SUBJECT: General Business
Title
Request for Proposals for Consulting Assistance on Four Corners Master Plan Development and Unified Development Code Review
Body
DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
PRESENTER: Ben Pratt, Economic Development Director
TIME ESTIMATE: 20 minutes
only required for non-consent items
FISCAL INFORMATION:
Based on initial research and discussions, we believe this scope of work could cost $250,000-$350,000 depending on the finalized scope of work and timelines. Funding for this effort is not in the current Town budget. However, the Board of Trustees’ interest in revising the Unified Development Code (UDC), the critical nature of the study area (the “Four Corners”, which is the geographic center of Erie), and recent and likely requests for Special Review Use (SRU) and zone changes, staff believes this Request For Proposals (RFP) is needed to secure the consulting assistance staff needs to proactively address these issues in a timely and effective manner.
If the Board directs staff to proceed with issuing the RFP, once staff has received and evaluated the proposals, staff will present recommendations to the Board of Trustees along with a proposed supplemental budget request reflecting the negotiated scope of work and required expenses.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff requests direction from the Board of Trustees to issue a RFP for Consulting Assistance on a Four Corners Master Plan Development and Unified Development Code Review.End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
The Town has had a series of requests from different developers of properties around the intersection of Erie Parkway and County Line Road. This area, generally referred to as the Four Corners, will be an important Community Center. Currently, the Town has not adopted a defined vision for the overall development the Town wants in this important Center. To help resolve this issue and create a clear vision for the area, the Town has engaged the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to conduct a Technical Advisory Panel <https://colorado.uli.org/uli-in-action/taps/> (TAP).
The TAP is an intensive design, planning and evaluation effort involving a team of professionals with significant experience in architecture and design, Front Range Colorado market analysis, urban planning, retail development and transportation systems. The TAP team will work with Town staff and Elected Officials, property owners and developers, neighbors adjacent to the site, and other interested stakeholders to help develop and refine a clear and realistic community vision for this area. The TAP will be a 2-day process held in Town on July 11th and 12th. The end result will be a report from the TAP panel, including recommendations on actions to take to achieve the community vision.
Staff expects the TAP report and recommendations to provide a framework for action. However, building the numerous elements required to execute that framework will take significant follow-up work. Those elements will likely include a Master Development Plan Overlay for the Four Corners area, Design Guidelines, amendments to the UDC and other significant actions. The intent with all this work is to develop a clear, predictable and swift path forward for developers to create the kind of development that reflects the community vision and creates an attractive community center with the right mix of retail, office, residential, park and open space uses that will thrive in Erie’s market.
Staff believes developing a proposed overlay district for the study area with design guidelines, zoning modifications, suggested revisions to the UDC (that can potentially be applied beyond the study area) is necessary to address the immediate planning needs associated with the Four Corners area. This work will also provide important insights on ways we can change key components of the UDC.
The attached documents include the draft RFP, a map of the study area, and a draft proposal from the design firm DPZ. The latter document helps illustrate the kind of services that staff believe would be helpful for Erie.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Request for Proposals - Consultant for Master Plan of “Four Corners”
2. Map of Study Area
3. Draft Proposal for Master Plan & Urban Design Services from DPZ