City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan

PURPOSE

The City of Meridian (City) seeks an interdisciplinary, innovative and creative consulting team to create a new Comprehensive Plan (Plan). This Request for Proposal (RFP) is intended to identify the best team to work with the City in developing this new Plan.

Creating this new Plan will require professional experience in transportation analysis, infrastructure concurrency, and public involvement. A web platform to solicit and involve the public through meaningful dialog and feedback should be the cornerstone of the project. Synthesis of public involvement, analysis of specific topical subjects and planning areas, and recommendations for future land use and zoning changes, policy revisions, and growth management criteria will all need to be considered. The new Plan will replace the existing Plan, but the consulting team should make use of existing resources and policies, as appropriate, contained in the currently adopted Comprehensive Plan.

BACKGROUND

Since 1990, Meridian has experienced exponential growth that has changed both its character and appearance. From 1990 to 2010, Meridian's population grew from approximately 10,000 to 65,000. Despite some slowdowns in housing starts and job creation during the Great Recession, the population of Meridian continued to rapidly increase to an estimated population of 98,300 in 2017, making Meridian the second largest city in Idaho.

Located in southwest Idaho and adjacent to the City of Boise, Meridian like all the cities in the Treasure Valley benefits from great access to public lands, open wilderness and year-round outdoor activities. Meridian's world class retail, parks, and public services have also drawn an educated and entrepreneurial workforce that has in turn created and attracted major employers.

To continue to provide elevated levels of service, City facilities have grown. In 2002, a 30,000 square foot police station was constructed. With the increased growth since 2002, a 4,400 square foot addition and a new 12,700 square foot public safety training center was constructed in 2014. Fire Stations 3, 4 and 5 have all come on-line in the past 20 years. The wastewater treatment facility in northwest Meridian has seen several additions, and can treat approximately 10.2 million gallons per day. It is currently undergoing a significant expansion which will allow it to treat 15 million gallons per day. New public parks continue to be planned, designed, and built, with two new parks opened in 2017.

THE CHALLENGE

Since 2002, when the last new Plan was adopted, the City has more than doubled in population. Further, in the seven years since the last significant Comprehensive Plan update, more than 20,000 people have moved to the City. With the rapid rate of development and lack of involvement in the current Plan, many residents and stakeholders lack a sense of ownership and security in how the City moves forward.

There are several tasks listed as part of this RFP; a cornerstone is a robust public involvement process. Meridian residents are active, hardworking and dedicated to their families, and engaging with them through traditional public involvement venues as in most communities is challenging. Residents and stakeholders must feel empowered and that their voice is heard. Meridian has already adopted social media platforms such as NextDoor, Facebook and Twitter to share news and opportunities with neighborhoods. The City seeks to further public participation in this project by allowing the community to engage at home and on the go.

The project is anticipated to take approximately 18 months to complete.

For more information, see the full RFP at: http://meridiancity.org/compplan/ or http://meridiancity.org/purchasing.aspx?id=5962