The Barrow County Water and Sewer Authority’s plan to convert the closed Holsenbeck Fire Station into a new headquarters took a step towards starting last week when the authority evaluated four bids for the job and tentatively chose an architectural engineering firm to proceed with the project. Pending notification of the four firms involved, a final decision will be voted on at a called WSA meeting to be scheduled within the next two weeks.
According to Barrow County Water Authority Director Myron Garrett, an expanding customer base and service area necessitated the search for a new headquarters, maintenance shop and space to build an additional 300,000-gallon water storage tank. When the Holsenbeck station became available, it and adjacent land parcels met the authority’s needs and allowed for the new headquarters to be located in the largest of the WSA’s four service areas. Some 2,100 of the WSA’s current 5,100 customers are located in the Northeast service area where the Holsenbeck station is, he said.
The authority bought the 72,000 square foot fire station from the Barrow County Board of Commissioners in the spring of 2010 for $300,000, which was the appraised price of the property, Garrett said. The WSA budgeted $260,000 in FY 2010 for the project, which will include new offices, a customer service area, a conference room and a vehicle maintenance bay. Changes in the building façade and several additional parking spots are also in the preliminary plans.
BCWSA looks at locating new headquarters
Tuesday, October 5. 2010
Garrett emphasized that no tax money will be used for the project, which is also in the FY 2011 WSA budget.
“We are fully self sufficient and have been for the past 10 years,” he said, adding that all WSA monies come from water users and are put into an “Enterprise Fund” which is separate from Barrow County’s general fund.
“The Water Authority does not get any money from the County’s general fund and none of our money goes to support the County’s general fund,” Garrett said. “The Water Authority’s money can only be spent on water or sewerage projects or ongoing operations.”
At the Aug. 24 meeting, four architectural engineering firms were evaluated based on preliminary proposals they submitted for the Holsenbeck station project. All four were asked to make a formal presentation and submit a sealed bit at the Sept. 21 meeting. Authority members ranked each firm, based on the initial proposal, the final presentation and bid price. The firm scoring the highest and offering the lowest bid price was offered the job.
Carter Watkins Associates of Monroe, and Precision Planning, Inc. based in Lawrenceville, , were ranked as the top two firms. Alan Bell Architects, Inc. from Carrolton, and Atlanta-based D.L. Fields Consultants, LLC received the lower two rankings.
During his presentation to the WSA, Ben Carter of Carter Watkins Associates said his firm has worked with Barrow County on various projects since 1995. His list of examples included the Senior Center and Headstart buildings, and the remodel of the county annex building into the current government headquarters.
Carter and his partner, Joe Watkins, showed members of the authority preliminary plans for the fire station remodel, based on initial plans drawn up by Garrett. A customer service area, firewalled off from a vehicle maintenance bay in the back were shown downstairs, with offices, a break room and a board room upstairs. The plan also included a security system, several parking spots, a gated yard for WSA vehicles, additional windows and a new building façade.
Carter pointed out “to start from scratch,” construction of a building similar to the proposed WSA headquarters would cost $648,000, while the remodel at a standard construction price of $50 per square foot would be $360,000. The authority’s budget of $260,000 would bring the 72,000 square foot project cost to $36 per square foot, which he said was do-able given the current depressed construction economy.
“Prices are dropping and we have projects coming in lower than our initial bids,” Carter said.
The authority requested bid prices be presented as a percentage of the total project cost; Carter Watkins Associates bid price was 4.75 percent.
Precision Planning, Inc. was ranked closely with Carter Watkins on initial and presentation points. A three man team from that firm, Steve Sappington, Lance Davis and David Leonard, showed members of the authority numerous examples of projects their firm has completed for cities, counties and authorities throughout the state; a large number were in Gwinnett County. Sappington said the firm has also done “a lot of private practice” in Barrow County.
“You’ve got an existing building and a small budget,” he said, “We have experience with that…and examples of similar projects completed under budget.”
The group showed preliminary plans and drawings they prepared for the authority, also based on Garrett’s initial plans. Precision Planning, Inc.’s bid price was $18,520 which WSA member Donny Maxwell calculated to be 7.1-percent of the total cost of the project.
Allen Bell Architect, Inc. whose initial and final presentations were ranked third by authority members, turned in a bid price of $29,790 based on a total project cost of $597,000, which WSA Chairman Stan Coley calculated to be 4.99 percent. A bid price was not submitted by D.L.Fields Consultants, LLC as, during Debora Fields’ presentation representing that firm, she told the authority her firm works on an hourly rate.
In discussing the four presentations, authority members agreed “all four (firms) are really qualified,” with Maxwell stating “It’s all going to come down to how much money it’s going to cost.”
Garrett and WSA Vice Chairman Ronald Beacham are slated to meet with Carter Watkins and communicate with the other firms by letter. With Coley out of town until Oct. 4, the authority agreed to schedule a called meeting to finalize the selection when Coley returns.
Also at the Sept. 21 meeting, the authority:
•Authorized obtaining an appraisal on a 1.6 acre property located adjacent to the Holsenbeck Fire Station, to be used for a new 300,000 gallon water tank with room for future expansion.
“We are fully self sufficient and have been for the past 10 years,” he said, adding that all WSA monies come from water users and are put into an “Enterprise Fund” which is separate from Barrow County’s general fund.
“The Water Authority does not get any money from the County’s general fund and none of our money goes to support the County’s general fund,” Garrett said. “The Water Authority’s money can only be spent on water or sewerage projects or ongoing operations.”
At the Aug. 24 meeting, four architectural engineering firms were evaluated based on preliminary proposals they submitted for the Holsenbeck station project. All four were asked to make a formal presentation and submit a sealed bit at the Sept. 21 meeting. Authority members ranked each firm, based on the initial proposal, the final presentation and bid price. The firm scoring the highest and offering the lowest bid price was offered the job.
Carter Watkins Associates of Monroe, and Precision Planning, Inc. based in Lawrenceville, , were ranked as the top two firms. Alan Bell Architects, Inc. from Carrolton, and Atlanta-based D.L. Fields Consultants, LLC received the lower two rankings.
During his presentation to the WSA, Ben Carter of Carter Watkins Associates said his firm has worked with Barrow County on various projects since 1995. His list of examples included the Senior Center and Headstart buildings, and the remodel of the county annex building into the current government headquarters.
Carter and his partner, Joe Watkins, showed members of the authority preliminary plans for the fire station remodel, based on initial plans drawn up by Garrett. A customer service area, firewalled off from a vehicle maintenance bay in the back were shown downstairs, with offices, a break room and a board room upstairs. The plan also included a security system, several parking spots, a gated yard for WSA vehicles, additional windows and a new building façade.
Carter pointed out “to start from scratch,” construction of a building similar to the proposed WSA headquarters would cost $648,000, while the remodel at a standard construction price of $50 per square foot would be $360,000. The authority’s budget of $260,000 would bring the 72,000 square foot project cost to $36 per square foot, which he said was do-able given the current depressed construction economy.
“Prices are dropping and we have projects coming in lower than our initial bids,” Carter said.
The authority requested bid prices be presented as a percentage of the total project cost; Carter Watkins Associates bid price was 4.75 percent.
Precision Planning, Inc. was ranked closely with Carter Watkins on initial and presentation points. A three man team from that firm, Steve Sappington, Lance Davis and David Leonard, showed members of the authority numerous examples of projects their firm has completed for cities, counties and authorities throughout the state; a large number were in Gwinnett County. Sappington said the firm has also done “a lot of private practice” in Barrow County.
“You’ve got an existing building and a small budget,” he said, “We have experience with that…and examples of similar projects completed under budget.”
The group showed preliminary plans and drawings they prepared for the authority, also based on Garrett’s initial plans. Precision Planning, Inc.’s bid price was $18,520 which WSA member Donny Maxwell calculated to be 7.1-percent of the total cost of the project.
Allen Bell Architect, Inc. whose initial and final presentations were ranked third by authority members, turned in a bid price of $29,790 based on a total project cost of $597,000, which WSA Chairman Stan Coley calculated to be 4.99 percent. A bid price was not submitted by D.L.Fields Consultants, LLC as, during Debora Fields’ presentation representing that firm, she told the authority her firm works on an hourly rate.
In discussing the four presentations, authority members agreed “all four (firms) are really qualified,” with Maxwell stating “It’s all going to come down to how much money it’s going to cost.”
Garrett and WSA Vice Chairman Ronald Beacham are slated to meet with Carter Watkins and communicate with the other firms by letter. With Coley out of town until Oct. 4, the authority agreed to schedule a called meeting to finalize the selection when Coley returns.
Also at the Sept. 21 meeting, the authority:
•Authorized obtaining an appraisal on a 1.6 acre property located adjacent to the Holsenbeck Fire Station, to be used for a new 300,000 gallon water tank with room for future expansion.
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