The Town of Wake Forest (further referred to as "the Town") is soliciting Statements of Qualifications from qualified firms offering comprehensive planning and future land use map services. The Town desires to have a well-organized comprehensive plan, which will include a future land use map identifying key areas for focused development, that solicits, engages and incorporates community input into a user-friendly document to help guide growth in the Town.

The Town seeks to identify qualified consultants who have robust experience preparing comprehensive plans and land use maps; urban design; economics; sustainability; engaging the community; soliciting and incorporating community input; knowledge of Wake County, North Carolina and the rapid growth it is experiencing; North Carolina land use law; experience with developing and carrying out creative outreach methods; facilitation of public meetings; compilation and analysis of information; GIS capabilities; innovative and user-friendly documents that are legible in both a digital and written form; quality design graphics; presentations to boards and commissions; and attainable recommendations for implementation of goals.

All respondents to this RFQ are subject to the instructions communicated in this document and are cautioned to completely review the entire RFQ and follow instructions carefully.

The Community Plan and Growth Strategies Map:

The Town of Wake Forest currently relies on the adopted Town of Wake Forest Community Plan and Growth Strategies Map as a policy-based comprehensive plan with an action agenda to achieve implementation. The Community Plan was adopted in 2009 and it contains the vision statements, policies, and actions that have guided growth in the Town of Wake Forest for the last 10 years. The plan is broken into the key sections: Town Areas; Town Transportation; Town Appearance; Growth Management; Quality of Life; and Growth Strategy Map. See Attachment A for a copy of the Plan.

The Community Plan is a key policy and action document for the Town of Wake Forest to be used by staff, government agencies, elected officials, property owners, residents and developers to guide growth.

The Town will issue an RFQ to begin updating the Northeast Community Neighborhood Plan in January 2020. See Attachment B for current Northeast Community Neighborhood Plan and Area. Once adopted, the Northeast Community Neighborhood Plan will provide direction and guidance to the Town of Wake Forest for future development and improvements in the Northeast Community. This plan will provide evaluations of the existing conditions found within the neighborhood and specific neighborhood goals and action items to address issues raised by the neighborhood. In addition, this plan will address the neighborhood's economic development needs and will suggest actions for expanding local services and jobs.

The timing of the Comprehensive Community Plan and Northeast Community Neighborhood Plan updates will allow for overlap, communication and integration.

Wake Forest Planning Efforts:

The Town completed a Comprehensive Transportation Plan in October 2019. (See Attachment C). The Renaissance Plan for Downtown Wake Forest was updated and adopted in 2017. (See Attachment D). These and other planning efforts should be appropriately reflected in the update to the Community Plan.

Scope of Services

The community plan should include the following information and analysis. Alternative services and deliverables may be proposed on evidence of the need to meet the purpose of the RFQ. RFQs that do not include all these will not be considered.

Task 1: Project Initiation

• Provide an estimated timeline and work schedule. The timeline must be efficient and move briskly.
• Hold a kick-off meeting with Town of Wake Forest Planning Department staff to review timeline, scope, administrative procedures and share information about potential issues and areas of concern.

Task 2: Community Engagement and Outreach

• Identify how all stakeholders will be engaged.
• Include both traditional and non-traditional outreach methods.
• Identify public, non-profit, or other entities to assist in outreach.
• Identify key themes or principles from the public outreach.
• Prepare outreach materials.
• Present to the Board of Commissioners with project updates at major milestones (e.g. formation of vision statement, completion of existing conditions analysis, etc.), provide update to Planning Board, attend and present at the Board of Commissioner adoption meetings and attend steering committee meetings.

Task 3: Existing Conditions Analysis

• Identify and review existing plans and policies, such as the recently adopted Comprehensive Transportation Plan, to evaluate and appropriately incorporate.
• Prepare analysis on development, demographic, and socio-economic trends in and around Wake Forest.
• Conduct an existing land use inventory.
• Conduct field reconnaissance.

Task 4: Analysis

• Provide an economic impact/fiscal analysis to inform the Community Plan, key areas for growth, and zoning map amendment requests.
• Identify development regulations that impact development in Wake Forest.
• Provide analysis of Wake Forest tourism in comparison to the region. Identify potential opportunities for Wake Forest tourism growth.

Task 5: Vision and Goals

• Define the Community Plan purpose.
• Create a unified Community Plan vision with goals based on analysis and public outreach themes.

Task 6: Specific Recommendations

• Formulate short- and long-term recommendations that are linked to the key themes or principles and accommodate housing needs, commercial growth and economic development.
• Prepare a Future Land Use Map that is fiscally grounded and rooted in public outreach.

Each task shall be combined and form the basis for a comprehensive plan that clearly defines the Plan's horizon and policy implementation timelines (e.g., 5-year, 7-year, etc.). The Plan will be subjected to a three- or four-stage review process. Town staff will review the draft and advise the consultant of needed changes — this stage may consist of up to three review cycles. When the changes have been finalized, the consultant will be advised to produce a draft for presentation to the Board of Commissioners and Planning Board. Following the presentation, up to two additional review cycles may be necessary to incorporate any recommended changes.

Statement of Qualifications Submittal

The deadline for firms submitting qualifications is 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 28, 2020. No submissions or supporting documents will be accepted after this deadline. Firms accept all risks for late delivery of Qualifications Packages regardless of fault. Submittals may be emailed to jcurrin@wakeforestnc.gov or delivered to:

Physical Acceptance Location:

Wake Forest Town Hall
3rd Floor
c/o Jennifer Currin
301 S. Brooks Street
Wake Forest, NC 27587-2901

Mailing Address:

Town of Wake Forest
Planning Department
c/o Jennifer Currin
301 S. Brooks Street

Wake Forest, NC 27587-2901Submittal packages should be enclosed in a sealed envelope marked REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS — Comprehensive plan update and future land use MAP (RFQ # 20-0002) and set to the attention of Jennifer Currin.

To review the full RFQ package for specific submittal requirements and project information, visit https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/finance/purchasing-warehouse/bids-announcements.