On-Call Consultant Services
Prince William County Planning
Woodbridge, VA
The objective of the Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals to from a qualified pool of Contractors for the delivery of timely and efficient planning services to the Planning Office on an as-needed basis.
Qualified consultants shall provide one or more of the following planning services for the Planning Office or other PWC entities:
1. Community Outreach, Meeting Facilitation, and events. Responsibilities may include:
- Preparing materials for community engagement efforts, including agendas, handouts, mailings, factsheets, comment cards, presentations, surveys, infographics, and illustrations.
- Identifying effective and equitable community outreach and engagement activities to support engaging the county's diverse population.
- Leading, and facilitating large or small open houses, charrettes, or other stakeholder events both in person and virtual with a diverse set of participants that may include language interpretation.
- Leading and facilitating complex and/or controversial projects with effective conflict resolution skills.
- Drafting content for a project website.
- Working with Communications staff to identify media and communication needs to advertise public engagement opportunities/events and project updates as well as preparing press releases, invitations, notifications, newsletters, and social media postings.
2. Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Planning to include support to County staff in the amendment of the Comprehensive Plan. This includes related research or tasks for update and production of Small Area Plans and Redevelopment Corridor Plans. Tasks may include one or more of the activities listed below:
- Development of specialized research to include identifying trends, best practices, and policies for planning topic areas.
- Develop Small Area Plans and Redevelopment Corridor Plans.
- Develop Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.
3. Cultural Resource Management Services to include consultants or consultant teams to support the Planning office's historic preservation planning, and archeology including historical/heritage resource analysis initiatives as well to support other long range planning efforts or review and comment on development applications. Tasks associated with these efforts could include:
- Developing research designs and conducting archival research in the preparation of professional reports, papers, presentations, or other materials that summarize research studies.
- Developing design guidelines for Historic Overlay Districts.
- Conducting Phase I, II, and III Archaeological Investigations that meet Federal and Virgnia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) standards and guidelines.
- Conducting historic architectural investigations that meets Federal and Virgnia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) standards and guidelines for identification (Phase I) and intensive level (Phase II) surveys.
- Virginia Cultural Resource Information system (V-CRIS) data entry.
- Preparing National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nominations.
- Conducting oral history interviews and preparing interview transcripts.
- Preparing Historic Structures Report, architectural and engineering assessments, and historic preservation/treatment plans. • Historic preservation planning consultation.
- Preparing Interpretive Signage, Story maps, and other Interpretive materials.
- GIS capabilities and applications involving Interpretation and Study of Cultural Resources.
- Preparing Historic American Building Survey (HABS)/Historic American Engineering Record (HAER)/Historic American Landscape Survey (HAL) Documentation.
- Providing Section 106 consultation and determination of effect reviews in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.
- Cultural Landscape Documentation and Evaluation.
- Review, and comment on Phase I, Phase II, data recovery, and cemetery delineation reports.
- Review and comment on development applications such as rezonings, special use permits, public facility reviews, and proffer amendments, for their impact on cultural resources.
- Review and comment on site plans for their impact on cultural resources.
- Special Studies (Geoarchaeology Assessments, Archaeobotanical Studies, Dendrochronology, Paint Analysis, carbon dating, residue analysis, Remote Sensing services-such as ground penetrating radar, magnetometer, soil resistivity, soil conductivity, etc.).
4. Development Review including:
- Analyze projects (Rezonings, Special Use Permits and Proffer Amendments) for compliance with the County's Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Design Constructions and Standards Manual (DSCM), and other applicable specific plans and other policies.
- Meeting with developers, engineers, property owners, contractors and other concerned citizens and individuals to discuss advice, explain processes and suggest improvements regarding potential projects, pre-applications, development applications, conceptual development plans and code interpretation.
- Write Planning Commission, and Board of County Supervisor staff reports, resolutions, ordinances, conditions of approval, memorandums, public notices, and agendas and give oral presentations.
- Review and process ministerial applications such as minor modifications.
5. Land Use Ordinances and Regulatory Tools which could include:
- Review applicable Virginia statutory framework and understand Dillion Rule governance and limitations.
- Update the Zoning and other land regulatory ordinances so that they are more responsive to development trends and encourage quality development including modernization.
- Update the Zoning and other land regulatory ordinances so they are consistent with and follow the vision, goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan.
- Update the Zoning and other land regulatory ordinances so that they are current with all local, state, and federal statues and are consistent with recent case law and constitutional determinations.
- Update to enhance the usability and understanding of the Zoning and other land regulatory ordinances.
- Update and find ways to increase the scope of administrative approvals and expand the number of by-right uses, to include development of performance standards to ensure development meets desired criteria.
- Implement changes to the legislative review process to enhance efficiency and improve outcomes for all stakeholders.
6. Noise Studies and Review
- Review County Ordinance with emphasis on industrial noise characteristics.
- Review noise studies to make sure they comply with County ordinances, and state regulations.
7. Planning Studies and Analysis to include:
- Demographics.
- Economic, Housing and Market Analysis.
- Environmental Assessment.
- Geographic Information Systems Analysis/Mapping- Sustainability, Resiliency and Climate Change Adaptation.
8. Training for Planning Related Topics whereas the consultant would train staff either in small or large groups such as, but not exhaustive of (facilitation, preparing for a charrette, sustainability, and green building practices).
9. Urban Design/Design Guidelines/Landscape Architecture that support staff in solving design problems, identifying alternative designs, and developing innovative approaches to place-making and design.