VHB Engineeringi VHB Engineering, Surveying and Landscape Architecture, P.C.I Affiliated with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Planning
Transportation
Land Development
Environmental
November 11, 2011
Town of Wappinger Planning Board
Attention Susan Dao -Planning Board Secretary
20 Middlebush Road
Wappingers Falls, New York 12590
Re: RFP -Town of Wappinger Planning Board Consultant -Planning and Engineering Services
Dear Mr. Fanuele and Members of the Town of Wappinger Planning Board:
VHB/Saccardi & Schiff is pleased to submit the following proposal to provide planning, traffic
and civil engineering services to the Town of Wappinger Planning Board. Our integrated
planning and engineering services enable us to provide a unique multi-disciplinary approach to
our municipal clients. We can provide all requested consulting services to the Town of
Wappinger - as we are a one-stop shop.
Our firm's professional orientation has been to favor well-designed, appropriate development,
making certain that it addresses community revitalization, design and socio-economic needs
while respecting community character and environmental conditions. We strive to balance
needs with environmental conservation objectives, addressing steep slopes, wetlands,
waterbody protection, etc., recognizing that development and environmental protection are
not mutually exclusive. We have a highly qualified staff of professional planners, civil and
transportation engineers, environmental scientists (flora, fauna, wetland, waterbody, etc.), and
landscape architects and designers who share our objectives. Because VHB/Saccardi & Schiff
provides all of these services, we can bring continuity and consistency to our municipal clients.
All services are provided by our in-house staff, which can be called up to review each
component of an application and provide a holistic response that accounts for all important
environmental variables.
In addition VHB/Saccardi & Schiff are on the leading edge of climate change and sustainability
review in the Hudson Valley. We recently completed a sustainability plan for the City of Albany
and are continuing with follow up work there, while also undertaking a similar assignment in
the Town of Bethlehem, NY. Reviewing applications with an eye on their overall impact to the
environment, and a cognizance of their contribution to the overall ecosystem is becoming even
more important when our weather is unpredictable, and our rivers, lakes and streams are
flooding more than ever.
Our firm provides services to public and private sector clients, including many communities and
developers throughout the Hudson Valley. In Dutchess County, we are currently preparing the
50 Main Street, Suite 360
White Plains, New York 10606
914.761.3582 I FAX 914.761.3759
email: info@vhb.com
R:\83419.11 Wappinger PB Consultant\Submittal\Proposal\Draft\Proposal Letter.doc www.vhb.com
zoning compliance, permitting, site design layout, grading, utility design, environmental
permitting, and design for remediation projects including brownfields redevelopment. He has
served on various municipal boards and committees, and is well suited to explaining difficult
and/or complicated topics in terms that everyone can understand.
Mike would be supported by John Canning, PE, Director of Transportation for our White Plains
office. John has over 25 years of traffic engineering and transportation planning experience,
including experience in Putnam and Dutchess Counties. John has provided traffic engineering
and transportation planning consulting services to the planning boards of the Towns of
Woodbury, Cortlandt, Bedford and Goshen, NY as well as to the Villages of Ardsley, Tarrytown,
Nyack and Elmsford. John also played an important planning and traffic engineering roll on the
reconstruction of US Route 9 and I-84, including a redesign of their interchange, also in Fishkill,
NY. With a broad spectrum of engineering and planning experience on both sides of the ledger,
the VHB's White Plains office is particularly well qualified to assist the Town of Wappinger in
addressing future transportation issues.
Additional VHB staff would also be available to assist Nina if necessary. For the review of an
environmental impact statement, other firms typically sub-contract with wetland experts,
archaeologists and other environmental specialists. VHB has these staff resources in-house,
which increases efficiency, and reduces time schedules and costs.
We are confident that the staff assigned to the Town of Wappinger can provide well-rounded,
coordinated and comprehensive consulting services, which will fully address your needs.
Given our experience with municipalities and developers, we understand possible development
outcomes, and can convey the same to its clients. We have extensive experience in drafting
sensible local laws or changes to zoning, which combined with the Town's well-articulated
purposes should result in constructive improvements for the community. At the same time, we
have always recognized that municipalities ultimately benefit by responding flexibly to changing
conditions. Therefore, as site-specific constraints and opportunities emerge, and new topics or
matters related to land uses, regulatory tools, or other trends are discussed, we would offer
unbiased and constructive advice with tailored approaches.
In addition to this letter, our proposal includes our staff resumes and a number of project
sheets that illustrate our qualifications and experience. References are also provided. Our fee
schedule is submitted under separate cover. If you have any questions or need any additional
information, please call me at any time. We look forward to the possibility of working with you.
Sincerely,
~e~~~
John Saccardi, AICP Nina Peek, AICP
Principal Senior Project Manager
VHB Engineering, Surveying and Landscape Architecture, P.C.
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