The Cottonwood City Council approved a professional services agreement with a design firm, Norris Design, to aid in the development of the Old Town Master Plan at their regular meeting on April 7.
In July and October, the council discussed the scope of work for the development of a transportation-focused Old Town Master Plan. After the scope of work was finalized with council’s recommendations, staff issued a request for qualifications in November seeking consulting services for developing the plan. Nine applicants submitted proposals and staff selected Norris Design as the top-ranking applicant.
The plan will address walkability, bikeability, parking, congestion and public space enhancements while preserving Old Town’s historic charm and character. It will also serve as a guide for future investment, decision-making and capital planning.
Staff worked with Norris Design to narrow the scope and reduce the initial fee. The refined scope for the plan includes:
â– Community engagement
â– Transportation and circulation analysis and recommendations
â– Options for creating a gathering space at Main and Pima streets
â– Parking management and electric vehicle parking options
â– Suggestions for redevelopment and infill of city-owned parcels
â– Pedestrian and streetscape improvement projects
â– Project phasing and potential funding sources
One of the transportation considerations will look at the left turn from Willard Street onto Main Street. Cottonwood Director of Strategic Initiatives Ryan Bigelow explained that this is currently problematic and will continue to be more so as traffic increases. The plan will start the discussion on ways to mitigate congestion.
Sami Real, Community Development director, said the city’s target deadline to have the plan completed will be 10 to 11 months.
The town originally budgeted for the plan’s development services for $150,000 in the capital projects budget and the total cost of services is $207,000.
The $60,000 difference will come from the council’s undesignated reserves budget, which has a remaining budget balance of approximately $1.3 million.
The motion to approve the professional services agreement in an amount not to exceed $210,000 and to authorize City Manager Mario Cifuentez II to execute the agreement was approved unanimously.
