RFQ - Form Based Code Consultant - 4790177

This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in State College, Pennsylvania. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

College Township, a second-class township, located in Centre County, Pennsylvania and home to a large portion of the Pennsylvania State University - University Park Campus including Beaver Stadium, has issued this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for consulting services related to the preparation of a Form-Based Code. This new Form-Based Code is anticipated to replace the existing traditional Euclidean Zoning currently regulating an approximately 2.3 square mile area located in the northeastern portion of township known locally as Dale Summit. College Township is seeking a consultant or consultant team with the expertise and relevant experience necessary to guide the development and implementation of a Form-Based Code for Dale Summit. The consultant or consultant team responding to this RFQ should demonstrate the following: a. Understanding and experience in preparing municipal form-based codes that regulate development and redevelopment in other communities, with references. College Township is seeking a consultant or consultant team that exhibits an understanding of the application of Form-Based Code in a municipal setting, ideally a rural/suburban setting similar to Dale Summit, and has demonstrated experience in guiding the development and implementation of a Form-Based Code in other communities. b. Experience in with facilitating community-planning efforts and building community consensus to support innovative regulatory structures. College Township anticipates some community concerns and potential resistance to this proposed change of regulating code. The consultant or consultant team should be able to demonstrate ability and experience with facilitating discussions in open public meetings, managing design charrettes and building consensus to support implementation of a Form-Based Code, or other relevant innovative regulatory changes. Further, the consultant or consultant team should be able to demonstrate an ability to distill complex topics into easily understood and user-friendly terms. c. Experience in identifying, evaluating, codifying, and explaining the essential qualities of community design and character. As outlined in the Background, Township Officials and community members share a vision for the future of Dale Summit. The consultant or consultant team should be able to demonstrate examples of experience in understanding a community vision and how that vision was codified through municipal regulations. d. Experience in writing or implementing municipal land use regulations, with references. While the consultant or consultant team's experience with Form-Based Code is critical, a demonstration of broad experience with writing and implementing all varieties of municipal land use regulations will also be factored into overall evaluation. e. Understanding of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) and Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code. To ensure success of this endeavor, the consultant or consultant team should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the specific nuances found within both the PA MPC and Township Code, as they may have bearing on the deliverables. f. Strong urban design, planning and architectural skills. To meet the objectives, the consultant or consultant team should demonstrate expertise and experience in crafting regulations that lead to the development of recognizable and attractive places. Examples of past work should call out regulation development focused on improving aesthetics, encouraging vibrant civic spaces, seamlessly incorporating multiple modes of transportation, emphasizing on human-scale development and sparking revitalization and further economic development. It is the expectation that the consultant or consultant team will be comprised of multi-disciplinary professionals with appropriate certifications. g. Strong graphic skills. Specifically the utilization of ESRI ArcGIS products to develop associated document mapping and GIS layers is required. ArcGIS Urban (or comparable) 3D-based scenario planning and impact assessment is desired. h. Strong skills in written and oral communication. The consultant or consultant team should be able to demonstrate these skills through the overall quality and creativity of the written response, including shared samples of previous comparable work products. Selected finalists will also be given the opportunity to demonstrate their oral communication/presentation skills during an interview process. i. Ability to understand the community, the project's needs and special challenges. Responses should indicate a basic understanding of the community and the associated project needs and challenges. j. Other desirable skills and experiences. Consultants or consultant teams should indicate positive experience and skills associated with any of the following: o Legal research as it pertains to the development of land use regulations o Demographic evaluations and projections o Environmentally challenging locations, such as brownfields. The method of contractor selection has not been determined at this time.