County of Avery issued the following announcement on Jan. 26.
Proposal Requested Avery County seeks proposals from qualified consultants to conduct a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP will be part of the Avery County Asset Inventory/Assessment and Affordable Housing Study. The Avery County Asset Inventory/Assessment and Affordable Housing Plan project will consist of the following three elements:
1. Asset Inventory and Assessment (AIA) – This part of the project will include compiling available water and sewer system data for the seven municipalities located within Avery County (Banner Elk, Crossnore, Elk Park, Newland, Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain, and Seven Devils). The AIA will also include assessment of the municipal systems’ water supply and wastewater treatment capacities. This project component will also include mapping of properties (county tax parcels) that are undeveloped, and properties that have the following housing development constraints – steep slopes, floodplain, wetlands.
2. Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) – The CIP will focus on major needs of the municipal water and sewer systems’ water supply and wastewater treatment infrastructure, as well as identifying high instances of water loss and infiltration and inflow (I&I). This will include analysis of the systems’ water treatment compared to water sales, and water sales compared to inflow at the wastewater treatment plants. The CIP will make recommendations where appropriate for further investigation of water loss and I&I. The CIP will cover a 10-year timeframe, and include cost estimates. This project component will include collection and analysis of existing individual municipal CIPs for coordination and prevention of duplication.
3. Affordable Housing Study – The Affordable Housing Study will identify opportunity for development of new housing stock and provide developers with data on demand for affordable housing. It will include socio-economic data analysis (population growth, household type, income, etc.); housing supply/demand; and recommendations. The Housing Study will be developed by a consultant, and include direct outreach to realtors and property managers. Housing Needs Analysis and Market Demand Study. The study will serve as a platform for housing strategy development to address housing needs. The results of this study will help County officials develop a meaningful sense of the housing market as well as an understanding of key housing issues and how they impact the community. The study is intended to provide a basis for formulating community-specific housing priorities and policy alternatives, including regulatory decisions. The study will also assist the County in addressing housing needs in a way that contributes to community and economic development.
Please click this link to see the full RFP
Original source can be found here.
