[Consultantservices] [Consultant Services] RFP posted Monday, May 07, 2007 12:20 p.m.

[Grace Williams]

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consultants follow a two-part RFQ/RFP selection procedure. Click here to
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Request for Proposals - Consultant Services

Development Code Amendments
The City of Sugar Land, Texas
Submittal Deadline: May 17, 2007

Objective
The City of Sugar Land seeks the services of a qualified consultant with
a focus expertise on specific regulations related to Zoning Board of
Adjustment proceedings and vested rights.  The firm will provide
research services, analyze alternatives, and make recommendations for
Development Code amendments, Board rules, and policies as needed.

Background
Founded as a sugar plantation in the mid 1800s and incorporated in 1959,
Sugar Land is located in Fort Bend County, 20 miles southwest of
downtown Houston. Sugar Land is a full-service municipality providing
police and fire protection, water/wastewater utilities, solid waste
collection, curbside recycling, a regional airport, parks and
recreation, public works, planning/zoning and other services.  The
City's Comprehensive Plan was last updated in 2003.

Project Objectives
Perform an extensive review of State statutes and the practices of other
Texas municipalities (of comparable size) as they pertain to:

*	Vested Rights and the practical application of Chapter 245 of
the Local Government Code; and 
*	Procedures and standards related to the granting of variances
from municipal zoning ordinances. 

Develop options for the implementation of a Vested Rights recognition
process, 

Develop proposals for effective variance standards and processes.

Scope of Services
Consultant will conduct meetings with City staff, Zoning Board of
Adjustment, City Council, and stakeholder groups as necessary to
determine current code issues, community values and Council vision.
Consultant will recommend a more structured and formal process for
Zoning Board of Adjustment proceedings.  Consultant will also make
recommendations regarding legal underpinnings in Zoning Board variance
decisions.

Consultant will recommend a process by which development rights that
have been vested under state statute can be formally recognized by the
City, which will enable the City to grant the most precise concessions
allowed under law.

Consultant will work closely with City Council committees, task forces
or other groups as necessary.

Key Issues
Vested Rights: Recent state law changes, especially to Ch.245 of the
Local Government Code, have increased restrictions on the issuance and
denial of municipal permits.  We would like to examine options for
establishing a process by which vested rights can be recognized
administratively, in order to avoid litigation.

Variances to the Zoning Ordinance:  The Development Code provisions
relating to the standards under which variances may be granted are
imprecise and possibly overbroad.  Under a conservative interpretation
it would be difficult to grant practical and reasonable variances.   We
need a comprehensive analysis of our current standards as they relate to
those of other Texas City's.  We need to identify the important
principals embodied in our current standards and develop code language
that will maintain those principals while at the same time granting more
flexibility to the Board.  Additionally, the Board of Adjustments, being
a Quasi-Judicial body, is in need of a more formal process for receiving
testimony, hearing evidence, issuing decisions, and the general conduct
of its meetings.

Proposals are due Thursday, May 17, 2007.  

Copies of the complete RFP can be found at
http://www.sugarlandtx.gov/community_dev/planning/rfp.asp
<http://www.sugarlandtx.gov/community_dev/planning/rfp.asp> .

 

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