions inventory since 2010 to The Climate Registry (TCR). Through this effort, Ford has been recognized with the Climate Registered status for its environmental stewardship. This report encompasses a significant number of facilities, emission sources and data elements. In all, GZA estimates Scope 1, 2 and a portion of Scope 3 emissions annually from over 200 Ford facilities comprising manufacturing operations, research and testing facilities, offices and parts distribution centers. These facilities possess more than 500 emission sources ranging from stationary combustion, mobile combustion, refrigerants, and purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling activities. Approximately 50,000 data elements are reported annually through the Climate Registry Information System (CRIS) on behalf of Ford. Beyond calculations and reporting, GZA also assists Ford with desktop and on- site verification activities.
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Eaton Corporation Project Highlights CDP Supply Chain Support Services • Eaton demonstrates corporate Cleveland, Ohio leadership through participation in the CDP Supply Chain program • Since 2015, GZA has provided an assortment of technical services to assist Eaton and its suppliers throughout the reporting cycle • In 2017, Eaton achieved a high supplier response rate and above average disclosure and scoring results • Eaton’s suppliers improved across nearly all reporting categories and KPIs • Eaton achieved its project objectives and is better positioned to build upon its supply chain sustainability initiatives CDP’s Supply Chain Information Request GZA has successfully assisted Eaton Corporation (Eaton) with its participation in the CDP Supply Chain Program since 2015. Eaton is one of 100 companies that annually surveys select suppliers on their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and management practices to learn more about the associated risks and opportunities within their global supply chain.
GZA’s annual services have included the following: data solicitation and collection; strategic supplier engagement; supplier technical support and training; review and analysis of supplier responses; customized database development; supplier disclosure scoring; and, reporting on supplier opportunities and risks. GZA’s support has helped improve the responsiveness of Eaton’s suppliers while also providing technical assistance allowing those suppliers to improve the quality of their disclosure and performance. High disclosure rates allow member companies to better understand risks and opportunities from their supply chains and strategically address such risks and opportunities.
In 2017, 83% of the requested suppliers voluntarily responded to Eaton’s request which outperformed its corporate peers who achieved an average response rate of 50%. GZA strategically engaged with the majority of these suppliers throughout the reporting cycle helping Eaton achieve this result. GZA also evaluated the information reported by suppliers and determined that suppliers improved their disclosure and performance across nearly all categories and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Overall, with GZA’s support Eaton has demonstrated a leadership position within the CDP Supply Chain program based on the level of supplier responsiveness and quality of responses received on an annual basis.
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Town of Old Saybrook Project Highlights Community Coastal Resilience Study & • Risk Vulnerability and Risk Infrastructure Evaluation Assessment Stratford, CT • Inundation Mapping Using Innovative Geospatial Management Tools • Resiliency Adaptation Options Analysis • Public Involvement Process Meetings and Charrettes • Implementation Plan and Process • Sandy-Impacted Neighborhoods Land Use and Development Analysis • Neighborhood Conceptual Designs • Living Shoreline Plan Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse located in Old Saybrook, Connecticut • Physical and Infrastructure GZA is in the process of conducting a Community Coastal Resilience Study and Feasibility Study Infrastructure Evaluation for the Town of Old Saybrook, CT. GZA’s overall approach is to: 1) use “state-of-the-science” methodologies, including numerical models, for characterizing flood hazards and sea level rise; 2) calibrate our hazard analyses to those developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study (used for federal projects); 3) utilize HAZUS-MH for estimating losses; 4) present a blend of resiliency recommendations ranging from physical mitigation projects to change to Old Saybrook’s plans, policies and regulations; 5) take an integrated approach for physical mitigation projects including both structures and natural and nature-based features; and 6) use ARCGis for all information management, including our web-based GIS GZA GeoTool©.
Community Coastal Resilience Study and Infrastructure Evaluation The GZA team was selected to assist the Town with the following four tasks:
1. Community Coastal Resilience Study 2. Neighborhood Resiliency Concepts and Designs for Recovery and Adaption 3. Comprehensive Mitigation Items Feasibility Study Marshlands in Old Saybrook 4. Coastal Structure Evaluation
Geospatial Modeling and Vulnerability Assessment GZA recently completed the development of a baseline topographic model (Digital Elevation Model (DEM)) for the Town using the highest available resolution LIDAR elevation data. Additionally, GZA identified, inventoried and integrated existing critical facilities infrastructure, essential facilities into our web-based GIS GZA GeoTool©. Our team is in the process of using this unified geospatial platform to conduct the risk and vulnerability assessment throughout the Town of Old Saybrook for multiple flood risk scenarios. Old Saybrook Fire Department
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 River Road Retaining Wall/Floodwall Improvements Project Highlights
Northampton, MA • HMGP Grant Assistance • Retaining Wall/Floodwall Improvements Design • Wetland Characterization • Permitting • Construction Phase Engineering Support • Resident Engineer Services
New retaining wall with riprap scour protection installed at toe.
River Road is a local collector road which serves as the main travel corridor between the Village of Leeds and the adjacent Town of Williamsburg. Several decades ago, a stone masonry retaining wall/floodwall was constructed between River Road and the immediately adjacent Mill River. Located within the River Road footprint is the Williamsburg sanitary sewer interceptor, that servers approximately 1,200 residents and conveys an average of 126,000 gallons per day to the Northampton WWTP. Surficial flooding and inadequate drainage within the section of River Road supported by the wall resulted in deterioration of the wall and road, requiring extensive repair to prevent interruption of services and threat to human health and safety. GZA was retained by the City of Northampton’s Department of Public Works to assist with the preparation of grant application and documentation under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) administered by FEMA and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Following acceptance of the grant Retaining wall prior to start of work application, GZA performed detailed engineering evaluations, including site reconnaissance, wetland resource area characterization and delineation, subsurface investigations, hydraulic and hydrologic analyses, roadway layout and grading and structural design of a replacement cast-in-place concrete wall and construction phase engineering support and resident engineer services. Subsequently, GZA prepared detailed construction drawings and specifications and assisted the City in bidding and construction administration. In support of the design and construction, GZA performed extensive local, state and federal permitting, including Massachusetts’ Endangered Species Act (MESA); Notice of Intent – Wetland Protection Act 310 CMR 10.00 and Municipal Wetlands Ordinance – Northampton Conservation Commission; Section 106 Permit Notification Form (Massachusetts Historical Commission). Subsurface investigation Construction was performed over the winter of 2016/2017, with completion in May 2017.
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Roberts Meadow Brook Channel Project Highlights
Northampton, MA • HMGP Grant Assistance • Channel Improvements Design • Wetland Characterization • Permitting • Construction Phase Engineering Support • Resident Engineer Services
Restored channel in November 2017. Wetland restoration (plantings) to be completed Spring 2018.
In response to severe erosion along the banks of Roberts Meadow Brook, GZA was initially retained by the City of Northampton’s Department of Public Works to assist with the preparation of grant application and documentation under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) administered by FEMA and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). The original grant application was submitted in the fall of 2010, and included a schematic design and cost estimate for repairs and a detailed Benefit / Cost Analysis using FEMA’s BCA Tool. In July, 2014, the City was awarded a HMGP grant, allowing the project design to commence.
In addition to supporting the City’s HMGP application, GZA’s work on the project included site reconnaissance, wetland resource area characterization and delineation, subsurface investigation, hydraulic and general engineering design, preparation of construction drawings and specifications, permitting, bid support, construction phase engineering support and resident engineer services. C hannel bank erosion prior to restoration.
GZA prepared the following permit applications required for this reconstruction project: • Notice of Intent – Wetland Protection Act 310 CMR 10.00 and Municipal Wetlands Ordinance – Northampton Conservation Commission • Section 404 Permit – Category II (USACE) Permit • Section 106 Permit Notification Form (Massachusetts Historical Commission) • Section 401 Water Quality Certification (MADEP)
Construction was initiated in September 2017, with the extensive in-water work completed in November 2017. Final completion, including wetland restoration plantings is anticipated to be completed in Spring 2018. Installation of slope protection Thanks in large part to GZA’s design and collaboration with the City and their contractor to identify potential cost-saving measures during construction, the project is anticipated to be completed ahead of schedule and under budget. GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 US Army Corps of Engineers - Periodic Project Highlights
Inspections of Levee Systems throughout Inspection of 10 multiple flood control systems using USACE Levee Inspection System (LIS) including the New England following: Various Locations- New England • Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, Providence, RI • Mill River, Northampton, MA • Connecticut River, Northampton, MA • Town Brook, Quincy and Braintree, MA • Hayward Creek, Quincy/Braintree, MA • Muddy Brook Cemetery Dike, Ware, MA • Muddy Brook Water Plant Dike, Ware, MA • Ware River, Ware, MA • Neponset River, Canton, MA • Smelt Brook, Weymouth and Braintree, MA
In 2010, as a subcontractor to Watermark, Incorporated, GZA performed periodic inspections (PIs) of the following ten Flood Control Systems built by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and now operated and maintained by local Sponsors. The Systems often consisted of multiple segments and Sponsors, and were typically comprised of multiple components such as earth embankments, flood walls, culverts, tunnels, closure structures, and pumping stations. The purpose of the PIs is to collect and compile available System information from the USACE and the local Sponsor, evaluate proper operation and maintenance, evaluate operational adequacy and structural stability, review the original design criteria to identify changes relative to current design standards, document existing conditions, including observed deficiencies, identify features to monitor over time, and improve the ability to communicate the overall condition of the system. GZA’s scope of services included the following for this contract: 1. Development of a project plan. 2. Collected available documentation from Sponsors, USACE and other sources and prepared a Pre-Inspection Packet (PIP). 3. Performed field inspections using the LIS tool and in the presence of local Sponsors and USACE. 4. Prepared PI inspection Reports presenting the results of the inspection, including system ratings, an evaluation of design criteria, and overall conclusions and recommendations. 5. Performed Independent Technical Review (ITR) of the 11 other Systems inspected by Watermark. 6. Conducted PI out-briefs for each system with the USACE Levee Safety Officer and in some cases, the responsible local Sponsor.
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1
Long Wharf Flood Protection Study and Living Shoreline Design New Haven, CT
Project Highlights
• Review of Existing Plans • Vulnerability and Risk Assessment • Adaptation Options Analysis • Stakeholder Identification and Engagement • Public Information Meetings • Living Shoreline Design • Cost/Benefit Analysis • Feasibility Analysis of Flood Mitigation Strategies Conceptual design of proposed Flood protection and Living Shoreline along Long Wharf Drive in New • Conceptual Designs Haven, Connecticut. A resilient New Haven is critical to Connecticut. The Long Wharf area of New Haven is located within FEMA VE and AE flood hazard zones and experienced flooding and flood damage during Hurricanes Irene and Sandy. The area was also extensively impacted during the Hurricane of 1938. This area is of vital importance to the City of New Haven and the region… and highly vulnerable to coastal flooding. GZA was retained by the City of New Haven Plan Department to implement a flood protection study of the Long Wharf district. The district includes two distinct areas in their character and use: the waterfront shoreline and the commercial/industrial district. The purpose of the Long Wharf Flood Protection Study is to improve and facilitate the social, economic and ecological resilience of the Long Wharf district to the impacts of sea level rise (SLR), coastal flooding, and erosion. The Study included the planning and design of coastal flooding mitigation and shoreline protection measures for the area located northwest of the Long Wharf shoreline to Union Avenue. GZA directed an inter-disciplinary team to complete a detailed flood vulnerability analysis in the project area. Based on the results of the vulnerability analysis, the team identified flood control strategies relevant to the character of the neighborhoods/district areas to reduce business disruption impacts to the local economy from coastal flooding. Public benefits include the design of the preferred flood mitigation project alternative and a visionary plan for the City to improve social, economic, and ecological resilience to sea level rise, local intense precipitation, storm surge, and erosion. GZA’s project team includes Utile, Biohabitats and Cambridge Systematics. GZA’s project approach: • Used industry-accepted science for sea level rise and coastal flooding; • Performed statistical analysis on historical storm surge flood level data from relevant water level stations, such as those from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); • Used high resolution terrain data (post-Sandy);
© 2015 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1
• Used high resolution, hydrodynamic computer flood modeling to characterize coastal flooding and their effect on structures and natural features; • Created scenario-based flood maps to evaluate the vulnerability of the area to tides and storm surges; • Managed all information using ESRI ArcGIS geographic information system (GIS) software; • Used a “risk-based” approach, defining coastal flood hazards in terms of probability, consistent with methods currently being used by state and federal agencies; and • Identified resiliency strategies and alternatives that are consistent with City of New Haven’s current vision and plans for development. The GZA team created a permit level design of the proposed Long Wharf Flood and Shoreline Protection. The design includes an integrated approach to flood protection, shore protection and environmental and ecological benefits, including a seawall, a buried revetment, timber walkway, beach nourishment and wetland enhancement, tidal flats and oyster reef submerged breakwaters.
Conceptual design of proposed Flood protection and Living Shoreline along Long Wharf Drive in New Haven, Connecticut.
GZA numerical hydrodynamic modeling of New Haven’s Long Wharf area.
© 2015 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 2
Flood Vulnerability Assessment and Mitigation Project Highlights
U.S. Nuclear Power Plants $8M Flood Hazard Assessment and Various Locations Studies for 35% of the U.S. Nuclear Power Fleet Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coastal Regions Ongoing Projects State-of-the-Practice External Flood Evaluations
GZA Completed Flood Evaluations—Watersheds and Coastal Regional Areas
Due to the high consequence of radiological release, nuclear power plants represent the most critical infrastructure in the world. After the Japan Fukushima tsunami, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission required that all nuclear power plants re-evaluate their flood hazards. These flood studies represent the most significant flood hazard evaluations performed in the U.S. during the last decade. GZA’s Climate Change and Flood Hazard Mitigation team has performed, to date, $8M flood hazard assessment and mitigation studies for 35% of the U.S. nuclear power fleet, representing most of the major riverine watersheds in the U.S. and the Northeast (including New England), Mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal regions. Projects are on-going.
GZA has performed flood hazard assessments and mitigation studies for 35% of the Example of GZA Flood inundation simulation using the NOAA SLOSH Model U.S. nuclear power fleet. These studies included “State-of-the– Practice” meteorological analysis and hydrodynamic storm surge, river flood, wave and tsunami modeling of most of the major U.S. watersheds and the Gulf of Mexico, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. Flood Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment and Mitigation Design: Nuclear Power Plants GZA has completed “State-of-the Practice” external flood evaluations, using the most sophisticated modeling techniques currently available and performed in accordance with the highest level of quality assurance procedures used in the United States. Our work has been independently reviewed by world experts and audited by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Similar to all climate change and flood hazard studies, these Example of GZA ADCIRC model simulation of projects have involved: Hurricane Sandy Windfield Evaluation of the climate regime, sea level rise and meteorological storm parameters,
© 2015 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1
Flood Vulnerability Assessment and Mitigation U.S. Nuclear Power Plants
Various Locations
Flood level characterization and inundation Vulnerability Assessment modeling The results of the flood analyses are translated, using GIS Flood characteristics including flood duration, flow technology, to flood inundation maps. Site reconnaissance velocities, hydrodynamic, hydrostatic, impact loads “walkdowns” are performed to evaluate the vulnerability of the key structures, systems and components (SSCs) that are Vulnerability assessment important to safety. The effects of flooding (including Mitigation Strategy, including permanent and inundation, environmental and impact loads, etc., are temporary measures evaluated and inventoried. The total system vulnerability is assessed via: Mitigation Implementation Scenario-Basis Stakeholder Communication Margin Basis; or The Flood Hazards evaluated include: Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA). Local intense precipitation
River flooding
Storm Surge Waves
Seiches; and
Tsunamis. Hydrodynamic Flood Simulations
GZA engineers and scientists use sophisticated numerical computer models to simulate river flooding, storm surge and waves, tsunamis and seiches. The GZA models selected for these projects are consistent with those used by FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers such as the Advanced Circulation Model (ADCIRC) and SWAN surge and wave models and the coupled surge and wave model (ADCIRC+SWAN). For the computationally intensive
simulations, GZA utilizes the WorldWind Supercomputer in Example of GZA ADCIRC model simulation of Hurricane Sandy track and Louisiana, also utilized by FEMA. regional wind vectors For coastal flood analyses, we typically perform thousands of simulations representing a broad spectrum of storm parameters. Using the parametric results of our regional- specific meteorological studies, each of these simulations is assigned an event probability. The cumulative flood- frequency curve is developed by GZA using a variety of statistical tools and procedures including: Joint Probability Method (JPM and JPM-OS) and the Empirical Simulation Technique (EST).
© 2015 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 2 Chicopee Flood Control Works‐ Levees and Project Highlights Floodwalls Deficiency Correction Program Earth Embankment & Levee Design Chicopee, MA Evaluation of Earth Structures Subsurface Geotechnical Investigation Groundwater Hydraulics & Hydrology Structural, Mechanical, Electrical Civil Engineering Stability, Seepage & Stress Analysis
The City of Chicopee has over seven miles of earthen levees and floodwalls along the Connecticut and Chicopee Rivers protecting 1,100 acres of highly developed residential, commercial, and industrial zones. GZA has been engaged by the City of Chicopee to develop contract plans and specifications, secure permits, and perform construction monitoring of repairs to correct deficiencies identified by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The construction was focused primarily on the removal of extensive vegetation and root systems, animal burrows and resealing of concrete floodwall joints.
Following the vegetation removal work, the USACE also required a Comprehensive Inspection of the entire system, which GZA was commissioned to conduct for the City. The USACE standardized Flood Damage Reduction System Inspection Report Forms were utilized to guide this inspection. Each rated item was evaluated and deficiencies identified by location with photographic documentation and recommendations noted. Inspections were conducted over 25,000LF of earthen levees, 7,500LF of concrete floodwalls, eight pump stations, three stop log closure structures, and numerous gate controlled stormwater appurtenants. Also, several miles of toe drainage systems were video inspected to assess pipe conditions and sediment build‐up. Mechanical and electrical tests were conducted at each pump station to assess operational conditions. GZA is currently developing plans a construction program to address additional deficiencies identified in the Comprehensive Inspection. This work includes upgrades, modifications, and repairs to mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and building components in each of the eight pumping stations, significant reconstruction and repair of concrete flood walls, modifications to stop log closure structures, and closure gate repairs.
© 2015 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Electric Substation Flood Hardening Program Project Highlights Confidential Investor Owned Utility ‐ Programmatic Support Northeast U.S. Intensive Involvement with Community, Industry, and Regulatory Associations Flood Risk Analyses FEMA FIRM Letter of Map Amendments / Revisions Long‐Term Flood Mitigation Alternatives Analysis & Conceptual Design Short‐Term Flood Hardening Installations from planning through construction. Interim Measure Flood Hardening Readiness Storm Forecasting and Readiness and Response Support. Inland Flooding Before Flood Hardening Program
OVERVIEW As part of our nation’s critical infrastructure, our Client’s electric substation facilities are relied upon to be resilient against natural and man‐made hazards, including flooding, which constitutes the costliest natural hazard in terms of both lives lost and economic impact. In response to concerns of the impacts of climate change, and the impacts felt by several storms including Superstorm Sandy in 2012, our Client created a Flood Hardening Program with the objective of improving the flood resiliency of existing inland and coastal substations.
As a result, our Client’s resiliency to substation flooding has markedly improved by Long‐Term (Permanent) Flood Hardening reducing the potential for outages, and/or reducing restoration time. Short‐term and long‐term flood hardening measures have been constructed, beginning with substations having the greatest vulnerability and damage potential to flooding. Since initiation of the Flood Program, critical equipment and controls have been raised and/or replacement equipment has been readied; and/or flood barrier/pump/sealing systems have been constructed, or are under construction at thirteen (13) substations. The flood barrier/pump/sealing systems have employed various barrier types specific to the layout and needs of each substation. Evaluation, planning, permitting, and/or design continues on more than 20 more of our Client’s substations identified within the flood plain. APPROACH In order to address the urgency to initiate physical hardening, while allowing the time needed for the planning, design and construction process, three general approaches to flood hardening were taken: Short‐Term Barrier System Flood Hardening
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Congress Terrace and Main Street Culverts Project Highlights Improvement Project Hydrologic and Hydraulic Milford, MA Analysis Modeling Engineering Design Permitting Bid Documents Construction Phase Services FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant
Main Street culvert inlet transition to accommodate both Godfrey Brook and its tributary.
Mitigation Grant Support GZA prepared two successful FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) applications for the Town of Milford that resulted in grant awards for two separate culvert improvement projects from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and FEMA. The grant funds were combined to pay for a single construction project which incorporated both culverts.
Engineering, Design, Permitting and Construction GZA designed and permitted both culvert improvements at Congress Terrace and Main Street, as part of a 4,300± foot section of Godfrey Brook scheduled for complete rehabilitation. GZA had observed numerous segments of brook channel that have fully collapsed, and many of the road culverts are undersized, contain utility penetrations, and may be in a state of slow collapse. The culvert at Congress Terrace, which conveys Godfrey Brook under private property to Westbrook Street, had formed small sinkholes through the existing stone masonry. At Main Street, a heavily traveled roadway providing access to Milford Regional Medical Center, the culvert had been evaluated as being in poor structural condition. GZA addressed the perilous conditions of the Congress Terrace and Main Street crossings by adequately sizing the culverts and associated training walls in accordance with the Godfrey Brook Feasibility Study (GZA/BEC, 2007). Main Street culvert outlet and narrow layout between existing buildings.
GZA successfully secured permits from the Town of Milford Conservation Commission and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Harbor Brook Flood Control & Linear Park Project Project Highlights Environmental Impact Evaluation CEPA EIE Preparation Meriden, CT Hydrologic/Hydraulic Analysis Review Alternatives Analysis Cost/Benefit Analysis Property Impact Assessment Environmental Justice Analysis
The new Meriden Green with daylighted Harbor Brook and flood storage Photo credit ‐ www.meriden2020.com
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) selected GZA to prepare an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) for the proposed flood mitigation improvements along Harbor Brook in Meriden, CT. The Harbor Brook watershed is 12 square miles consisting of a high percentage of impervious surfaces. There are 27 roadway and rail crossings, many undersized, which contribute to flooding in the urbanized portion of the watershed, including the Downtown area. The goal of the project is to reduce the risk of flood hazards along Harbor Brook for the 100‐year Residential structures that may require demolition storm event while improving aquatic habitat and allowing for redevelopment of the Downtown area. The project area is approximately 4 miles in length extending from Baldwin Pond to Hanover Pond. The flood mitigation is focused on the Downtown area where the City plans to undertake a major urban revitalization effort that includes Transit Oriented Development (TOD) for the railroad station that will be upgraded as part of the proposed New Haven to Springfield Commuter Rail Project. Here, the portion of the Brook that is piped under the Downtown has been daylighted and a park created surrounded by TOD mixed uses.
Other improvements include bridge replacement, overflow culvert construction, March 2010 Flooding removal of existing walls, construction of a compound channel, channel bed excavation, enhancement of storage in selected areas of the watershed, and the creation of a linear park system. GZA evaluated several alternatives including the relative costs and benefits of designing for a different flood event. Each alternative was evaluated for physical, socioeconomic and natural resource impacts with emphasis on aquatic and riparian habitat impact/enhancement; properties and low/minority income populations. GZA’s evaluation included a peer review of the hydrologic and hydraulic model developed to predict the overall reduction in floodplain as a result of the flood mitigation improvements. Portion of already improved stream channel
© GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Massachusetts Airport Ecosystem Management Project Highlights 15 Municipal Airports • Vegetation Management Plans Massachusetts • Wildlife Habitat Management Plans
• Rare Species Management Plans, flora & fauna • Stormwater Management Design • Wetlands Impact Assessment and Mitigation Design • State & Federal Wetland and Rare Species Permitting • MEPA/NEPA documentation • Construction Monitoring & Environmental Permit Compliance • Technical Witness Testimony
View of butterfly and moth mitigation area from across the Turners Falls Airport runway. Runway reconstruction occurred in summer 2009. GZA currently provides environmental services at 15 Massachusetts Municipal Airports, addressing wetland, stormwater, water quality, rare species and vegetation management issues. GZA provides environmental permitting at these airports and has provided expert witness testimony in support of the airport projects, including runway extensions, new terminal facilities, stormwater management systems, and new hanger facilities. All airports have been able to maintain full activity despite environmental constraints. Rare Species Habitat Management and Current Massachusetts Airports Permitting Expertise at Airports Chatham Airport Grassland Birds (grasshopper sparrow, Mansfield Airport upland sandpiper, vesper sparrow, northern Habitat Management Plan for New Bedford Airport Marshfield Airport harrier) New Bedford Airport Amphibians (marbled & blue spotted Fitchburg Airport salamanders) Gardner Airport Reptiles (eastern box, Blandings, spotted, Harriman-West Airport wood turtle) Martha’s Vineyard Airport Moths & Butterflies (frosted elfin, New New Bedford Airport Jersey tea inchworm, sandplain euchlaena, Northampton Airport barrens buckmoth, & chain dot geometer) Orange Municipal Airport Plants (sandplain blue-eyed grass, sandplain Westfield Barnes Airport flax, & purple needlegrass) Westover Airport
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 1 Appendix C - Organizational Chart and Resumes
Technical Response for Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan City of Northampton, MA GZA Project Team Organizational Chart Sustainable Northampton Framework and Climate Resiliency & Regeneration Plan
City of Northampton
PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE CONSULTANT REVIEWER Daniel C. Stapleton, P.E. Matt Taylor, P.E.
PROJECT MANAGER Sam Bell1
CLIMATE ACTION & SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING TEAM
Thomas Klotz, GHG-IQ—Environmental Engineer, GHG Inventory and GHG Reduction Plan Valarie Ferro, AICP2—Community Outreach and Sustainability Planner Steve Lecco, AICP , CEP—Senior Environmental Planner Daniel J. Boudreau, GISP—GIS Technical & Online Dashboard and Graphics Lead Nathanial Russell. P.E.—Storm Water and Wetlands Permitting Lead Rosalie Starvish. P.E., C.F.M., CPSMS—Stormwater Resiliency Engineer Jennifer Burke, P.E.. LEED Green Associate— Water Resources Engineer Wayne Cobleigh, CPSM—Resiliency Financing Lead
1 Certified MVP Provider 2Goof Earth Advisors, LLC GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Daniel C. Stapleton, P.E. Senior Principal and Vice President
Summary of Experience Dan has professional degrees in geology, civil and geotechnical engineering and ocean engineering and is expert in the assessment of geohazards and their effect on the natural and built environment. Education He currently leads GZA’s Natural Hazard Mitigation and Resilience services and has been B.S., 1978, Geological Sciences responsible for hazard vulnerability assessments and mitigation planning and design for Lawrence University municipalities, critical infrastructure, institutions, industry and site development. He is at the B.S., 1982, Civil and Environmental forefront of the use of numerical hazard modeling, probability-based risk assessment, and Engineering innovation and geospatial technology. His resilience project experience includes: 1) power University of Rhode Island M.S., 1987, Ocean and Civil Engineering generation and transmission; 2) wastewater and water facilities; 3) real estate development; University of Rhode Island 4) municipal hazard mitigation and resilience plans; and 5) institutional facilities. As an expert in coastal resiliency, Dan has extensive experience in: 1) characterizing coastal Post-Graduate: hazards (wind, tides, storm surge and waves) under current and future climate conditions; 2) Graduate courses in Geosynthetics and Landfill Design, 1992, Geosynthetics integrating numerical modeling with the design of coastal structures and shoreline Research Laboratory - Drexel University protection; and 3) designing coastal protection systems that integrate natural and nature- Graduate course in Environmental Risk based systems with structures. Assessment, 1996, Northeastern University Mr. Stapleton is a regular speaker on Risk-Informed Decision Making for design and Registrations & Certificates assessment of critical infrastructure. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Registered Professional Engineer – Engineers (ASCE), the GeoInstitute of ASCE and ASCE COPRI. He is currently on the Nuclear multiple states Energy Institute (NEI) Post-Fukushima response advisory group and a member of the ASCE Civil Infrastructure and Lifelines Systems Committee – Natural Hazards group. Dan Areas of Specialization Stapleton is also Core Service lead for GZA’s Water Services. • Ocean and Coastal Engineering • Flood Hazard Assessment Dan has been responsible for engineering and design services for hundreds of multidisciplinary • Geotechnical Engineering projects, with design fees ranging from $50,000 to $8 million and project construction costs up • Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering to $1B. • Environmental Engineering Representative Projects Professional Affiliations & Coastal Resilience Plan, Town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Principal-in-Charge for the Presentations development of the Town of Old Saybrook Connecticut Community Coastal Resilience Plan. • ASCE Infrastructure Resilience This plan represents the state-of-the practice in resiliency planning and provides the Town Division-Civil Infrastructure and with a road map for creating social, economic and ecological resilience. The project included: Lifeline Systems National Committee, 1) numerical hydrodynamic modeling of tides, storm surge and waves (including the effects • Nuclear Energy Institute’s Fukushima of sea level rise); 2) vulnerability assessment of Town assets, natural resources, and essential Flooding Task Force and lifeline facilities; 3) consequence analyses to determine socioeconomic effects, including • Nationally-Recognized Speaker on financial and resources losses; 4) identification of resiliency strategies, actions and projects; Climate Change and Natural Hazard Risk Mitigation 5) ranking and prioritization of actions and projects; 6) benefit-cost analyses; 7) public Awards outreach; and 8) identification of future project funding opportunities. Loss estimation was • Tau Beta Pi (National Engineering performed using both GZA’s proprietary software and the FEMA HAZUS-MH software Honor Society) program. • Phi Kappa Phi (National Academic The project also utilized the GZA GeoTool©, GZA’s web-based, geospatial information Honor Society) manager. This service provides multi-user access to geospatial socioeconomic, physical and ecological information as well as flood hazard data via a secure, password-protected website. The project Integrated natural, nature-based and structural projects including shoreline protection and beach nourishment.
Daniel C. Stapleton, P.E.
Senior Principal and Senior Vice President
Westport Town Wide Drainage Evaluation, Comprehensive Flood Hazard Assessment and Mitigation Design, New Co- Stream Improvement Plan, and Downtown Resiliency and Generation Power Plants, Long Island, New York for NGRID. Recovery Plan, Westport, Connecticut. Principal-In-Charge. Principal-in-Charge for Flood Hazard Evaluations to support Project include: Riverine Hydrology and Hydraulics and development of the flood design basis for two, new $1B co- Saugatuck River Flood Evaluation. The overall study aims to generation power plants in Long Island, New York (Port study flood conditions on tidally influenced Saugatuck River Jefferson and E.F. Barrett Power Plants). The studies utilized and 8 of its tributaries. Study also identifies key municipal the results of GZA’s proprietary region-specific meteorological facilities that will be subject to coastal flooding and provides data and included numerical hydrodynamic modeling of storm recommendations for pre-storm preparation, storm surge and waves using the SLOSH, ADCIRC and Swan mitigation during events and post-storm recovery. Project numerical hydrodynamic storm surge and wave models. GZA utilized high resolution numerical modeling of run-off, river developed probability-based flood frequency curves were flow, and coastal storm surge. Models included Flo-2D, developed to define the flood hazard probability at each of the RiverFlo-2D and ADCIRC. Study also included survey of plant sites under the current climate as well as projected sea stormwater infrastructure and coupled modeling of level rise over the planned facility life. GZA performed a stormwater infrastructure using the Flo-2D and SWMM regulatory audit and high level benefit-cost analysis and models. worked with the project Owner to establish the appropriate risk Coastal Flood Protection Study, Long Wharf, City of New level (i.e., annual exceedance probability) for site design. Haven, Connecticut. Principal-In-Charge. GZA is the lead GZA’s hazard analysis was also used by the client’s insurer engineer and resiliency consultant for flood evaluation and relative to establishing flood private insurance requirements design of flood mitigation along the Long Wharf area of New and rates. Haven. Key highlights include: 1) use of web-based GIS (GZA GeoTool©) for the management, communication and access (over multiple devices) of project information; 2) high resolution numerical hydrodynamic modeling of tides, storm surge, tidal currents and waves to characterize coastal hazards representing multiple future time horizons, sea level rise scenarios and recurrence intervals; 3) loss estimation analysis; 4) identification and evaluation of flood mitigation alternatives; 5) Benefit-Cost analysis; and 6) conceptual flood mitigation design. GZA’s models (ADCIRC, SWAN) included all of the New Haven’s shoreline and coastal floodplain. Numerical model inputs were integrated with the USAC North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study (NACCS). Integration of natural, nature-based and structural projects including shoreline protection and beach nourishment. FEMA Flood RiskMap and Flood Insurance Study Independent Technical Review of FEMA FIS and FIRMs and Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), Town of Hingham, Massachusetts. Principal-in-Charge. On behalf of the Town of Hingham, GZA performed an independent technical review of FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) that became effective in 2012. GZA independently assessed the STARR Alliance FEMA Region 1 Contractor’s development of the Flood RiskMAP, including new Base Flood Elevations, dune/shoreline erosion, inland wave transmission, wave setup and run-up, transect selection and flood zone delineation. GZA performed independent calculations including a statistical analysis of local wind data, hydrodynamic modeling and re-calculation of wave heights 2 and run-up elevation. .
Matthew A. Taylor, P.E.
Associate Principal /Metro Boston Dam and Levee Safety Group Leader
Summary of Experience Mr. Taylor has over twenty years of engineering experience covering the following areas: dam and levee safety inspection and rehabilitation design, dam removal, subsurface investigations and instrumentation installations, foundation design, lateral earth support, controlled blasting, ground improvement techniques, settlement Education analyses, seepage and slope stability analyses, gravity stability analyses, liquefaction B.S., 1994, Civil Engineering, analyses, technical specifications and contract documents preparation, environmental University of Rhode Island permitting, and construction monitoring and documentation. Mr. Taylor is also an M.S., 2000, Civil Engineering approved FERC Independent Consultant. (Geotechnical) Northeastern University
Registrations & Certificates Relevant Project Experience Professional Engineer – 2001, Project Manager/Principal-In-Charge, Preliminary Design, Final Design, Massachusetts, #41669 Environmental and Historical Permitting for Removal of the Upper Robert’s Professional Engineer – 2001, Maine, #9901 Meadows Reservoir Dam, City of Northampton, Northampton, Massachusetts. Professional Engineer – 2002, Rhode Mr. Taylor reviewed the Phase II engineering alternatives, which included full breach, Island, #7599 partial breach, reduced spillway crest, and full rehabilitation. Conceptual level design Professional Engineer – 2008, Connecticut, sketches were included along with preliminary construction, engineering, and #26480 permitting cost estimates for each alternative Mr. Taylor oversaw a preliminary Professional Engineer – 2013, New Jersey, hydropower evaluation performed by GZA as part of the City’s alternatives evaluation #24GE05100000 for the dam. After extensive review, the City elected to move forward with the full Professional Engineer – 2016 – New York, breach alternative. Mr. Taylor managed the preliminary design and pre-permitting 9345921 phase of the project, which included the development of 25-percent design plans for
the removal of the dam. Mr. Taylor coordinated and presented the project at several Affiliations pre-application meetings with the Northampton Conservation Commission, • Geo-Institute of the Boston Society of Massachusetts DEP, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Massachusetts Civil Engineers Section, Past Chair Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). Mr. Taylor was the primary presenter of the project • American Society of Civil Engineers at three public meeting conducted on the City’s behalf. Mr. Taylor also served as the (ASCE), Member primary GZA contact person for the City’s interactions with a local public interest • Association of State Dam Safety group that as opposed to the project. Mr. Taylor managed the preparation of the Officials (ASDSO) Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) for the MEPA filing for the project. • United States Society on Dams (USSD) Final design and permitting activities began in 2013 and are currently underway. • Environmental Business Council Sediment management is the key element in the project, which includes an (EBC), Dam Management Committee, impoundment with approximately 27,000 cubic yards of interbedded sands and C0-Chair,Leadership Team Member organic matter. GZA performed sediment transport analyses using the computer • Society of American Military program HEC-RAS to model a staged dam removal along with various alternatives Engineers (SAME) with and without dredging. The sediment management alternatives ranged from hydraulic dredging with a dewatering sediment impoundment to an innovative Areas of Specialization sediment management approach where the sediment is sluiced downstream to the • Dam and Levee Safety Engineering Middle Roberts Meadow Reservoir. GZA, along with support from the project partner • Geotechnical Engineering MA-Dept. of Ecological Restoration (DER) have advanced the project through design • Subsurface Explorations and and permitting. Historical permitting required by the US Army Corps of Engineers Instrumentation Installations under the Section 106 have included research for National Register Eligibility, • Resident Engineering and Construction Phase Engineering Archeological Investigations and Assessments, preparation of Memorandum of Agreement between USACE, City and Massachusetts Historical Commission. Issuance Matthew A. Taylor, P.E. Associate Principal/Metro Boston Dam and Levee Safety Group Leader of the MOA and 404 permit are anticipated in the Project Manager, Updated Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), Spring/Summer of 2017. Construction is scheduled to begin in Six City-Owned Water Supply Dams, City of Northampton, Spring 2018. Massachusetts. Mr. Taylor managed the updating of the Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for the six of the City of Project Manager, Phase I Inspection of Dams, Six City- Northampton’s Water Supply Dams. All of the dams are all Owned Water Supply Dams, City of Northampton, high hazard structures. GZA had prepared the original EAPs Massachusetts. Mr. Taylor has performed Phase I Dam and inundation mapping for the dams in 2007. The updating Safety Inspections for the six of the City of Northampton’s included converting the EAPs to follow the suggest EAP Water Supply Dams in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016. The Format contained in the “Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety: dams included Francis Ryan Reservoir Dam in Whately, MA, Emergency Action Planning for Dam Owners “(FEMA 64). Mr. West Whately Reservoir Dam in Whately, MA, Mountain Taylor facilitated a kick off meeting with the City of Street Reservoir Dam, Upper Roberts Meadow Reservoir Northampton and the downstream communities, which Dam, Middle Roberts Meadow Reservoir Dam and Lower included Whately, Hatfield, and Williamsburg. Updated Roberts Meadow Reservoir Dam. Each dam is a high hazard emergency personnel contact information was obtained to structure that ranges in age from 38 to 125 years old. The update the notification flow charts. After the updated EAP’s dams consist of earthen embankments and concrete gravity were competed, Mr. Taylor facilitated an orientation meeting dams. Mr. Taylor performed the visual inspections and with the City and the downstream communities to review the oversaw the preparation of the Phase I Inspection Reports for notification procedures in the event of a dam safety the six dams. The visual inspections were conducted in emergency at each of the dams. GZA submitted the updated accordance with the Massachusetts’s dam safety regulations. EAP’s to the MA-DCR – Office of Dam Safety. Prepared Phase I Inspection reports, which included recommendations for repair, improvements or further studies Project Manager, FY11 Periodic Inspections for various for each dam. Flood Control Systems in New England. Managed GZA’s inspection of 10 Flood Control Systems for the US Army Corps Project Manager, Phase II Inspections/Evaluations, Six of Engineers through a task order assignment with City-Owned Water Supply Dams, City of Northampton, Watermark Environmental, Inc. In addition to serving as Massachusetts. For the City of Northampton, Mr. Taylor project manager, Mr. Taylor also served as either Inspection managed the execution of six, Phase II Evaluations of the Team Leader or Independent Technical Reviewer for GZA’s 10 City’s water supply dams (2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012). The Flood Control Systems. For those Systems where Mr. Taylor Phase II Evaluations included the following: topographic acted as Team Leader, he also developed and presented survey, wetlands delineations, test borings, borehole report outbriefs to the USACE and the System Owners permeability testing, piezometers installations, ROV and dive (Sponsors) and was primary the author of Pre-Inspection inspection of the low-level outlets, detailed hydraulic and Packet (PIP) Reports and Periodic Inspection Reports. The hydrologic analyses, and seepage analyses, slope stability scope of work included a detailed evaluation of the existing analyses, and gravity method stability analyses. Incremental information for each System on file with the USACE and the Damage Assessment/Inflow Design Flood methods were used System Sponsors, a comprehensive visual inspection of each where appropriate to determine if a less severe spillway System, an evaluation of the Design Criteria in comparison to design flood was appropriate for the structure. Alternative current USACE requirements, identification of Data Gaps and analyses were performed for each dam and a preferred Levee Safety Issues and Conclusion and Recommendations alternative was selected for dam to address the identified including an Overall System Rating. As part of the contract dam safety deficiencies at each dam. Phase II Engineering requirements, Mr. Taylor was also completed USACE’s 3-day Evaluation and Alternatives Analysis Reports were prepared training on the USACE’s Levee Inspection System (LIS) and submitted to the City. The estimated repairs to each dam computer software. The LIS system is a geospatial application ranges between $1M and $4M. Upper Roberts Meadow used by the USACE to create a GIS database of inspection Reservoir Dam was in Poor condition and was recommended points for each System. Each inspection point is located in the for removal. The other five dams will be rehabilitated as part field using a GPS equipped tablet PC computer, rated using of the City’s capital planning over the next ten to fifteen years. USACE standardized terminology and guidance.
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 2
Samuel J. Bell
Senior Hazard Mitigation Specialist
Summary of Experience Mr. Bell is a Senior Hazard Mitigation Specialist with GZA with 16 years of leadership and management experience covering natural hazard mitigation planning, hazard mitigation assistance, environmental planning and permitting, community education and outreach, and disaster resiliency research. He has extensive experience providing technical assistance to State agencies, communities and private on mitigation and Education disaster recovery and resiliency projects designed to protect critical facilities, public B. Environmental Design, 1998, Urban and and private infrastructure and residences in coastal and riverine environments. Regional Planning, University of Colorado- From 2007 to 2010 Mr. Bell served as a Hazard Mitigation Grant and Planning Team Lead Boulder for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Mr. Bell provided hazard M.A., 2006, Urban and Environmental mitigation assistance (HMA) and disaster recovery support throughout New England for Policy and Planning, Tufts University HMA programs and in response to federal disaster declarations. In Massachusetts, Mr. Bell worked with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Certifications Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to identify strategies and hazard MVP Certified mitigation solutions to protect residences, and commercial and critical facilities from incurring damages from future natural hazards. Areas of Specialization From 2011 to early 2014, Mr. Bell assisted FEMA in revising risk evaluation and • Natural Hazard Mitigation Planning program effectiveness tools that included the FEMA Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) Tool Version 5.0. To assist stakeholders in effectively using FEMA’s BCA Tool and HMA • FEMA Hazard Mitigation Programs grant programs, Mr. Bell provided trainings throughout the United States (U.S.) • Disaster Response and Recovery including trainings in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 2011 to early 2014. • Cost-Benefit Analysis Relevant Project Experience • Environmental Permitting and Project Manager, Community Coastal Resilience Study and Infrastructure Planning Evaluation – Old Saybrook, Connecticut. (2016-17) GZA is assisting the Town of Old • Resiliency and Climate Adaptation Saybrook in conducting a Community Coastal Resiliency Study and Infrastructure • Urban Revitalization Evaluation using ArcGIS for all information management, including our web-based GIS. • Community Education and Outreach Project Manager, Downtown Resiliency/Recovery Plan, Town-wide Drainage Evaluation and Stream Improvement Plan – Westport, Connecticut. (2016-17) See Project Summary. Publications and Presentations Project Manager, Community Coastal Resilience Plan – Stratford, Connecticut. Bell, S.J., Pysh, E., Kooris, D., Harrigan, E., (2015-16, completed) See Project Summary. French, R. O’Donnell, J., Caplan, J., Hyde, B. “Extreme Weather and Climate Change Project Manager, Local Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan – Somerset, Massachusetts. Updates: Resiliency, Adaptation and (2016-17) GZA is assisting the Town of Somerset in developing a new multi-hazard Mitigation.” EBC Connecticut Chapter mitigation plan in conformance with FEMA’s 44 CFR Part 201.6 for MEMA review. Program. 2015. Senior Planner, Local Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan – Milford, Massachusetts. Bell, S.J. and Boudreau, DJ. “Mapping the (201617) GZA is assisting the Town of Milford in updating their multi-hazard Vulnerability of Critical Infrastructure and Facilities.” Proceedings of the ASCE COPRI mitigation plan in conformance with FEMA’s 44 CFR Part 201.6 for MEMA review. 2015 National Conference, Boston. Project Manager, Flood Vulnerability Assessment and Emergency Response Plan, Boston (Downtown), Massachusetts. (2017) GZA is in the process of developing a flood vulnerability study and flood emergency response plan to mobilize needed resources to protect and mitigate flood vulnerabilities at a major commercial office building in Downtown Boston. Samuel J. Bell Senior Hazard Mitigation Specialist
Project Manager, Flood Vulnerability Assessment and Prior Experience Emergency Response Plan, Boston (Seaport District), Massachusetts. (2017) GZA is in the process of developing a Flood Mitigation and HMA Program Manager, FEMA Region 1 – Boston, Massachusetts. (2007-2010) Mr. Bell flood vulnerability study and flood emergency response plan to provided technical assistance (TA) in New England and mobilize needed resources to protect and mitigate flood vulnerabilities at a major commercial office building in in the directly to MEMA and DCR for making communities more Seaport District of Boston. disaster resilient through HMA and NFIP programs. He conducted these efforts through community education and Senior Hazard Mitigation Specialist, Long Wharf Flood outreach and State risk reduction priorities in collaboration Protection – New Haven, Connecticut. (2016-17) GZA is with local governments and regional planning commissions. assisting the City of New Haven in conducting a flood This TA included guidance on meeting application protection study in the Long Wharf district. See Project requirements including BCA, Environmental Planning and Summary. Historic Preservation (EHP), mitigation planning and other Project Manager, Flood Vulnerability Assessment and financial requirements. Emergency Response Plan, Bedford, Massachusetts. (2017) Emergency Services Section Chief, FEMA Hazard Response GZA is in the process of completing a plan to mobilize needed Coordination – Boston, Massachusetts. (2008-2010) Mr. Bell resources to protect and mitigate 3 interconnected structures coordinated supporting Federal Agencies for FEMA in based on a detailed flood vulnerability study. response to natural hazard events including flooding, Project Manager, Flood Vulnerability Assessment and nor’easters and potential hurricane events. In this role Mr. Bell Emergency Response Plan, Wellesley, Massachusetts. worked with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and (2014) GZA developed a plan to mobilize needed resources to the United States Coast Guard (USCG), under the direction of protect and mitigate 8 structures based on a detailed flood New England States, to reduce the potential for impacts to vulnerability study. hazardous waste sites located adjacent to riverine and coastal waterways. Senior Hazard Mitigation Specialist, Flood Emergency Response Plan – Brooklyn, New York. (2014) GZA assessed Mitigation Section Chief, FEMA Disaster Recovery Support, the vulnerability of residential/commercial retail facilities and Boston, Massachusetts. (2008-2010) Mr. Bell led teams of developed a flood risk notification and evacuation plan for hazard mitigation planners, grants managers and NFIP tenants. specialists at multiple Joint Field Offices (JFO) in providing federal disaster recovery assistance to States throughout the Senior Hazard Mitigation Specialist, Flood Emergency Northeast. Mr. Bell assisted states and communities in Response Plan – Brooklyn, New York. (2014) GZA assessed developing mitigation strategies designed to reduce the the residential and commercial retail facilities and identified impacts from future natural hazards that best meet the needs the site’s potential for future flooding. GZA developed a of each agency and community. tenant flood risk notification for distribution to tenants that provides information on the potential for utility disruption Senior Instructor, FEMA Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) and that could result from a flood or serious coastal storm. Unified Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Class Instruction. (2011-2014) Under numerous Hazard Mitigation Project Manager, FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Technical Assistance Program (HMTAP) task orders, Mr. Bell (HMGP) Technical Assistance – Cotuit, Massachusetts. delivered trainings to FEMA staff, State, tribal and local (2015) GZA assisted Cotuit Village in Barnstable, MA in the mitigation officials on best practices for developing and development of a successful HMGP application for emergency managing HMA mitigation planning and project grants. Many back-up generator to maintain power supply operations of the of these trainings addressed the process needed to develop largest water pumping station during coastal flooding and effective State and local hazard mitigation strategies winter storm hazard events. designed to reduce the risk of natural hazard impacts to critical facilities and infrastructure located in areas at risk to future hazards.
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Thomas C. Klotz, GHG-IQ
Associate Principal
Summary of Experience Mr. Klotz is an Environmental Engineer with nearly 20 years of experience providing environmental compliance services and air quality consulting. Experience also includes work as a design and project engineer for a major Midwest energy supplier. Areas of competence include: management of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental sustainability aspects, including corporate-wide assessments, reporting, policy evaluation, strategy development and risk/reduction opportunities. Areas of specialty also include air quality management for application of federal, state and local environmental regulations related to air pollution control, including Clean Air Act (CAA) New Source Review (NSR) and Title V emission inventories, permit applications, permit related demonstrations (i.e., MACT, BACT, LAER, PSD), air toxics control cost analyses, and air pollution dispersion modeling. Regulatory compliance experience includes SARA Title III reporting (including section 312 Tier II and section Education 313 Form R reports), regulatory compliance audits, and environmental assessments. B.S., 1999, Civil Engineering (Concentration: Environmental Engineering), Purdue University Relevant Project Experience Managed a key environmental sustainability program for a Fortune 50 company. Goal Affiliations was to assist the client with implementation of a common global process to drive • Air & Waste Management Association environmental sustainability improvements across nearly 70 manufacturing facilities. • Automotive Industry Action Group The program focused on reductions in waste generation, water consumption, air • Industrial Minerals Association emissions and energy use (including GHG emissions). Several facilities have achieved • Michigan Manufacturers Association Zero Waste to Landfill status with help from the program. Areas of Specialization Assisted multiple global corporations with supply chain engagement activities • Air Quality Management including the collection of environmental sustainability data (GHG emissions and • Climate Change Management water management data) through the CDP Supply Chain program. Program scope • Environmental Analysis included management of reporting activities from nearly 2,000 suppliers over the • Environmental Compliance 2010-2017 timeframe. For one client, an add-on program was developed and • Regulatory Compliance implemented to facilitate environmental impact reductions to the air, land and water • Sustainability Advisory Services from suppliers through the implementation of new projects. Completed mandatory and voluntary GHG emissions reports for multiple clients since 2001. Mandatory reports have been submitted to various state/provincial, regional and federal programs in North America, including over 100 reports prepared under the USEPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) since 2010. On a voluntary basis, assistance has included preparation of external reports using leading reporting frameworks (e.g., GRI, CDP, DJSI, etc.) allowing clients to maximize their scores and ratings under these programs. For one client, prepared and submitted reports annually to The Climate Registry which entailed GHG emissions accounting and reporting for hundreds of its facilities located throughout North America. Provided strategic environmental sustainability consulting support through benchmarking, planning, target setting, and tracking for multiple companies. Benchmarking services included gap analyses of current sustainability programs while considering actions of key competitors and sustainability leaders. Strategic planning has involved an environmental footprint analysis of key features (i.e., energy, carbon, water, waste, materials, biodiversity, etc. occasionally using Life Cycle Assessment results), materiality assessments and identification of risks and opportunities. Utilized these results to set targets for select key performance indicators (KPIs) through Thomas C. Klotz Associate Principal scenario planning and alignment with business plans and Provided on-site air quality management services to the objectives. Systems for tracking KPIs were also developed corporate environmental department of a major U.S. that helped clients achieve their targets and objectives. automobile manufacturer. Responsible for maintaining continuous compliance with corporate-wide air quality Completed a corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions permits (NSR and Title V) for over 30 independent facilities inventory protocol which provided formal guidance and located throughout the United States. instructions to assist the North American facilities and subsidiaries of an international manufacturer with completion Completed and assisted with the preparation of multiple of annual emissions inventories. As a supplement to the construction/installation air permit applications for various protocol, a GHG data management system which provides new and/or modified sources of air emissions. Application tools to assist the company’s entities with estimating and elements included criteria pollutant emission calculations, managing GHG emissions consistently across the company material usage estimates, air toxics evaluations and was prepared. regulatory analyses. Project examples include surface coating of plastic and metal parts, auto and light duty truck surface Prepared a corporate-wide GHG emissions inventory for a coating, machining of metal parts, engine testing operations, major automobile manufacturer. The inventory was portland cement manufacturing, and industrial sand developed to assist the company with estimating, managing, processing and mining. These projects involved frequent and reporting GHG emissions. Aspects of the inventory interface with USEPA and state regulatory agencies. included defining the reporting entity, establishing boundaries, collecting activity data, quantifying emissions Prepared SARA Title III Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reports based on various methodologies, and auditing inventory for the years 1996-2016 for several major automotive results. During this process, cost effective reduction manufacturing facilities. Successful completion included data opportunities were identified. An evaluation of potential acquisition, release calculations, and preparation and emission credit trading opportunities under various regional, submittal of Form R and Form A chemical reports to the national and global programs was conducted, as well as USEPA. Documentation reports were also prepared for each internal assessments for participation in various GHG facility. programs (mandatory, voluntary, or cap-and-trade Participated in comprehensive, internal environmental programs). compliance audits for facilities in the automobile Provided assistance to a leading trade association and its manufacturing and industrial sand and mining industries to members on U.S. policies related to climate change. The evaluate potential non-compliance issues, identify possible trade association was advised on the impacts of GHG policy environmental hazards, and provide recommendations. on its members. Comments and position papers were Assisted with preparation of air quality reports for a variety of prepared for review of state, national and international GHG states respective to emissions from process operations at policy and reporting programs. This involved coordination of numerous facilities, including Portland cement input from multiple member companies as well as interaction manufacturing, ethanol production, automobile with the EPA, DOE and other stakeholders. manufacturing, surface coating, and industrial sand Prepared a study of North American climate change initiatives production. for a major international manufacturer. The study evaluated Aided various US and Canadian manufacturing facilities in various reporting alternatives including registries, trading maintaining compliance with respect to air quality regulations schemes, certification programs, reporting guidance, and at the local and federal levels. voluntary programs. An evaluation of the cost, burden, resources, benefits, political implications, and participation was conducted for each initiative. The study also included a benchmark of other leading companies in the industry and their participation in various GHG initiatives. Advised the client of the best available reporting alternatives which support its climate change strategy. © 2015 GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 2
Valarie Ferro, AICP Principal
Ms. Ferro is a certified planner possessing 30 years of experience in municipal planning, revitalization planning, urban design, economic development, brownfields redevelopment, compatible development, permitting and community outreach. Her experience ranges from regenerative and restorative strategies for socially and economically distressed areas to improvements that create or enhance a sense of place.
She has applied knowledge of urban design principles, compatible growth strategies, Complete Streets and sustainable development practices. Virtually all of her work has been center-stage in open forums, working respectfully and collaboratively with affected citizens, property owners, and elected officials. Having launched over 200 community outreach programs, she is experienced at proactively Qualifications Summary articulating project goals and potential issues simultaneous with providing an opportunity for participants to share insights and Nearly 30 years of municipal and concerns. private development experience throughout New England with. Beyond her technical experience, Ms. Ferro is known for her keen particular focus on urban design, sense of strategic direction. Sorting through competing issues and redevelopment and revitalization. multiple sources of information and opinions, she has an innate sense
of what needs to get done and in what order—often casting aside a Development advising includes due diligence, feasibility single disciplinary perspective and creating a unique framework for studies and master planning achievement. with an emphasis on low impact, compatible development. Relevant Experience
Extensive experience with Clean Energy Action Plan – City of Hartford, CT: Working with the community engagement, Clean Energy Task Force comprised of residents and City staff, media and public relations. assisted with finalizing an initial guidance document to set forth objectives for meeting the City’s clean energy and greenhouse gas Regulatory compliance emission reduction goals by 2020. Key recommendations included experience includes numerous federal/state/local permits hiring an energy/sustainability coordinator, expanding municipal solar for public and private projects. facilities, and completing the Parkville microgrid.
Sustainability/Green Infrastructure Opportunity Due Diligence – Credentials Nationwide: Part of a corporate team charged with identifying Certified Planner (AICP) investment opportunities in sustainable development. Project Member, CT Chapter-APA selection criteria included transit, brownfields, alternative energy, and Chair, CCAPA Awards Committee green roofs. Within a five-year period, examined over 50 sites. Member, Urban Land Institute
SustainableCT Planning Working Group – Rocky Hill, CT: Invited Education to participate in a state-wide initiative to identify actions that towns can Master of Science take to advance sustainability. The objective of this group was to Environmental Science/ define actions municipalities could take to create or enhance planning Impact Assessment Concentration that balances human development and resource use with wide- SUNY College of ESF ranging factors, including livability, economic development, Syracuse, New York biodiversity, natural systems, zoning regulations, resilience, climate
adaptation planning. Bachelor of Arts Pre-Medicine/ New England Small Farm Institute – Belchertown, MA: While Environmental Studies working under a Letter of Intent to redevelop Belchertown State Mercyhurst University Erie, Pennsylvania School, explored opportunities with the adjacent NESFI property to define new revenue sources. Concepts developed included branding and incubating biochar, site analyses for a solar array that would work
PO Box 159 Avon, Connecticut |www.goodearthadvisors.com Valarie Ferro, AICP (continued) in harmony with the Farm’s agricultural uses, and constructing a conference center to accommodate weekend retreats in sustainable gardening and green energy.
LEED Certified Office Building – Concord, NH: Participated in a private consulting firm’s first successful design-build effort of a new LEED – Gold building to house its New Hampshire operations. Assisted with initial site concepts, green roof design, stormwater handling, and selection of green interior materials and oversaw preparation of native landscaping plan. Established a “Green Team” to identify employee needs and assist with the understanding of the building’s sustainable features. Also created copy and developed graphics for a lobby “green screen”.
37 MW Woody Biomass Facility – North Springfield, VT: Provided technical advising as part of an interdisciplinary joint-venture to locate a wood-only biomass plant within an existing industrial park through the state’s Certificate of Public Good process. Participation included development of a sustainable forestry plan; development of community outreach materials, website development and press releases; and response to multiple agency review comments.
Transit-oriented Development Planning – Multiple sites, CT: Served as the Lead Planner responsible for developing strategies for attracting compatible development (particularly first-floor retail), improving pedestrian connectivity, and applying complete Streets principles around rail/bus transit nodes.
Farmington Center Gateway/Parsons’ Redevelopment – Farmington, CT: As a member of an interdisciplinary team, worked on behalf of the Gateway Committee to identify market-supportable reuse concepts for the vacant Parson’s Chevrolet property anchoring the visually-prominent eastern gateway to historic Farmington Center. The concepts fit the character of Farmington Center rather than maximized what the market could support. Complete streets and universal design principles were also employed. The town’s existing design standards within its village district zone regulations were reorganized and substantially expanded to guide future development at the Parson’s site as well as Farmington Center.
Water Quality Assessment – Syracuse, NY: Under a U.S. Forest Service grant, studied the responses of three hydrologically distinct water bodies to direct precipitation and overland flow Results demonstrated the link between water quality and land uses.
Water Quality Management – Cortland County, NY: Provided staff support to the Water Quality Management Agency to protect local aquifers providing nearly 99% of the county’s water supply. Participated in an assessment of nitrate and chloride contamination using a computer model developed by Cornell University. Identified areas susceptible to erosion and flooding.
Outreach/Visioning
Downtown Revitalization Planning Charrette – Derby, CT Parson’s Visual Preference Survey – Farmington, CT Torrington BAR Redevelopment Planning – Torrington, CT Berlin TOD Plan – Berlin, CT Chidsey Brook Trail – Avon, CT Route 3 Corridor Study – Rocky Hill, CT Downtown Revitalization Plan – Bristol, CT U. S. EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant – East Hampton, CT Route 66/ East High Street Improvements Master Plan and Design – East Hampton, CT Economic Revitalization Planning and Town Center Concepts – Berlin, CT South End Neighborhood Improvement Plan – Bridgeport, CT Wilson Corridor Public Improvements – Windsor, CT East Side/East End Strategic Plan – Bridgeport, CT West River Crossing Strategic Neighborhood Plan – West Haven, CT Whalley Avenue Revitalization – West Haven, CT Broad Street Neighborhood Improvement Plan – New Britain, CT East Main Street/Route 1 Neighborhood Plan – Stamford, CT Plan of Conservation & Development: Radio Appearance and Business Forums – Putnam, CT Plan of Conservation and Development – Southington, CT Plan of Conservation and Development – South Windsor, CT Plan of Conservation and Development – Tolland, CT Plan of Conservation and Development – Woodbury, CT
Stephen L. Lecco, A.I.C.P, C.E.P.
Senior Environmental Planner
Summary of Experience Mr. Lecco is a Senior Environmental Planner with 30 years of experience in planning, permitting and environmental analysis for waterfront, airport, highway, utility, site development, recreation, natural resource management, energy facility and site remediation projects. His role in these projects has been in project management, agency coordination, public participation, report writing, technical analysis and mapping. He has been involved in numerous large scale planning efforts throughout the Northeastern United States, Illinois, California and the Caribbean. His broad knowledge of many technical elements allows him to successfully manage large-scale Education interdisciplinary and complex projects that are required to comply with NEPA, Section M.S. Environmental Science, University of New Haven 404/401 Clean Water Act, Coastal Zone Management, National Historic Preservation B.A. Geography/Urban & Regional Act, Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Act and other federal, state and Planning, Central Connecticut State local laws, regulations and policies. University (cum Laude) Relevant Project Experience Registrations & Certificates Project Manager, Charles River Dredging, Brighton, Massachusetts. Managed Certified Planner, American Institute of feasibility study, design and permitting for removal of 7,500 cy of accumulated Certified Planners Certified Environmental Professional, sediment along the southern shoreline of the river for the MA Department of National Association of Environmental Conservation and Recreation. Project includes bathymetry survey, sediment Professionals sampling, disposal alternatives analysis, permitting and dredge design. Transportation Worker Identity Project Manager, Consue Springs Dredging and Stormwater Improvements, Certification (TWIC) OSHA 10-HR Safety Training Nantucket, Massachusetts. Mr. Lecco is managing this project which involves the dredging of Goose Pond, a tidally influenced pond in the Consue Springs section of Affiliations Nantucket. The project involves restoration of full tidal flow to the pond via changes • National Association of to the existing culvert that connects the pond to The Creek. Stormwater Environmental Professionals improvements along the perimeter of the pond are also being evaluated and designed. • American Planning Project Manager, Woods Hole Ferry Terminal Reconstruction, Falmouth, Association/American Institute of Certified Planners Massachusetts. For the Steamship Authority, prepared local, state and federal permit • Visiting Lecture – University of New applications for reconstruction of a 3-slip ferry terminal in Woods Hole. Work includes Haven Environmental Reports & new piers, platforms, bulkheads, transfer bridges, terminal building and parking lot Impact Assessment Class reconfiguration. Interfaced with CZM, Conservation Commission, DEP, USACE and NMFS during permitting process to develop BMPs and mitigation measures. Areas of Specialization Project Manager, Milford Pond Aquatic Habitat Restoration, Milford, • Environmental Impact Evaluation Massachusetts. Assisted in the preparation of an EIR that addressed impacts of • Federal/State/Local Permitting • Wetland Assessment restoring (dredging) Milford Pond for recreational and ecological benefit. Project • Trail Assessment & Planning involves the dredging of 250,000 cy of sediment from the middle/lower pond and • Sediment Assessment hydraulically pumping sediments to a 30-acre containment area to be constructed and • Land Use Planning managed as Atlantic White Cedar swamp and cattail marsh habitat. Prepared MA DEP and Town of Milford permit applications in close coordination with the project sponsor, the USACE. Coordination with MA Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program regarding potential project impacts and benefits.
Project Scientist, Bass Creek Restoration Project, Marshfield, Massachusetts. Developed a 5-year post-construction monitoring program involving the removal of phragmites and accumulated sediments within a 4,600 segment of Bass Creek, a Stephen L. Lecco, A.I.C.P., C.E.P. Senior Environmental Planner tributary to Green Harbor in Marshfield, MA. The project was Project Manager, Residential Subdivision, Longmeadow, designed to improve tidal flow to the creek to improve Massachusetts. Managed design and permitting for anadromous fish habitat and reduce inland flooding. controversial 4-lot subdivision in Longmeadow, MA. Preliminary results indicate a significant increase in tidal Critical issues included Riverfront, wetland, stormwater and exchange throughout the project area. Results will be neighborhood impacts. Assisted developer in successfully coordinated with MA CZM monitoring efforts downstream. challenging the Planning and Zoning Commission’s initial denial ruling. Project Manager, Marshfield Airport Master Plan EA/EIR,
Marshfield, Massachusetts. Managed the natural resource section of the document that addressed impacts to rare Project Manager, DCR Trail System Condition Assessment species (eastern box turtle), wetlands, water quality and and Restoration Plan, Massachusetts. Managed project coastal zone consistency associated with the Airport Master involving the analysis of trail condition assessment data Plan Update that included runway extensions and new Part contained within an ArcView geodatabase for all DCR 77/TERPS surfaces. Managed the development of an updated property within the Commonwealth, 150± properties. Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) that was customized to Developed trail restoration plans for Pittsfield State Forest, minimize impacts to eastern box turtle habitat and wetlands. Wendell State Forest and the Holyoke Range that included a strategic plan for implementing repairs based on a variety of Harbor Brook Flood Control and Linear Trail Project EIE, factors including: damage severity, cost and trail usage. Meriden, Connecticut. Managed Environmental Impact Recommended alternative permitting approaches to DCR for Evaluation (EIE) for proposed flood improvement master plan securing permits at the State and local level. Recommended along 4 miles of stream that cuts through the City’s Central rerouting of trail segments based upon trail damage and the Business District under contract to the Connecticut availability of suitable soils, topography and rare/endangered Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). species habitat presence. Project involves a host of flood mitigation activities including: upstream detention, creation of floodplain shelves, stream profile modifications, daylighting of culverts, property acquisitions and floodproofing. Evaluated several other alternatives including an alternate design event, upstream and underground detention and mass property acquisitions and floodproofing. The project also involved a third party review of hydrologic & hydraulic analyses performed by others. Project Plan, Bacon Street and Intervale Road MBTA Rail Crossings, Wellesley and Weston, MA. Prepared Categorical Exclusion documentation for proposed rail bridge replacements along the Framingham Line. Project Manager, Seaside State Park Master Plan EIE, Waterford, Connecticut. Managed CEPA document for proposed redevelopment of new State park. Evaluated several alternatives including reuse of existing National Register structures for lodging with a public/private partnership. Key issues included historic resources, traffic, economic feasibility, coastal erosion and flooding and state- protected species. Significant public input was provided during the CEPA process.
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Daniel J. Boudreau, Jr., GISP Geospatial Systems Lead and Manager
Summary of Experience Mr. Boudreau has extensive experience in all aspects of geospatial technology. As a certified GIS Professional, he brings over thirty years of combined CAD and GIS experience in data management, data development/conversion, spatial analysis, cartographic design and production as well as field data collection for asset management, water resources and environmental assessment. As a member GZA’s Education Enterprise IT Group Mr. Boudreau serves as the Geospatial Systems Lead and heads B.S., 2000, Geographic Information the Geospatial Information Management and Solutions Team overseeing the Systems and Cartography deployment of GZA’s ArcGIS Server and Portal, management of the central data Salem State University repository and development/deployment of GIS web and mobile applications. He co- Summa cum Laude developed the GZA GeoTool web mapping platform, which is central to GZA’s Natural
Hazards Mitigation and Resilience practice.
Registrations & Certificates GISCI Certified Geographic Information In 2016 Dan provided advisory services to the Geographic Information Certification Systems Professional (GISP), 2004, 2015 Institute Advisory Panel for GISCI GISP testing requirements. The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization, established in 2004, to Areas of Specialization manage and operate the premier professional certification program for the GIS • Geographic Information Systems Profession and to promote ethical conduct among GISPs. (GIS) • ESRI ArcGIS Enterprise Stack • Database Development Relevant Project Experience • Web and Mobile Applications GIS Lead, Natural Hazard Mitigation and Resiliency, Long Wharf Flood Protection, • Spatial Analysis New Haven, Connecticut. Geospatial data management for mapping coastal flooding • CAD/GIS Integration vulnerability along Long Wharf area of New Haven Harbor and analyze a conceptual • Cartographic Design and Production design for living Shoreline Park adjacent to Route 95. Included development of project • 3D modeling and Data Visualization databases for use in GZA GeoTool web mapping application and custom reporting
templates. Professional Affiliations • NEURISA, Board Member - 2017 GIS Lead, Community Coastal Resilience Study and Infrastructure Evaluaiton, Old • Gamma Theta Upsilon (International Saybrook, Connecticut. Geospatial data management and GeoTool application for Geographical Honor Society) assisting the Town in planning for the social, economic and ecological resilience of the • Urban & Regional information Town to the impacts of sea-level-rise and to anticipated increases in the frequency and Systems Association (URISA) severity of storm surge, coastal flooding and erosion. • Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) GIS Lead, GZA Natural Hazard Mitigation and Resiliency, Town-wide Drainage • American Society for Evaluation, Comprehensive Stream Improvement Plan, and Downtown Resiliency Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing and Recovery Plan, Town of Westport, Connecticut. Geospatial data management (ASPRS) and GeoTool application to support a Riverine Hydrology and Hydraulics and ASCE Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Saugatuck River Flood Evaluation. The overall study aims to study flood conditions on Rivers Institute (COPRI tidally influenced Saugatuck River and 8 of its tributaries GIS Lead, Natural Hazard Mitigation and Resiliency, Osprey Beach Stormwater Outfall Littoral Drift/Sediment Transport Analysis, New London, Connecticut. Conducted shoreline change analysis for evaluating the effects of the proposed outfall construction of Osprey Beach to the transport of non-cohesive sediments along the foreshore and shore face due to the action of breaking waves and the longshore and cross shore currents. D aniel J. Boudreau, Jr., GISP Geospatial Systems Lead and Manager
GIS Lead, Development of a Community Resiliency Plan– GIS Lead, Condition and Safety Assessment Fort Warren, Stratford, Connecticut. Geospatial data management for a Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park, Georges Community Coastal Resilience Plan in order to assist the Island, Boston Harbor Massachusetts. GZA Town in evaluating the social, economic, and ecological GeoEnvironmental, Inc., (GZA), was engaged by the resilience of its critical assets and vulnerabilities in relation to Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation future sea level rise impacts along with anticipated increases (DCR) to conduct a Condition and Safety Assessment of in the frequency and severity of storm surge, coastal flooding, portions of Fort Warren and related Site features present on and erosion. The results of this analysis are being used to Georges Island. The assessment included the main body of identify potential mitigation projects to significantly reduce the civil war era fort and the majority of the site features of those impacts and the risk associated with them. The the island. Assets/Vulnerabilities Inventory and resulting storm surge and Mr. Boudreau provided geospatial support and information wave models are stored and managed in a SQL Server management by developing the project geodatabase and Geodatabase for integration with FEMA’s HAZUS-MH in overseeing the field data collection effort conducted by GZA order to conduct a Level 2/3 analysis to assist the Town in the and sub consultant staff. Using mobile GIS on IOS devices, ranking of facility importance based the potential economic GZA documented observations in the field and stored the damages (or consequences) and impact to the community if information in an enterprise geodatabase. A project web an asset was to fail. Additionally all geospatial data developed mapping application was employed to efficiently manage and for this project along with relevant data from FEMA, NOAA, review the observations as well as collaborate with the DCR. USGS and others is accessible via GZA’s Coastal Engineering He developed a reporting tool to produce a number of GeoTool GIS Web Application and mobile GIS for analysis and Appendices documenting the inventory of over 1,000 discrete identifying potential mitigation project opportunities from assets and observations. The database will also be utilized as the office and in the field. an asset management tool in the future as a way to document
GIS Lead, Review of Existing FEMA Flood Insurance Rate changes in conditions, repairs, or operational/seasonal needs. Maps/Study, and Preparation Letter of Map Revision
(LOMR) for Various Municipalities- Town of Hingham, Massachusetts . In 2013, the Town of Hingham, MA retained GZA to provide a technical review of the current FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). The primary goals of the project were to determine if the existing FIRM accurately reflect the 100-year flood conditions within the Town and whether or not the 2012 FEMA coastal and inland flood mapping and study analyses were completed in accordance with FEMA study guidelines and mapping requirements. GZA also evaluated whether more refined storm surge modeling and analyses could reduce the predicted base flood elevation. GZA’s initial review of the 2012 coastal study analyses and flood zone delineations revealed discrepancies in the wave input data and flood zone delineations. GZA developed new wind, water level and wave data for the performance of new coastal analyses and remapping the coastal areas of the Town. The coastal analyses and revised FIRMS were completed in ArcGIS by Mr. Boudreau to support the submission of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) to FEMA for the modification the 2012 FIRMs.
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Nathaniel L. Russell, P.E. Senior Project Manager/Civil & Geotechnical Engineer
Summary of Experience Mr. Russell is a Senior Project Manager and geotechnical engineer at GZA. His experience includes Geotechnical Engineering and Design, Site Investigations, Landfill Design and Permitting, Stormwater / ESCP Design and Permitting, Wetland Permitting, Environmental Remediation / Brownfields Redevelopment, Alternative Energy Site Development, Project Management, Construction Management / Education Construction Quality Assurance, and Litigation Support. B.S., 2003, Civil Engineering, Lehigh University Relevant Project Experience M.S., 2006, Geotechnical Engineering, University of California Civil & Geotechnical Engineer, Woods Hole Ferry Terminal Reconstruction, Falmouth, Massachusetts. GZA is providing extensive engineering support to the Registrations & Certificates Steamship Authority for the +$100-million reconstruction of Woods Hole Ferry 2008, Professional Engineer, Terminal and relocation of their administrative offices to an off-site location. Mr. Massachusetts, #47719 Russell is managing GZA’s civil engineering services for design and permitting of the 2014, Professional Engineer, phased reconstruction of the Ferry Terminal, including replacement of all three slips, Connecticut, #PEN.0030556 the terminal building, a new storage building, new MassDEP compliant stormwater 2016, Professional Engineer, management system, new utility services (water, electric, communications and Vermont, 018.0117996 sanitary sewer) and associated infrastructure improvements. 2016, Professional Engineer, New York, #096236 Mr. Russell is providing ongoing civil and geotechnical engineering design services, as Nuclear Density Gauge Certified well as construction oversight. 49 CFR 172 (H) OSHA 40-Hour Trained Geotechnical Engineer, Integrated Design Building, University of Massachusetts, OSHA 10-Hour Trained Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts. Mr. Russell provided geotechnical services OSHA 8-Hour Supervisor Trained during construction of the Integrated Design Building on the University of MA Solid Waste Facility Third Party Massachusetts’ flag-ship campus. Mr. Russell reviewed submittals and requests for Inspector TIPX263211 information, met with the owner’s representative and their testing agency to review subsurface conditions encountered during construction of the building foundation and Affiliations provided technical guidance during construction. • Member, American Society of Civil Geotechnical Engineer, Taconic High School, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Mr. Russell Engineers (ASCE/G-I) provided geotechnical services during design and construction of the City of • Association of Dam Safety Officials • Boston Society of Civil Engineers Pittsfield’s new technical high school. Mr. Russell reviewed submittals and requests for information, met with the owner’s representative and their testing agency to review Areas of Specialization subsurface conditions encountered during construction of the building foundation and provided technical guidance during construction. Mr. Russell oversaw GZA’s field • Geotechnical Engineering • Civil Engineering services during construction, including managing on-site staff and providing on-call • Subsurface Investigations support to junior engineers. • Solid Waste Management Civil & Geotechnical Engineer, TPC River Highlands Golf Course and Clubhouse • Construction Monitoring Redevelopment, Cromwell, Connecticut. Mr. Russell leads GZA’s project team • Construction Management providing engineering and permitting support to the PGA TOUR’s redevelopment of • Stormwater Management the TPC River Highlands Golf Course, a PGA Tour Championship level golf course. The • Environmental Permitting phased project is being undertaken by the PGA to enhance the aesthetics and
playability of the golf course, repair and replace aging infrastructure that had reached the end of its service life, and reconstruct the existing clubhouse building. GZA’s services have included civil and geotechnical engineering, wetland, environmental and stormwater permitting and representation at public meetings.
Nathaniel L. Russell, P.E. Senior Project Manager/Geotechnical Engineer
GZA worked with the PGA to design and permit the course new retaining walls and placement of fill over the riverside redevelopment portion of the project on an accelerated slope of a levee that is an integral part of the City of timeline allowing the PGA to meet their required construction Springfield’s flood control system. As part of the project GZA schedule. obtained Section 408 approval from the USACE.
GZA successfully permitted the project with USACE, CT Senior Geotechnical Engineer, Way Finders (formerly HAP DEEP, and the Town of Cromwell (IWWA and Planning and Housing) LIVE 155, Northampton, Massachusetts. Mr. Zoning) and is providing stormwater compliance services as Russell led the supplemental geotechnical investigation and required under the CT Construction General permit. provided foundation design recommendations for the 4-story Geotechnical Engineer/Project Manager, 3rd Party Drilled mixed use affordable housing development in downtown Shaft Inspection, Hadley Falls Fish Passage, Holyoke Northampton. Mr. Russell also provided construction phase Massachusetts. Mr. Russell managed 3rd party inspection services, including review of contractor submittals and during installation of five 48-inch diameter drilled shafts with response to Requests for Information 10-foot deep, 42-inch diameter rock sockets installed to support a new intake structure trash rack at the Hadley Falls Senior Geotechnical & Civil Engineer, Delabarre Avenue Power Station as part of enhancements to a fish passage Roadway Stabilization, Conway, Massachusetts. Mr. serving migratory endangered fish species. GZA was retained Russell is leading the engineering design for the stabilization by the General Contractor to perform the 3rd party inspections of an approximately 500-foot-long section of Delabarre and provide guidance during construction. Avenue that was impacted by sever erosion following heavy rain fall events in subsequent years. As part of the project Mr. Geotechnical Engineer, Bridge No. 02866 Emergency Russell assisted the Town in submission of a FEMA HMGP Replacement, Coventry/Mansfield, Connecticut. Mr. Russell grant application to request funding assistance. GZA’s led the subsurface investigation and geotechnical evaluation services on this project included wetland delineation and for foundation of a replacement bridge over the Willimantic permitting, subsurface investigation, geotechnical River. The replacement bridge was designed with integral engineering, roadway design, stormwater management abutments supported on piles. Design was complicated by system design and preparation of construction-level shallow bedrock conditions on the eastern side of the river documents. and significant amounts of cobbles and boulders on the western side. Senior Geotechnical & Civil Engineer, Roberts Meadow Geotechnical Engineer, MASS MoCA Phase III, North Brook Channel Rehabilitation, Northampton, Adams, Massachusetts. Mr. Russell led the subsurface Massachusetts. Mr. Russell led the subsurface investigation investigation and geotechnical evaluation for the (geotechnical borings) and assisted in the engineering design redevelopment of an historic mill building (Building No. 6) to for the repair of sever erosion and long-term stabilization of expand exhibition space at the Massachusetts Museum of the banks of Roberts Meadow Brook. Mr. Russell led GZA’s Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA). GZA’s work on the project construction oversight for the project. included review of historic data, coordination and oversight of the subsurface investigation, including one test boring and Geotechnical & Civil Engineer, River Road Retaining Wall, test pit excavation, geotechnical and corrosivity testing and Northampton, Massachusetts. Mr. Russell led engineering development of engineering recommendations for design for the replacement of an approximately 900-foot-long foundation support. By utilizing data from historic subsurface retaining wall that supports River Road and a sanitary sewer investigations by the USACE, significant time and cost savings force main serving an adjacent town, including subsurface were achieved during the field-work portion of the project. investigations, hydraulic and hydrologic analyses, roadway layout and grading and structural design of a replacement Geotechnical Engineer, North Riverfront Park, Springfield, cast-in-place concrete wall. Mr. Russell led GZA’s Massachusetts. Mr. Russell led the geotechnical evaluation construction oversight for the project. of a proposed ramp on the levee system sideslope for access to an existing bike path and design of site retaining walls and building foundations. The project involves construction of
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 2 Jennifer R. Mackey Burke, P.E., CPSWQ®,
LEED Green Associate
Water Resources Engineer
Summary of Experience Ms. Burke serves as a GZA Project Manager and Water Resources Engineer in the office in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her projects include development and implementation of water quality sampling programs, hydrologic/hydraulic modeling of steady and non-steady flow applications, development of environmental planning documents (MEPA, CEPA, NEPA), stormwater related permitting and program support, watershed studies, dam engineering inspections, engineering analyses, construction phase services, and on-site construction monitoring activities. Relevant Project Experience DAMS/FLOOD CONTROL AND MITIGATION Education B.S., Civil Engineering, Lafayette College Project Engineer, Milford Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, Milford, M.S., Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts. Ms. Burke supported this project to develop an update to the Town’s University of Massachusetts- Amherst Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan that included an updated assessment of hazard risk and risk mitigation strategies. The completed plan will be consistent with the Federal Registrations & Certificates Emergency Management Agency’s 44 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 201.6 2007, Professional Engineer, Connecticut, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ mitigation priorities. Ms. Burke provide # PEN.0025483 graphical and mapping support and assisted with plan development. 2010, Professional Engineer, Massachusetts, #48584 Project Engineer, FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Applications, 2011, LEED® Green Associate, #10677898 Multiple Projects, Springfield, Massachusetts. Prepared multiple PDM Grant 2013, Certified Professional in Stormwater Applications for projects within the City of Springfield, provided information used for Quality (CPSWQ® ), #0939 Benefit-Cost Analysis. Projects included culvert improvement projects, a dam improvement project, and a slope stability related project. Affiliations Project Manager, Flood Contingency Plans for Multiple Substation Sites for • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Boston Society of Civil National Grid, Various Towns, Massachusetts. Prepared Flood Contingency Plans Engineers (BSCES) Western MA for temporary flood mitigation controls at three substations in MA. Solutions included Branch construction of temporary flood barriers which could be installed immediately, with • New England Water Environment mobilized controls for pumps, generators, and access route closures. Prepared Association (NEWEA) and Water concept plan and narrative reports for NGRID. Environment Federation (WEF), NEWEA Stormwater Committee Project Manager, Flood Hardening Studies for Multiple Substation Sites for • Massachusetts Airport Management National Grid, Various Towns, Massachusetts. Conducted field review of three Association (MAMA) substations in Massachusetts and reviewed historical and current plans and FEMA • Transportation Research Board (TRB) flood mapping and hazard zones. Coordinated with NGRID to understand existing and AV030 Water Resources future site constraints and needs for capital improvement projects. Prepared flood Subcommittee hardening concepts to protect substations to an elevation of the base flood (100 yr) plus 2 ft. Prepared solutions matrices, cost estimates, and narrative report to assist Areas of Specialization NGRID with determinations for most feasible options for future flood hardening • Environmental Permitting efforts. Coordinated with team of GZA and NGRID professionals to arrive at options • Stormwater Services for temporary flood control options and estimated costs. • Water Resources Services • Hydrologic/Hydraulic Modeling Engineer, Chicopee Flood Control Works Comprehensive Inspection, Chicopee, • Flood Mitigation Massachusetts. Conducted field inspections and review of Chicopee Flood Control Works components. Inspections included review of levees, TV camera inspection of ® Jennifer R. Mackey Burke, P.E., CPSWQ , LEED Green Associate Water Resources Engineer toe drains, stormwater systems, and penetrations, review of layouts, prepared drainage sections for STC permit and historic plans, and documentation of existing conditions. managed and prepared Stormwater Master Plan for Prepared Condition Summary Report to present information University and CT DPW use in obtaining Flood Management to City. Certification for Master Planning activities. Worked as part of a multi-disciplinary team to identify existing issues at the MODELING campuses and outline potential impacts of proposed future Project Manager, Western Connecticut State University Master Plan development. Stormwater Master Plan required Stormwater Master Plan and STC Permit, Danbury, compiling historic drainage plans, conducting field review to Connecticut. Prepared drainage sections for STC permit and observe system, and preparing hydrologic watershed level managed and prepared Stormwater Master Plan for modeling for two campuses, looking at past, present, and University and CT DPW use in obtaining Flood Management proposed future conditions to present need for detention and Certification for Master Planning activities. Stormwater stormwater treatment as part of future development. Master Plan required compiling historic drainage plans, conducting field review to observe system, and preparing SITE CIVIL ENGINEERING/STORMWATER RELATED hydrologic watershed level modeling for two campuses, SERVICES/WATER QUALITY STUDIES looking at past, present, and proposed future conditions to Project Manager, Emmett O’Brien (EOB) Technical High present need for detention and stormwater treatment as part School Drainage Study, Ansonia, Connecticut. Conducted of future development. study to review potential causes of erosion downstream of Engineer, MA DCR Dam Emergency Action Plans, Various stormwater outfall from EOB School. Project included field Towns, Massachusetts. Using HEC-GEORAS, HEC-RAS, and review; review of deeds and easements, stormwater system HEC-HMS, developed models to represent dam breach plans, current and historical complaints; interviews with City scenarios for multiple dams with other engineers on the staff and residents; and watershed documentation. Next Team. Prepared Emergency Action Reports with the Project phase of project included development of conceptual Team. solutions to address existing erosion and prevent future damage. Engineer, Mill Pond Floodway/Floodplain Modeling, New Canaan, Massachusetts. Prepared Floodway modeling to Project Manager, Dickinson Street and Tiffany Street comply with CT DEP requirements, based on historical FEMA Washout Investigations, Springfield, Massachusetts. models and data, as well as project site specific information. Conducted field investigation of two roadway stream crossing Project received approval from CT DEP. sites to determine cause of flooding and washouts in the area. Project included hydrologic and hydraulic drainage system Engineer, Town of Wellesley Stormwater Master Plan modeling, camera investigation of drainage system pipes and Update, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Developed a Town-wide structures, review of historical plans, and recommendations stormwater model, using XP-SWMM software. This work report for City of Springfield including options for remediation included field observation of over 15 miles of stream corridor and preliminary cost estimates. Project highlights included and associated stormwater features, water quality sampling identification of sewer system cross connection/leak into and data analysis, and stormwater modeling. This project stormwater system, identification in the field of two failed generated a town-wide model for system capacity and water outfalls which were resulting in system overtopping, and quality impacts analysis. Based on the model results and field identification of undersized drainage systems. observations, recommendations for system improvements were made. Recent Presentations ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT 2017. “Keeping the Lights On: Energy Facility Flood Mitigation and PREPARATION/PERMITTING/GRANTS Resilience Takeaways for Protecting Critical Assets and Infrastructure.” Presented at NEWEA Specialty Conference – Project Manager, Western Connecticut State University Creating Resilient Infrastructure & Watersheds: Strategies for Master Plan EIE, Stormwater Master Plan, and STC Permit, Planning, Implementation, and Funding, Lowell, MA, July 12, 2017. Danbury, Connecticut. Assisted in EIE development, conducted field review of stormwater system and campus
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Page | 2 Rosalie T. Starvish, M.S., P.E., CFM, CPMSM
Water Resources Engineer
Summary of Experience Ms. Starvish serves as a Project Manager for GZA. She is responsible for planning, coordination and operation of various projects for which she is assigned to manage, as well as providing technical support to projects both under her management and under the supervision of others. Ms. Starvish specializes in surface water resources, particularly in hydrologic, hydraulic and water quality assessment. She has a thorough background in the development of monitoring and modeling programs for the evaluation of environmental systems. Her experience includes field assessment of surface waterbodies for physical and chemical characteristics, as well as modeling the hydrology and hydraulics of these waterbodies. Ms. Starvish has been involved in projects related to stormwater and watershed management and design, lake and pond dredging, flood control, flood impact and water quality analysis, dam Education maintenance and planning, and environmental impact assessments and permitting. B.S., 1999, Hydrogeology, Rensselaer Ms. Starvish serves as the State Representative (CT & MA), as well as CPMSM Polytechnic Institute Program Committee Member for the Certified Professional in Municipal Stormwater M.S., 2002, Environmental Engineering, Management (CPMSM) program for EnviroCert, International, Inc. Prior to joining University of Massachusetts- Amherst GZA, Ms. Starvish was involved in research at the University of Massachusetts relative Registrations & Certificates to deicing agent contamination of stormwater at two highway department sites in eastern Massachusetts. This project involved development and execution of field and 2007, Professional Engineer, Massachusetts, #46718 laboratory experiments, monthly sampling and laboratory analysis of groundwater 2007, Professional Engineer, Connecticut, and surface water samples from over 200 wells, remote downloading of flow and #25860 water quality data from continuously logged stormwater outfalls, and mathematical 2012, Certified Professional in Municipal modeling with optimization programming. The project also included coordination Stormwater Management, #0192 with State DOT personnel and a team of engineers and scientists. 2016, ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager, #US-16-08930 Relevant Project Experience
Affiliations Project Manager, Milford Multi Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, Milford, • American Society of Civil Engineers Massachusetts. Ms. Starvish managed this project to develop an update to the (ASCE) and Connecticut Society of Town’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan that included an updated assessment of hazard Civil Engineers Section (CSCE) risk and risk mitigation strategies. The completed plan will be consistent with the • Water Environment Federation (WEF) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 44 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part and New England Water Environment 201.6 and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ mitigation priorities. She also Association (NEWEA) Stormwater coordinated public outreach and education that communicated the Town’s Committee vulnerability to hazards and developed a consensus among key stakeholders identified • EnviroCert International, Inc. CPMSM by the Town for the mitigation strategies that can be incorporated into short-term and • Association of State Floodplain long-term Town planning. To ensure that the strategies were appropriate to the Managers Town’s needs and in keeping with the Town’s long-term vision and vitality, Areas of Specialization information was shared with, and obtained input from local officials and the public which was a key element of the project. • Stormwater Management Design • Stormwater Compliance & Permitting Project Engineer, 500-Year Flood Evaluation, Chicopee, Massachusetts. Ms. • Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling Starvish prepared engineering analyses to evaluate the impacts of the extreme 500- • Flood Control and Protection year flood event on the four separate levee and floodwall systems that comprise the • Surface Water Resources City of Chicopee flood control works. She evaluated the impacts of 500-year flood velocities, as well as potential wind and wave action, on the embankments. In Rosalie Starvish, M.S., P.E., CFM, CPMSM Water Resources Engineer addition, she modeled the potential interior flooding observed along the banks included erosion scars due to elevation at each pumping station using coincident frequency drainage outfalls, exposed tree roots, and leaning trees methodology. threatening severe bank collapses. The alternatives evaluated included soil bioengineering techniques and structural Project Manager, Stormwater Regulations Update, practices. Strategies for permitting were also discussed in the Lebanon, New Hampshire. The City of Lebanon contracted final evaluation report. with GZA to provide a review and update of the City’s regulations to improve management of stormwater and Project Manager, Water Resources Adaptive Management promote Low Impact Development (LID) practices. Ms. Plan, Northampton, Massachusetts. Ms. Starvish reviewed Starvish coordinated with the City and the project team to the necessary background information and prepared a plan evaluate existing conditions, review existing planning for Smith College to use as a guidance document for documents and site plan, zoning, and subdivision regulations, maintaining water resource areas on campus, including the and prioritize the City’s concerns regarding flood Mill River, Paradise Pond, and Lyman Pond. The Water management, water quality and development impacts on Resources Adaptive Management Plan (WRAMP) outlined the stormwater runoff. need for, procedures, and necessary permits to conduct various maintenance activities in and around the water Project Engineer, Thatcher Brook Watershed Management resources, including vegetation management, sediment Plan, Biddeford, Maine. Ms. Starvish identified potential management, streambank stabilization, dam and dike locations in the Thatcher Brook watershed for the placement maintenance, and other activities. of retrofit stormwater management measures to address treatment of stormwater runoff for nutrients, sediments, and Project Engineer, Upper Roberts Meadow Reservoir Dam other associated stormwater pollutants. She prepared Breach and Ecological Restoration Project, Northampton, preliminary concept plans and cost estimates for the retrofit Massachusetts. Ms. Starvish prepared the construction stormwater measures, which included bioretention systems, administrative and technical specifications to accompany the proprietary units, and tree box filters. bid documents for the above-referenced project, which involved the removal of a portion of the Upper Roberts Project Engineer, Paradise Pond Dam Emergency Action Meadow Reservoir Dam to return the reservoir to its historical Plan (EAP), Northampton, Massachusetts. Ms. Starvish condition as a brook. Ms. Starvish also prepared the prepared the EAP for Paradise Pond Dam, owned and construction phase Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan operated by Smith College, to comply with Commonwealth of (SWPPP) for the project. Massachusetts dam safety regulations. She performed the associated hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to develop Project Engineer, River Road Retaining Wall, inundation maps, using the Army Corps’ of Engineers’ HEC- Northampton, Massachusetts. Mr. Starvish provided the HMS and HEC-RAS programs. She also prepared the hydrologic and hydraulic analysis in support of design and inundation maps using GIS tools with ArcView. She permitting for the replacement of an approximately 900 foot- coordinated with the client and the City of Northampton to long retaining wall that supports River Road and a sanitary incorporate appropriate emergency contact flowcharts and sewer force main serving an adjacent town. procedures. The EAP was accepted by College and City public Project Engineer, DelaBarre Avenue Erosion, Conway, safety officials, as well as Mass DCR and MEMA. Ms. Starvish Massachusetts. Ms. Starvish was part of the GZA team that was called upon five years after the completion of the EAP to identified and corrected erosion areas that were the result of prepare an update to the EAP in accordance with dam safety up-gradient road drainage (culverts) becoming clogged with regulations. The update involved revising the EAP document debris. The blockage caused stormwater runoff to flow over to more closely align with the “FEMA 64” format. the road and down the embankment in an uncontrolled Project Engineer, Mill River Bank Stabilization Evaluation, manner, resulting in erosion and scouring of the slope. She Northampton, Massachusetts. Ms. Starvish prepared a also assisted the Town in the preparation of a Hazard feasibility study evaluating the existing conditions of Mitigation grant application for funding assistance for the degraded and impaired stream banks of the Mill River through repairs to the roadway and embankment of Delabarre the Smith College campus in Northampton, Massachusetts, Avenue. as well as potential restoration techniques. Problems
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Wayne W. Cobleigh, CPSM
Associate Principal- Resilience Finance Consultant
Summary of Experience Mr. Cobleigh has provided consulting services on environmental issues since 1982 and he has been GZA’s corporate representative to the USGBC since 2008. He has actively participated in the Connecticut Green Building Council and is in his second term as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors. He presented at several workshops and seminar courses on topics including: financing resilience, risk assessment, and redevelopment Education of environmentally impacted properties and brownfields. In 2013, he initiated a voluntary effort with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental B.A., Biology and Environmental Science, Protection and several other government stakeholders from Connecticut and New Colby College York City involved with property & casualty insurance, property assessed finance of M.B.A. Marketing University of Phoenix clean energy and long-term disaster recovery and rebuilding to evaluate methods for Online financing flood loss reduction measures of existing structures to improve resiliency and Certified Professional Services Marketer affordability of NFIP premiums. The US Army Corp. of Engineers recognized this innovative financial initiative in response to disaster recovery and mitigation after Superstorm Sandy in their report to Congress. He presented the progress of this Areas of Specialization resilience finance initiative at the May 2017 National Conference for the Association of State Floodplain Managers. • Financing Resilience and Climate Preparedness
• Siting and Permitting Support Relevant Project Experience • Hazardous Materials Management Co-author, Climate Ready Boston Phase 2 Financing Climate Preparedness and Governance Study, UMASS Boston Sustainable Solutions Lab, Boston, MA. • Brownfields Redevelopment Contributing author and researcher on an interdisciplinary research team analyzing • Supply Chain Management alternatives for building-scale, neighborhood-scale, district-scale, and harbor protection-scale financing mechanisms that can be adapted for resilience and climate • Contract Administration adaptation investments for the City of Boston. Provided analysis of Property Assessed • Voluntary Resilience Standards Clean Energy (PACE) financing for Property Assessed Resilience (PAR) by analyzing finance mechanisms in Connecticut, Florida and California. Researched Global • Community Education and Outreach Covenant of Mayors Cities partnering with World Bank via the City Resilience Program in December 2017 to create a World Bank Resilience Fund to lend $4.5 Professional Affiliations Billion U.S. to 150 cities to address the threats of climate change and to implement • Boston Harbor Now Climate Change sustainable initiatives and climate resilience programs, which would also be available Preparedness Committee to Northampton. The research paper is pending publication to the City of Boston in April 2018. • Past President, CT Chapter of Society for Marketing Professional Services Project Coordinator, Property Assessed Resilience Finance Task Force, State of Connecticut, Hartford, CT. Since 2013, Wayne coordinated with Connecticut • Vice Chair, Board of Directors, CT Green Building Council 2014-present Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) at the University of Connecticut and a • Member Association of State multi-disciplinary team of architects, engineers, regulators, financial lenders, trade Floodplain Managers 2014 to present association leaders, risk managers and insurance professionals sharing a common • Boston Harbor Now Climate Task interest in solving the problem of escalating NFIP and property casualty insurance Force premiums. Property Assessed Resiliency (PAR) emerged from these discussions as an innovative financing model for the design, renovation and construction of resilient • Environmental Business Council of New England Climate Committee buildings and infrastructure. He has provided testimony to the Connecticut Legislature on a bill enabling the Connecticut Green Bank to provide PAR financing for residential properties in the 2017 legislative session. He provided similar testimony supporting proposed PAR legislation to the Massachusetts Legislature in 2017. Wayne W. Cobleigh, CPSM Associate Principal- Resilience Finance Consultant
In 2016 and 2017, Cobleigh co-authored Financing Resilience in Connecticut: Current Programs, National Models, and New Opportunities. The publication in the online Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal is co-authored by Rebecca French, Ph.D, CIRCA, Jessica LeClair, and Yi Shi. This publication is one the first research products in that area that was supported in part by the grant from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection that created CIRCA. CIRCA released a Fact Sheet: Resilience Financing Options in Connecticut. Connecticut Development Authority (CDA) Brownfield Inventory project. Directing a project team to develop a database of abandoned and underutilized former industrial and commercial properties throughout Connecticut. Working with staff from CDA, Mr. Cobleigh teamed with staff from TPA Design Group and VISTA Info.com to develop a survey process to establish a database of brownfield sites in Connecticut to promote redevelopment projects by CDA’s subsidiary, Connecticut Redevelopment Authority, Inc.
Selected Publications and Presentations Financing Resilience in Connecticut - Current Programs, National Models, and New Opportunities, French, Cobleigh, Shi and LeClair, August 2017. Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal, Volume 8:1. Click to View Online. Financing Resilience in Connecticut - Current Programs, National Models, and New Opportunities, Presentation French, Cobleigh, Shi and LeClair, May 3, 2017. Association of State Floodplain Managers, Kansas City, MO National Conference and Connecticut Green Building Council Presentation, Hartford, CT March 28, 2017 Rethinking Construction Design and Finance for Climate Resilience, Revitalization News, Online Issue #63, November 15, 2017, Cobleigh Click to View Article
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