Zoning Ordinance

Request for Qualifications to Prepare a New Zoning Ordinance

for the City of Fairview, Tennessee

January 12, 2024

The City of Fairview, Tennessee, is requesting a statement of qualification from consultants to provide professional planning services associated with the preparation of a new zoning ordinance.

Project Background

Fairview, Tennessee was incorporated on July 28, 1959, as a city located in northwestern Williamson County. Through the years, Fairview has grown steadily from a small town of 1,017 in 1960 to 9,357 in 2023. Williamson County has experienced significant growth and development in recent decades that is expected to continue in the foreseeable future.

Every city has an identity and for many years Fairview has been known as a rural community. With a pocket of industrial uses and a small, but dispersed, "main street", the City has experienced limited commercial and industrial growth. The Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) for Fairview along with the Fairview Forward Plan, has designated areas located near the interstate interchanges for more intensive growth and development. Within the existing corporate limits there are several undeveloped parcels available for development including several served by utilities.

With the anticipation of continued growth and development there is a desire to maintain and preserve the character and quality of life of the community while balancing such attributes with growth and development. The protection and preservation of the rural character is a goal expressed by residents of Fairview. Development regulations must provide the necessary tools for guiding growth and development in a manner that preserves and protects the rural character of the community and its gateways from the interstate while allowing sustainable development that will enhance quality of life and provide a diverse economic base.

Below are links for the existing City of Fairview Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, Municipal Code, and 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Current Zoning Ordinance of the City of Fairview, Tennessee:

https://www.fairview-tn.org/depts-services/planning-codes-dept/

Current Subdivision Regulations of the City of Fairview, Tennessee:

https://www.fairview-tn.org/depts-services/planning-codes-dept/

City of Fairview Municipal Code (all Titles and Chapters):

https://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/code/municipal-code-fairview

City of Fairview Comprehensive Plan

https://www.fairview-tn.org/depts-services/planning-codes-dept/

Project Objective

The City is seeking a consultant or consulting team that must have experience and knowledge in the fields of municipal planning and zoning, including demonstrated experience in writing and updating zoning regulations and related development standards. The goal upon completion of the anticipated scope of services is the adoption and implementation of a new zoning ordinance that incorporates best-practices and context-sensitive applications. The new zoning ordinance will provide design standards for development of the City's existing developing areas as well as greenfield areas that can be sufficiently served with public infrastructure and services while also minimizing adverse impacts. The city desires the scope of services be completed within 15 months or preferably less, of the issuance of a notice to proceed by the city.

Anticipated Scope of Services

The successful consultant or consulting team is expected to perform many tasks including, but not limited to, the following:

• Review and evaluate Fairview's current Zoning Ordinance, as well as other ordinances and initiatives that complement and support the current Zoning Ordinance including:
  
  • Review of all existing zoning classifications and permitted uses
  • Coordinate zoning classifications and districts with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan
  • Review of dimensional standards
  • Review of definitions including land use definitions
  • Recommendations for new zoning classifications as well as elimination or consolidation of existing classifications
  • Inclusion of clear and user-friendly graphics, charts, and tables
  • Standards that will help the City achieve high-quality development including architectural characteristics and key design elements including lighting and landscaping
  • Standards for mixed-use development and land use patterns
  • Review of existing application and review processes and procedures to identify opportunities for streamlining
  • Review of overlay districts
  • Review of site design standards including, but not limited to, access control, lighting, landscaping, and signage

• Provide an analysis of the City's existing Zoning Ordinance, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses based on the consultant's review of national best land use practices and include a recommended approach for creating a new Zoning Ordinance that may include retaining certain elements of the current Zoning Ordinance.
• Work closely with City staff from multiple departments and elected and appointed officials including those serving on the Zoning Ordinance Committee.
• Devise and implement a public engagement and participation plan that includes making presentations to and receiving input from City Staff, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, Board of Commissioners, other relevant boards and committees, stakeholder groups, and the general public. The plan must ensure appropriate involvement or residents, business and property owners, boards and commissions, community partners, and staff. The city views public engagement as paramount to both a successful process and a successful final deliverable. The plan should include a combination of traditional methods such as website, social media, and open meetings but should also include innovative ways to foster public participation throughout the process.
• Recommend improvements in process necessary to ensure the new Zoning Ordinance foster an efficient and predictable development process.
• Develop and present a preliminary draft of the proposed Zoning Ordinance.
• Assist in the preparation and facilitation of public meetings and hearings on the proposed Zoning Ordinance.
• Refine, finalize, and deliver to the city an electronic copy of the final Zoning Ordinance in both Word and PDF form. Formatting for the electronic copy shall incorporate links from the Table of Contents to each Article/Chapter and Section, as well as links throughout the document connecting key district designation, key terminology, links to external information/regulations such as Tennessee Code Annotated, and any other significant information throughout the document.
• Assist in training City staff, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Board of Commissioners, and general public to use the new Zoning Ordinance.

Project Budget

The City of Fairview plans for a budget not to exceed $275,000. The city anticipates providing limited staff support during the process.

Methodology

Selection for the award of this contract will be done in a two-step process. The first step will be to review and evaluate the submitted statements of qualifications. All qualification requirements must be met or be capable of being met by the responding entity, or its statement of qualifications will be disqualified as being nonresponsive. The second step will involve short-listing consultants for a formal interview process. The city is seeking qualified consultants or consulting teams (who may or may not include an architect, landscape architect, and/or engineer) with specialized knowledge and experience in land use planning and land development regulations.

Once the finalist is selected, they will be expected to enter into a professional services agreement with the city in a timely manner. Insurance requirements shall be included in the services agreement, including general liability and professional liability insurance. The final professional services agreement will be subject to approval by the Board of Commissioners of the City of Fairview.

Submission Requirements

The response submittal shall be no more than twenty-five (25) single-sided 8.5-inch x 11-inch pages, not including dividers, and shall consist of the following:

1. Title Page and Table of Contents (2 pages)
2. Letter of Interest (1 page)
   
   1. Provide a summary of the team's interest, understanding, and qualifications to perform the services anticipated by the RFQ.
3. Experience and Qualifications (8 page maximum)
   
   1. Provide an overview of the team, including organizational structure and a brief history of teams' experience working together on projects of similar scope
   2. Describe the team's experience, expertise, and capabilities to perform the services anticipated by the RFQ
   3. Identify key personnel that would be assigned to this project and identify each member's education, certifications, experience, qualifications, and the role each would serve on project. Indicate degree of availability of each identified individual for this project.
4. Comparable Projects and References (8 page maximum)
   
   1. Provide at least four (4) examples where the consultant has provided high-quality services resembling the services being anticipated by the City's RFQ within the past five (5) years. For each example, include the following:
      
      1. Describe the type of work performed.
      2. Describe the budget and time period required to complete and whether the project was completed within budget and schedule.
      3. Any information or exhibits from a comparable project effort that prove your capabilities.
      4. Name of the project manager and personnel who worked on each project with a brief description of their responsibilities.
5. Public Outreach and Engagement Approach (2 pages maximum)
   
   1. Describe the public outreach and engagement approach that will be utilized throughout the completion of the anticipated scope of services and the team member(s) responsible.
6. Project Methodology and Schedule (4 pages maximum)
   
   1. Describe methodology to complete the anticipated scope of services.
   2. Provide a schedule for completion of anticipated scope of service including project milestones and key points where public outreach and engagement will be provided.

Evaluation Criteria and Selection

Primary evaluation factors will be based on past performance on projects of similar scope of service. Qualifications will be evaluated based on their clear ability to meet the City's anticipated scope of services satisfactorily and expediently, and with high-quality deliverables. Thoroughness and degree of responsiveness of the response submittal will be considered.

Experience and Qualifications — Up to 30 points

Public Outreach and Engagement — Up to 30 points

Comparable Projects and References — Up to 25 points

Methodology and Schedule — Up to 15 points

Maximum Possible Score — 100 points

Instructions for Submitting Response to Request for Qualifications

The response to the RFQ must be received by the City of Fairview before 12:00pm (Central Time) on Monday, February 26, 2024. Submittals received after the deadline will be considered non-responsive. Submissions must be responsive to the requirements of the RFQ. Failure to do so will render the submittal as nonresponsive and it will not be evaluated. The envelope containing the response shall be clearly marked on the outside with the following:

Request for Qualifications to Prepare a New Zoning Ordinance for the City of Fairview, Tennessee

The submittal must include one (1) complete digital copy and one (1) paper copy. The digital copy shall be loaded on a flash drive and shall consist of one Portable Document Format (PDF). The submittal must be mailed or delivered to:

City of Fairview

Attn. City Recorder Rachel Jones

7100 City Center Way

Fairview, TN 37062

Questions

All questions must be emailed to the contact person below. The city will publish an addendum reflecting the written responses to questions received that will be posted on the City's website a minimum of ten (10) days prior to due date of the solicitation. Consultants should not contact members of the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, Board of Commissioners, or other City staff responsible for the review of statements of qualifications from consultants. All inquiries and questions for clarification concerning this RFQ should be directed to the following contact person:

City Planner Ethan Greer

City of Fairview

7100 City Center Way
egreer@fairview-tn.org

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