Comprehensive Plan

The City seeks to contract with a consulting firm or team that possesses extensive experience in city planning, community development, sustainability, public participation, and transportation planning. The consultant shall organize and lead the community consensus planning efforts through a series of public workshops and meetings with community leaders to identify planning and development goals and objectives. The planning process should also consider the local economy, business atmosphere, industry forecast, future land uses, demographics, natural growth, and development trends in the region.

City officials anticipate key project tasks to include the following:

1. Infrastructure

Incorporate the current infrastructure in place and recommend goals, policy, and action items for future infrastructure to include Capital Improvements Plan update. Address growth management strategies as it relates to infrastructure, as well as projections for needed items. Emphasis on Low Impact Development will also be included as it relates to stormwater systems, ponding, and landscaping.

2. Multimodal Transportation Systems

Review current street and pedestrian networks and proposed projects and create strategies for traffic management in relation to future developments. This includes many state highways but also internal City streets, sidewalks, trails, and public transit networks. Coordination with El Paso MPO, El Paso County Texas Department of Transportation, Lower Valley Water District, and El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1, among others will be necessary.

3. Current and Future Land Use

Develop realistic population projections and build-out scenarios utilizing preferred land- use patterns for the City and ETJ. The build-out scenarios shall include land use projections, population densities, development phasing models, and infrastructure improvements as required. Review, analyze and provide the land use and development goals, policy and action items of the Plan and refine as needed to account for shifting demographics and vision of the community. Deliverable includes a Future Land Use Map.

4. Facilities

Review and analyze the needs for community facilities including community center, pool and athletic fields and courts based on population, demographic projections, and regional gaps and demands. Also, review all City office and maintenance facilities to ensure proper alignment and best use of dated buildings and structures.

5. Parks, Trails and Open Space

Review and analyze the need for more parkland based on population and demographic projections. Review and update the city's current development standards and make recommendations for how to increase parks, open spaces, and hike and bike trails to meet the needs of various types of users and abilities. Review the current Paso del Norte Trail plan.

6. Sustainability

Focus should be made on integrating sustainable practices throughout the Plan elements. Additionally, goals or policy recommendations should be put forth that make the city more sustainable and climate change resilient such as building standards, renewable energy, stormwater management, water conservation, and waste minimization.

7. Housing

Provide a review of current housing practices and development patterns. Make recommendations for more diversified housing products and policies based on Best Practices and projected demographics. Review regional housing development practices and compare / contrast the City's current policies and standards.

8. Historic Preservation

Review the City's historic guidelines, policies, and practices to include the City's historic assets and provide recommendations, goals, and objectives for increasing the preservation of the City's historic fabric.

9. Public Participation

As part of the plan process, the City desires to place a major emphasis on community engagement. The City considers the comprehensive plan a foremost opportunity to engage the public and involve them in formulating a plan that truly belongs to the community and implements these values. The proposed public engagement strategy must include the latest technologies and be full accessible, creative, inclusive, efficient and reliable with the goal of channeling this input into realistic alternatives for consideration by the public.

10. Branding

Develop a branding scheme to create an identity for the Comprehensive Plan. Items may include logos, website, social media, and other media outreach initiatives.

Full Scope of Work can be found at: https://costx.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Comp-Plan-RFP-22-12.pdf

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