Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance Update

Invitation

The Town of Rocky Mount hereby issues to qualified firms, licensed in the State of Virginia, a Request for Proposal (hereinafter referred to as "RFP"), for updating the Town's Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances.

Deadline

Three (3) hard/paper copies of the sealed proposal and one (1) electronic version shall be submitted no later than 2:00 p.m., Monday, October 17, 2022 to the following:

Office of the Town Manager

c/o Jessica H. Heckman

Town of Rocky Mount Municipal Building

345 Donald Avenue

Rocky Mount, VA 24151

All Proposals must be in a sealed envelope and clearly marked in the lower left corner: "Sealed Proposal ? RFP for Consulting Services for Zoning Ordinance Updates" Proposals not so marked or sealed shall be returned to the Offeror and will not be considered. Proposals shall clearly indicate the legal name, address and telephone number of the Offeror (company, firm, partnership, individual). Proposals shall be signed above the typed or printed name and include the title of the individual signing on behalf of the Offeror. All Proposals shall be received by 2:00 p.m., Monday, October 17, 2022. Any proposal received after this time and date will not be considered. The Offeror has the sole responsibility to have the proposal received by the Town of Rocky Mount at the above address and by the above stated time and date.

Questions

1. All questions regarding this RFP must be made in writing. The written questions must be received by the Town no later than 10:00 a.m., October 3, 2022. Questions may be emailed to: jheckman@rockymountva.org .


2. All responses to questions will be posted on Town of Rocky Mount website: www.rockymountva.org by 4:00 p.m. October 4, 2022. The Offeror has the sole responsibility to go to the website and receive the responses or by contacting Jessica Heckman and requesting them by email. The responses will be an addendum to the RFP. All such responses by the Town shall become part of the RFP.


3. Oral instructions do not become part of the proposal documents.

The selection of the successful firm will be done by competitive negotiations in accordance with the Virginia Procurement Act and the Town of Rocky Mount Procurement Policy.

Submittals should contain:

• A cover letter, not exceeding two pages.


• Concise informative overview of the proposed project scope, deliverables, and timeline for implementation.


• A company description outlining experience with zoning and subdivision ordinance updates, company information and primary contact for this project.


• List at least three examples of zoning updates that the firm has completed for other localities.

Other information may be included in an appendix.

Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit sealed proposals to establish a contract through competitive negotiation for the purchase of consulting services from a planning consultant to assist with updates to the Town's Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance.

Background

The Town of Rocky Mount has a detailed zoning ordinance that was adopted in 1992. Throughout its history, the zoning ordinance has expanded and evolved to address changes with state code and to establish regulations in support of Town policy. The Zoning Ordinance went through a minor update in 2012 that included renumbering and rearranging as well as some amendments, additions and deletions. The subdivision ordinance was last amended in 2002.

Scope of Work

The scope of work shall consist of, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Review the Town's current Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance and conduct the necessary research to understand the Town's development trends and processes


2. Review the Town's Comprehensive Plan, including associated maps and related documents; other applicable documents that provide policy direction, administrative rules, and interpretations; and Town ordinances related to land development.


3. Review all Code of Virginia provisions related to zoning.


4. Meet with Town Staff and other regulatory agencies to discuss their roles and procedures in the development process, including but not limited to, Zoning, Public Works, the Virginia Department of Health, VDOT, and Franklin County Building Inspection Office.

Stakeholders And Public Involvement Strategy

1. Develop and implement a comprehensive public involvement strategy designed to effectively gather information and input from the public and stakeholders, while also creating effective avenues to communicate information throughout the process. This shall include at least two stages of public outreach: one during the drafting of the ordinance revisions and one during the adoption process.


2. Coordinate additional meetings with small groups of stakeholders to gather information and input including, but not limited to, the Town Council, Planning Commission, Town staff, business owners, the development community, and other community groups to determine likes and dislikes with current regulations and what approaches would be favored in the ordinance revisions.


3. Work with Town Staff to develop a strategy to provide progress updates to the public and to allow the community to provide feedback throughout the process of drafting and adopting any revisions.


4. Provide quarterly updates to the Town Council and Planning Commission throughout the process of drafting and adopting revisions.

Drafting of the Ordinance Revisions

1. Conduct a thorough review of the current Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances, and any other documents, Ordinances, Codes, or policies, to identify areas where revisions are needed.


2. Identify standards to improve site design and review processes, including placement of buildings, access management, parking, signs, landscaping, environmental and flood protection standards, conservation of open space, and potential overlay districts.
   
   
   
   1. Revisions to lists of permitted uses to include new uses, delete outdated uses, incorporate performance standards, and to provide possible alternatives to static lists of uses. Ensure consistency throughout and accurate definitions of uses to reduce the need for interpretations.
   
   
   2. Progressive ideas, best practices, and useful features from other codes around the country, including smart growth, mixed use development, traditional neighborhood design, preservation of community character, and sustainability and resiliency when appropriate.


3. Supplement the text with graphics, tables, and charts to explain development requirements and standards where appropriate.


4. Provide a matrix highlighting the major recommended changes in the proposed ordinances and the rationale for each change.


5. Provide zoning maps showing any proposed changes to zoning district designations and the proposed locations of any new zoning districts in the proposed zoning ordinance.


6. Provide examples comparing developments approved under the current zoning and subdivision ordinances to those that would be approved if the proposed ordinances are adopted. Examples shall include different types of development in different contexts (e.g., single-family homes, multifamily developments, stand-alone retail or commercial development, industrial or mixed-use development). This may include site plans for the examples that compare the results of the old versus the new ordinances.


7. Provide recommendations relating to the most effective enforcement and penalty system to ensure compliance.

Public Hearing and Adoption

1. Submit drafts to Town Staff for review and comment.


2. Distribute proposed ordinances for public review after initial review and comment by the Town Staff. Each proposed ordinance shall be accompanied by an executive summary that explains the structure of the ordinance and proposed changes. The draft ordinances shall be provided in Microsoft Word, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), and Internet-ready format.


3. Conduct at least four work sessions with the Town Council and the Planning Commission including formal presentations and including any visual aids needed to effectively explain the proposed ordinances and hard copies and electronic versions of the information presented.


4. Provide formal presentations at public hearings with the Planning Commission and Town Council to explain the proposed ordinances.

Post-Adoption Deliverables and Implementation

1. Provide a digital file of each adopted ordinance (and any related development ordinances if the result is a Unified Development Ordinance) in Microsoft Word, Adobe Portable Document format (PDF), and Internet-ready format. The digital file should include all related charts, tables, and illustrations in Internet-ready format.


2. Provide a digital GIS file of any adopted zoning maps in ESRI Shapefile or file geodatabase format.


3. Provide a digital file of procedure manuals to implement the proposed ordinances within 60 days of their adoption. The procedure manuals shall assist staff and the general public in learning the new requirements and procedures of the adopted ordinances.

Full RFP Document Can be found at https://www.rockymountva.org/Bids.aspx

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