Full Text
TOWN OF MONUMENT 645 Beacon Lite Road Monument, CO 80132 PLANNING DEPARTMENT [PHONE REDACTED] www.townofmonument.org/planning 1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE (MONUMENT2040) ISSUED OCTOBER 8, 2024 INTRODUCTION The Town of Monument is located along I-25 just twenty miles north of Colorado’s second-largest city, Colorado Springs, and is an easy drive to Denver, just fifty-three miles to the north. The Town is a rapidly growing community, with excellent schools, beautiful surroundings, and easy access to outdoor recreation, all with that small-town feel that provides the quality of life that makes Monument so desirable. The Town of Monument seeks proposals from qualified consultant teams with expertise in comprehensive plans in Colorado. These teams should have a proven track record of effective community engagement and outreach, a commitment to developing implementable plans that consider community expectations of smart growth, and a focus on creating a user-friendly, marketable, and readable plan that is also a living document that can be regularly evaluated and amended by the Town as needed. The ideal consultant team should have experience in creating visionary and aspirational comprehensive plans that are implementable with quantifiable tools for evaluating the compatibility of future proposed development to meet the expectations of the community. Finally, the preferred consultant team should possess the capability and capacity to create a final suite of deliverables that are beautiful and of high quality so that the final deliverables will serve as reliable marketing tools for economic development and grant pursuits for the Town. The current plan was adopted in 2017 and is due for an update. The purpose of the update is to meet Colorado statutes for home-rule municipalities, ensure that the plan continues to reflect the Town's goals and priorities for the future, and that it reflects and supports the collective voice of the Town of Monument community. The Town is also interested in incorporating a Stormwater Management Plan; a Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan; and a Downtown Master Plan into this process and the final Comprehensive Plan document. A list of relevant documentation and planning resources is posted on the Town’s Monument2040 project page at www.townofmonument.org/monument2040. SCOPE OF WORK The Town has initiated an update to the 2017 Comprehensive Plan to address evolving land use and economic conditions. As a result, the Town of Monument invites qualified consultants to submit proposals for the holistic update to the Town’s 2017 Comprehensive Plan. The Plan should create a clear, graphically appealing vision, which will provide the community with guidance as to the types of development opportunities compatible with existing uses within the ---PAGE BREAK--- RFP – Comprehensive Plan Update page 2 Town of Monument, Colorado issued October 8, 2024 2 Town. The Plan should also properly address development pressures in the Town’s business parks, commercial corridors, and downtown, and establish a community vision for the future of these areas. Furthermore, the Plan should consider opportunities for rehabilitation or redevelopment of certain underutilized commercial properties, and the streets, trails and open spaces connecting existing with the new. PLAN COMPONENTS The update to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan shall include the following minimum components: Phase I - Discovery and Discussion 1. Update community demographics and history. 2. Incorporate impacts of home rule governance on planning and development. 3. Include State and local planning and economic development initiatives and regulations. 4. Combine infrastructure and facility assets and capacity. 5. Housing needs and affordability assessment. 6. Integrate relations with: a. Local districts (metropolitan, school, library, utility, Fountain Creek Water Shed, etc.) b. Local Partners (Colorado DOT, El Paso County, United States Air Force Academy, Douglas County, National Forest, etc.) c. Municipal neighbors (Colorado Springs, Palmer Lake, etc.) 7. Consider the natural environment. 8. Cover the existing stormwater management and capacity. 9. Feature Monument’s place in the marketplace (residential, commercial, and industrial). 10. Understand the Town’s current vision and values. Phase II - Design and Development 1. Economic sustainability strategies. 2. Environmental sustainability, including conservation, water quality and supply resiliency. 3. Social sustainability, including aging in place, social services, etc. 4. Placemaking and design Sub-Plan. 5. Trails, parks, and open space Sub-Plan. a. Improving walkability. b. Preserving and enhance natural amenities. c. Establishing view corridors. d. Maintaining and improving dark sky initiatives. e. Recreation and tourism. f. Encouraging green infrastructure (GBI, LEED, Solar, Electric Vehicles, etc.) 6. Corridors and Special Area Sub-Plans, including: a. Beacon Lite North. b. Old Santa Fe Trail. c. Dellacroce Ranch. d. Regency Park. e. Jackson Creek Parkway Corridor. ---PAGE BREAK--- RFP – Comprehensive Plan Update page 3 Town of Monument, Colorado issued October 8, 2024 3 7. Public Facilities and Services, including: a. Police and Emergency Services. b. Public Facilities. c. Streets, Roads, and Trails. d. Water. 8. Three-Mile Plan. Phase III - Decipher and Deliver 1. Define the Vision and Values for Tomorrow. 2. Future Land Use and Annexation (Three-Mile) Plan. 3. Downtown Master Plan. 4. Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan. 5. Stormwater Management Plan. 6. Sub-Area Design Standards Plan. 7. Implementation Strategy. Priority No. 1 – Public Engagement We can all agree that public engagement and outreach is essential during the development of a comprehensive plan. Public engagement is even more important in this case given that the Town of Monument is bifurcated by Highway I-25, has areas associated with multiple metropolitan and special area districts, and in many cases, it can be difficult to determine whether or not certain properties are within or outside of incorporated Town of Monument. For this reason, the Town is interested, at a minimum, in the following forms of public outreach: 1. Surveys 2. Stakeholder interviews 3. Community workshops 4. Pop-up idea booths at community events 5. Listening sessions 6. Student engagement 7. Open houses 8. Project website and social media 9. Public meetings 10. Other options proposed by the Consultant. REQUIRED PROPOSAL CONTENTS 1. A cover letter summarizing the key points of a firm’s proposal stressing the firm’s approach to addressing the scope of work. 2. A title page that includes the following information: a. Name of the firm. b. Organization of the firm (individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture). c. Local address. d. Telephone number. e. Name of contact person. ---PAGE BREAK--- RFP – Comprehensive Plan Update page 4 Town of Monument, Colorado issued October 8, 2024 4 f. Location of branch office, if any. 3. The names of principals, key personnel, and any subcontractors who will be assigned to the project, their experience, qualifications, and periods of service with the firm. 4. A table of contents that includes a clear identification of the material contained in the proposal by section and page number. 5. A detailed account of the firm’s approach to the successful completion and implementation of this project. Although the Town identified the general nature of services required, the Town shall provide the consultant broad leeway in establishing an approach and methodology to supplying the requested services and is encouraged to modify the approach based on experience or past successes in previous projects. 6. A statement of projected deliverables: reports, models, traditional graphics, computer- generated graphics, etc. This statement should specify the type, number, and format (hard copy, electronic, etc.) of graphics to be produced through this project. 7. Identification of any anticipated tasks and/or Plan components not outlined in this request for proposal yet are necessary for the successful completion of this project. 8. A description of the firm’s anticipated availability and relationship/involvement with the Town’s professional staff. 9. A description of proposed public engagement methods to be used. 10. A description of methods used to validate the viability of development recommendations (developer interviews, density studies, etc.) 11. A description of three major development issues facing the Town and how those issues can be addressed through the Comprehensive Plan. The description should be no more than one page in total while summarizing all three major development issues. 12. Short resumes for professional individuals who will be working on this project. 13. A timetable for the project, including submittal dates and a project completion date. 14. A statement of availability from the firm(s) and sub-consultants to undertake this project with specific reference to the personnel described above. This statement must include a commitment to complete this project in accordance with the project timeline described above. The Town desires to have the entire planning effort completed, including adoption, on or before June 1, 2026, with possibility of extension if warranted. 15. Writing and/or design samples from team members who will be responsible for preparing writing documents and/or designing elements of the plan. 16. A budget indicating fees to complete the work items and a separate cost detail for specific activities that includes an estimate of the number of work hours (by team member) that will be required to complete a task. An hourly rate (by team member) for work performed outside the scope of contract should also be included. (Based on cost, the Town may elect to have its own staff undertake specific portions of the work program.) 17. A list of at least three municipal clients the Town may contact regarding a project the firm completed for that client. Please include name, title, address, and phone number of contact person for each project listed. ---PAGE BREAK--- RFP – Comprehensive Plan Update page 5 Town of Monument, Colorado issued October 8, 2024 5 EVALUATION CRITERIA Critical factors that will be considered in evaluating proposals include: 1. The firm’s specific approach to the successful completion and implementation of this project and its responsiveness to the Town’s objectives for this project. Priority will be given to firms that demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of the public sector. 2. Qualifications of individuals who would have direct involvement in tasks on this project. Despite a team’s overall capabilities and experience, attention will be focused directly on the personnel assigned to the project and the way they will be organized and managed. 3. Capabilities and experience in comparable previous projects and the specialized experience and technical competence of the consultant. 4. Creative use of infographics, graphics, and tables that demonstrate planning recommendations while limiting extensive reliance on text. 5. Costs to complete the project based on the services required as detailed in the firm’s project description. 6. Past record of performance on contracts with other governmental agencies of public bodies, including such factors as control of costs, quality of work, and ability to meet schedules from past and existing clients. References will be utilized to determine past record of performance. 7. Capacity of the candidate to perform the work within the time limitations. SELECTION PROCESS The Planning Department will serve as the principal contact between the Town and the consultant. A small group of Town staff will review all submittals based on the criteria described above. Town staff will interview a select group or firm to evaluate qualifications. Based on this evaluation, the most qualified firm(s) will participate in an interview before the Proposal Review Committee during the week of December 16, 2024. Based on the proposal and interview, the Proposal Review Committee will select the firm they judge to be the most responsive, responsible, and qualified, and will submit a service contract agreement for approval at the January 6, 2025, Town Council meeting. MISCELLANEOUS The Town reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and the right in its sole discretion to accept the proposal it considers most favorable to the Town’s interest. The Town further reserves the right to reject all proposals and seek new proposals when such procedure is deemed reasonable and in its best interest. The Town shall not be liable for any expenses incurred by the applicant including, but not limited to, expenses associated with the preparation of the proposal, attendance at interviews, preparation of a cost statement, or final contract negotiations. All responses to the request for proposal will become the property of the Town. Reasonable precautions will be taken to ensure the confidentiality of the material subject to any disclosure requirements that may apply pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act. Each respondent shall ---PAGE BREAK--- RFP – Comprehensive Plan Update page 6 Town of Monument, Colorado issued October 8, 2024 6 denote and clearly indicate any proprietary information that is submitted as part of their proposal. The successful proposal will become public information after selection. SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS Proposals must be submitted to: Department of Planning Town of Monument 645 Beacon Lite Rd. Monument, Colorado 80132 [EMAIL REDACTED] A virtual pre-submittal meeting (via an MS Teams link) will be held on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 3 pm to answer questions regarding the RFP. Please email [EMAIL REDACTED] to confirm your interest in attending this meeting. One copy of the proposal, in pdf format, must be received no later than 1 pm on Friday, November 22, 2024. It is suggested that the proposal be formatted in a standard 8.5” x 11” format for ease of review and reproduction. No size larger than 11” x 17” can be accepted to allow for Town reproduction.