Work will begin on March 31 and may last until Sept. 30, 2011, according to the contract, although the scope of work detailed by RPI shows the plan update will be completed in 12 months.
Unlike the current plan, which is oriented toward goals and policies, the update is slated, according to the contract, to include a “future land use plan” for the Spanish Valley area. For Spanish Valley this means RPI will produce a map featuring “density/growth areas,” public facilities, open space, and connectivity for bike and pedestrian paths.
The county council approved the selection of RPI without discussion, although a minor concern was raised regarding requirements of confidentiality.
The section in the proposed contract requiring that “all information disclosed by the county... be kept strictly confidential,” was removed following a discussion in which council members agreed that the entire general plan update process is designed to be as open and transparent as possible.
Although general plans are commonly updated every five years, according to discussion held by the Grand County Planning and Zoning Commission as it developed its request for proposals, this will be the first update of the county’s plan since 2003. The original general plan was created in 1996.
Interviews were conducted with four of the 15 applicants for the job, according to Grand County Planner Kristine Killoy. RPI came out on top not only because of the quality of its proposal, but also because the company submitted the least costly bid, Killoy said.
The contract amount of $89,840 is less than the $100,000 budgeted by the council for the project.
The contract states that, following a media outreach effort, a citizen working group will be established to develop a survey instrument to help determine citizen needs and desires. Existing conditions, trends and projections will be analyzed throughout the process.
After three months, a “draft vision” approved by the working group will be presented to the Grand County Planning and Zoning Commission. That will be followed by a number of public meetings and community surveys.
Ultimately, the process will lead to a vision and policies for the entire county, plus the land use plan for Spanish Valley. An implementation matrix, a fiscal impact summary, and a “basic land use code review” will also be developed as part of the general plan update.
RPI will present color hard copies and electronic versions of the plan to the planning commission and the county council, and will produce a news release and public hearing advertisements, according to the contract.