[Consultantservices] Request for Proposals - Consultant Services

[Ralph Jassen]

Comprehensive Plan Update
Queen Anne's County Dept. of Land Use, Growth, Centreville, Maryland
Submittal Deadline: February 11, 2008

THE PROJECT
The Queen Anne's County Department of Land Use, Growth Management and
Environment is seeking proposals from a qualified planning firm or land
use consultant to lead the Update of the County's Comprehensive Plan.
The plan was last updated in 2002. The Plan update includes all the
unincorporated area of the county and reflects the existing 8
incorporated municipalities adopted community plans.

All proposals must be received by the Department of Land Use, Growth
Management and Environment no later than 4:00 p.m., on Monday, February
11, 2006.

An informational newsletter will be sent to all households, and in other
ways distributed throughout Queen Anne's County. This newsletter will
contain an invitation for residents in the planning area to participate
in visioning meetings for their community. The visioning meetings, three
will be offered with the same format, will provide information to the
citizenry about the planning process and a brief update of the changes
in their community since the last community plan update which was in
2002. It will offer an opportunity for residents to identify assets and
concerns in their community and provide a chance for the community
resident's to review and possibly update the vision for their future and
volunteer to participate in a Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) that will
guide the Comprehensive Plan update.

A Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) will be appointed by the County
Commissioners following the visioning meetings. The CAC membership will
contain from 12 to 20 members. A member of the Planning Commission will
also be appointed to serve on the CAC as well. Additionally, topic
committees will be formed around specific areas of concentration such as
Infrastructure, Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection,
Town/County, Business and Economic Development, Agriculture and Rural
Development. The Planning Commission will make recommendations to the
County Commissioners for the membership on the CAC as well as the Topic
Committees, A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) that consists of
persons from pertinent County Departments will also be appointed for the
Community Plan. The selected consultant will serve as the principal lead
agent for the CAC and the TAC in the preparation and update of the
Community Plan.

At a minimum the consultant will be expected to lead the 3 visioning
meetings, at least twentyfive (25) work-sessions held approximately once
or twice per month, three public forums, two to three Planning
Commission work sessions, one Planning Commission Public Hearing, one to
two County Commissioner work session, and one County Commissioner Public
Hearing.

PROPOSED SCOPE OF SERVICES

This project is to develop an update of the Comprehensive Plan for the
unincorporated area of the County. The County is seeking qualified
individuals and organizations to provide consulting services for the
review and update of the Queen Anne's County Comprehensive Plan.
Specific emphasis for the plan should focus on smart growth, the purpose
and process of the plan, population and demographics, Chesapeake Bay
Critical Area, natural resources, education, economic
development/tourism, transportation and infrastructure, community
facilities, and community planning issues such as pace and location of
growth as well as the impacts to existing neighborhoods, fragmented
pattern of some existing development, protection of rural areas outside
of the growth area, and development design criteria. Any change in the
growth area boundary should be supported by a land demand analysis that
clearly provides necessary justification for the change.

The project will result in the formal and complete drafting and adoption
of the Comprehensive Plan that addresses all elements as required by
Article 66B of the Annotated Code of Maryland and House Bill (HB) 1141,
HB 2 and HB 1160. The final plan will guide community planning,
investment and decision making for the unincorporated area of Queen
Anne's County.

The project will be completed no later than October of 2009. Consultants
are free to recommend an accelerated scheduled for the completion of the
planning effort prior to October 2007 based on prior experiences and
expertise.

Work Program:
The consultant must provide a detailed work program and schedule,
showing anticipated start and realistic finish dates for the major tasks
associated with the planning process. The consultant shall define and
outline the proposed elements of work, number of meetings, proposed
schedule and any assumptions made in the assembly of the fee. During the
entire process of the Comprehensive Plan Update, the necessary creation
or changes needed to County Code to implement the Plan Update should be
identified.

Consultant services will begin in March 2008 and will terminate with the
Board of County Commissioners adoption of the Community Plan. The
project must be completed no later than October of 2009.

Work Program: 
For a detailed description of the required tasks please refer to the
entire RFP document, which can be obtained on the County's website at
www.qac.org <http://www.qac.org>  and click on the box "Bids and
Proposals" or contact Queen Anne's County Dept. of Land Use, Growth
Management and Environment at 410-758-1255 to request a copy of the RFP.

PRE-BID MEETING
A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held with the members of the
Selection Committee on Monday January 14, 2008 at 2:00 p.m., in the
Department of Land Use Growth Management and Environment's meeting room
at 160 Coursevall Drive, Centreville, Maryland - 21617. For directions
contact the Department of Land Use at 410-758-1255.

Attendance at the pre-bid meeting is mandatory. Questions from
prospective consultants will be entertained at this time in a public
format. It is requested that questions regarding the RFP be submitted
via e-mail prior to the pre-bid meeting. All consultants intending to
submit a proposal for this project must attend the pre-bid meeting and
must register with Helen M. Spinelli at the Department of Land Use,
Growth Management and Environment to be included on the bidders
information list and in order to receive any written responses to
inquiries as well as any proposal addendums. To register and e-mail RFP
questions, please contact Helen M. Spinelli at hspinelli at qac.org
<mailto:hspinelli at qac.org> .

PROPOSALS DUE
All proposals must be received by the Department of Land Use, Growth
Management and Environment no later than 4:00 p.m., Monday February
11th, 2008. Seven (67 copies of the proposal package must be submitted
in a sealed envelope bearing the bidder's company name and clearly
labeled "Sealed Proposal for the Update of the Comprehensive Plan
Update: Attn. Helen M. Spinelli". No e-mail or faxed proposals will be
accepted.

For additional information contact:

Helen M. Spinelli
Queen Anne's County Dept. of Land Use, Growth
Management and Environement
160 Coursevall Drive
Centreville, MD 21617
(P) 410-758-1255
(F) 410-758-2905
hspinelli at qac.org <mailto:hspinelli at qac.org> 

 

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