INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

The Town of Plainfield, Indiana is excited to announce the beginning of its Comprehensive Plan process with the release of this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the development of a full Comprehensive Plan (hereinafter "Plan") for Plainfield.

Plainfield is a thriving suburban community of approximately 35,000 residents and home to a world-class parks and recreation system, a redeveloping downtown area, and the Indianapolis region's largest warehousing and distribution sectors. The town is located in southeastern Hendricks County and shares borders with Indianapolis to the east and the Town of Avon to the north. Plainfield is governed by a Town Manager form of government. The Town Manager is the head administrative officer overseeing all department heads. The Chief Executive Officer is the Plainfield Town Council President. The Town Council has five members representing individual districts.

This document represents the Town of Plainfield's official Request for Qualifications for consultant services to assist with the development of its Comprehensive Plan, to be undertaken beginning in the of Spring of 2022 with anticipated completion in Summer 2023.

A full range of stakeholders encompassing the town's citizens, advisory boards, staff, and community leaders / partners such as local schools, non-profits, businesses, neighborhood representatives, and religious institutions will contribute to this effort. We welcome experienced, multi-disciplinary teams to join alongside us and offer creative solutions to further the Town's commitment to growing in a sustainable manner while preserving its small-town character.

WHY UPDATE?

The Town of Plainfield's Comprehensive Plan was last updated in 2016. Since the Plan update, Plainfield has experienced a tremendous amount of change by way of new construction which has consisted of both public and private investments. The Town is also beginning to see the effects of changing market preferences being reflected in proposed projects which have trended more toward mixed uses, mixed product types, or both.

Over the past few years Plainfield's downtown has been a focal area for transformative public projects. In 2018 the Town adopted a Downtown Conceptual Plan which provided the blueprint for building a new 250-space parking structure near the current Town Hall. Construction is currently underway on a new Government Center which will be followed by the addition of a Performing and Fine Arts Center.

Outside of the Town's core, Plainfield also recently opened the MADE@Plainfield higher education facility which represents a collaborative partnership between the Town of Plainfield, Vincennes University, Plainfield Community School Corporation, Hendricks College Network, Ivy Tech Community College, and WorkOne. This unique facility offers post-secondary education and training for adults of all ages for job and career advancement.

On the private side of downtown development, a mixed-used building known as the Barlow opened earlier this year. The project includes ground floor retail space as well as 118 apartments which were entirely pre-leased prior to occupancy.

Several multi-family projects have been completed or are under construction near the Shops at Perry Crossing — Plainfield's outdoor lifestyle center. Due to increased interest from the development community, and the availability of vacant land which lacked a formalized conceptual plan, the Town created a new Master Plan for the area to the south of the mall.

Single-family residential development has continued within Plainfield, but most of the platting has occurred within the Town's existing corporate boundaries. Available industrial land has become increasingly scarce in Plainfield, which has caused interest in creating new opportunities south of the I-70 corridor.

While changes in the built environment are often easily observed through the eyes of residents and community leaders, there are also noteworthy shifts within development projects themselves which are reflective of changing preferences and attitudes. The Town recently approved a large-scale project called Hobbs Station which will effectively create a new urban core within Plainfield. The development will feature industrial, single-family detached (front and rear load), multi-family, senior housing, retail / mixed-use, and office uses in a walkable setting. Directly adjacent to this project is residential development consisting of mixed building types including single-family detached, townhomes, and apartments.

WHAT SHOULD THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN INCLUDE?

The Comprehensive Plan will need to follow IC 36-7-4-502 with regards to content and planning elements, but the Town of Plainfield desires much more than adherence with state statute. A comprehensive plan is the leading policy document and tool to help a community create a vision, guiding principles, and recommendations for decision-making. The Plan should be designed to include the following:

• Community Vision Statement — What is the Vision for Plainfield's future?
• Key Planning Principles, Themes, or Topic Areas — The Plan should identify topics areas or planning principles which reflect themes identified from gathering ring public input. Each topic area should be supported by a goal and several objectives that serve to organize the specific actions detailed in the plan.
• Goals, Policies, and Actions &nmash; Goals should provide intended outcomes expressed in simple terms for the plan's topics areas or planning principles. Objectives will provide subthemes within the goal that serve to organize actions. Actions will identify a project, policy, or program.
• Future Land Use and Character — Thinking beyond the traditional Future Land Use Map, the Plan should identify desired character traits for different areas of town. The Plan should highlight the intent, primary and secondary uses, and preferred development standards for unique areas to help define the desired character.
• Vision Implementation — While it is important to attach certain objectives and actions to each topic area or planning principle, the Plan should also include a table or matrix which summarizes the information for quick reference. The table should indicate the reasonable timeframe for completion and the party or parties responsible for each action.

While content is critical to the Plan's success, the way in which the information is presented is equally as important. The Plan must be of high-quality visual design and organized in a user-friendly manner. Ideally the Plan would also include unique branding which can be marketed throughout the planning process and beyond.

SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

As part of your response to the RFQ, please include the following:

1. Identify the Project Manager, senior staff, and sub-consultants, if any.
2. Composition of the firm's staff, including number of planning professionals with AICP credentials.
3. Provide sample plans for similar projects your firm has completed.
4. Provide a listing of contact information for the respective communities you have served.
5. Explain how your qualifications are specifically suited to the Town of Plainfield Comprehensive Plan Update, and each major planning element.
6. Indicate expertise and methods you have used in coordinating the public participation process.
7. For each subcontractor who would have primary responsibility for any major element of the Comprehensive Plan, provide all the above items for them as well.
8. Each submittal shall consist of one (1) digital copy in PDF format.

To view a PDF of the RFQ, which includes a supplemental response worksheet, click here.

Tentative timing for the Comprehensive Plan Update project would be from Spring 2022 to Winter 2023.

After the response deadline, the Town of Plainfield will choose no more than four (4) candidates to submit Requests for Proposals (RFP's) and shall do so by May 31st, 2022. With the RFP's, a fee estimate, in a separate sealed envelope, will be required. The Town will then identify the highest ranked providers and attempt to negotiate an agreement for services. The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any nonmaterial irregularities or information in any RFQ or RFP, and not to accept or reject any item or combination of items.

Qualification Statements must be received by 5:00 PM EST Friday, May 6th, 2022. Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.

Responses and questions should be sent via e-mail to Kevin Whaley, AICP, Director of Planning and Zoning, at kwhaley@townofplainfield.com.