Comprehensive Plan

The full RFP document and requirements for submitting a proposal can be found on the City's website: https://www.claytonmo.gov/government/bid-documents-rfp-rfq

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The City of Clayton, Missouri (City) seeks consulting services to prepare an updated Comprehensive Plan. The new, updated plan will provide vision, goals, objectives, and policies to guide the City's elected and appointed officials, property owners, developers, staff, and residents on the appropriate growth and redevelopment for Clayton. Consultants or a consultant team should have expertise in the areas of land use planning, transportation, urban design, economics, and sustainability.

It is anticipated that work will begin in early 2023 and the finished product will be adopted by the City in 2024.

This RFP is a competitive bid to select a respondent that best meets the needs of the City based on qualifications, service, capabilities, price, as well as other factors. It is not a competitive bid based only on price. This RFP contains instructions governing the proposals to be submitted, the materials to be included, and the requirements that must be met to be eligible for consideration.

BACKGROUND

The City of Clayton is recognized throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area for its outstanding quality of life. Clayton is nationally recognized as one of the best places to live in the country and offers a unique balance between a vibrant business community and premier residential living. Located just west of the City of St. Louis, Clayton is the hub of the metropolitan area and serves as the seat of St. Louis County. Within its 2.5 square mile geographical area, Clayton's permanent population is 17,357, whereas its daytime population swells to over 44,000. The City offers a top-rated school district and some of the finest residential properties in the region.

Clayton's central location and convenient access to several interstates place it within minutes of nearly anywhere in the region. Eighty-one percent of the City's land is dedicated to residential or park use. The downtown area combines 10,000,000 square feet of prestigious office space with the vitality of 1,000,000 square feet of neighborhood style retail and restaurant space. The City has a positive impact on its residents, as well as the individuals who work, go to school, and find entertainment and recreation within the city limits.

Clayton is a home rule municipality and operates under a Council-Manager form of government. Policy-making and legislative authority are vested in a governing council consisting of six aldermen and a mayor. The Mayor and Aldermen appoint the government's City Manager, who then appoints the City's department heads.

PROJECT PURPOSE

The purpose of this project is to create an updated City Comprehensive Plan that combines the Downtown Master Plan and the Master Plan, while including elements of Land Use, Sustainability, Open Space, and Economic Development. The Comprehensive Plan should be derived from citizen and stakeholder input and provide a clear direction for future development policies, regulations, and decisions. It should include factors that affect the long-term development of the City. It is the City's desire to have meaningful community participation in the preparation of the Plan and that the consulting team include substantial opportunities for citizen participation in the planning process.

PLAN CONTENT

Sustainability and Equity Guidelines:

Opportunities for projects and/or policies related to sustainability and equity should be identified throughout the plan as they are related to all content areas. Principles to use as the base for sustainability and equity guidelines should be established early in the engagement process. Possible principles include the following:

• Foster a livable built environment.
• Ensure a resilient economy.
• Promote and protect equity.
• Provide for community health.
• Promote a variety of housing options.

Extensive Public Engagement Strategies:

• Research, contact, and engage with audiences ranging from small groups of stakeholders (elected officials, business owners, community leaders, neighborhood groups, students, etc.) to large events open to the public.
• Draft surveys and/or utilize online tools to distribute, collect, analyze, and report results.
• Facilitate meetings of steering and issue-specific committees.
• In addition to engagement surrounding the plan areas listed, preferences and direction around the following topics/questions is desired:
  
  • Commercial design guidelines
  • Affordable housing
  • Stormwater management
  • Environmental sustainability

Plan for Performance Management and Implementation:

• Create metrics to monitor progress and outcomes.
• Integrate a mechanism for maintenance and updates at regular intervals.

Community Needs Assessment:

• Conduct a demographic analysis and market profile of the City in order to forecast the community's interest and needs for long-range development and their implications on land-use patterns and public services planning.
• A market analysis should include a snapshot of existing market conditions for residential, commercial, office, and industrial development and identify opportunities for diversification and preparation for emerging growth industries.
• Research and identify unique qualities, geography, demographics, adopted planning studies/plans, and trends specific to the City that will affect Comprehensive Plan considerations for the future.

Existing and Future Land Use Plan:

• Analyze current uses and development patterns to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
• Create a Future Land-Use Plan with specific recommendations for zoning and infrastructure to support housing and economic development needs.
• Develop sub-area plans for strategic locations to include more detailed analysis and visioning.

Transportation Network Analysis:

• Review and update the Major Street Plan, by surveying existing streets, identifying potential street expansion or street diet projects, proposing capital improvement plans, and researching alternative funding.
• Consider adopting a level of service standard for different areas.
• Coordinate goals and opportunities with the City's Livable Community Master Plan, which is a concurrent project.

Deliverables and Expectations:

Respondent(s) will develop and deliver a professional Plan update that the City can realistically implement to provide clear direction for development policy decisions, City services, and City projects for the next fifteen years. The scope of work for this update includes, but is not limited to, the plan content described above and the deliverables listed below. A detailed and agreed upon scope shall be outlined in the final contract with the selected Respondent(s).

Deliverables:

1. Plan document including existing conditions and recommendations with specific policies or projects for implementation.
2. Data gathered through various engagement strategies.
3. Updated base layers compatible with the City's GIS system.
4. A 3D map of the Downtown.

Expectations:

The successful Respondent(s) will be responsible for a Plan that does the following:

1. Assesses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
2. Establishes a community vision of the future.
3. Set goals in support of that vision.
4. Sets objectives in support of those goals.
5. Defines actions to carry out the Plan.
6. Uses clear organization and compelling graphics to present the Plan.

PROJECT TIMELINE

The following tentative schedule identifies the selection timeline. The schedule is subject to change as circumstances dictate or as determined necessary by or in the best interests of the City. Notification of changes in the response due date will be posted on the City website.

RFP Available to Public: December 14, 2022

Questions Due to the City: January 3, 2023

Sealed Proposals Due to the City: February 1, 2023 by 5:00pm CST

Respondent Interviews: February 15, 2023 – March 1, 2023 (tentative)

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