I. Background and Purpose

The City of Golden Valley is a Plan B statutory City with a City Council/City Manager form of government. The City Council consists of a Mayor and four Council Members elected at-large. All policy and legislative decisions are the responsibility of the Council. The Council delegates the administrative duties to the City Manager who is responsible for hiring and managing City Staff and carrying out the policies of the Council.

The City Council highlighted this Missing Middle Housing Study as a strategic priority for 2025. The City of Golden Valley is committed to increasing affordable housing options and creating a welcoming City.

II. Scope of Work and Deliverables

The City of Golden Valley is seeking proposals from qualified companies for a Missing Middle Housing Study that will help prepare the City for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan.

The objectives of this study include:

• Research missing middle housing as it relates to Golden Valley and the City's goals for increasing affordability
• Create right-sized missing middle housing solutions that can be implemented in Golden Valley in an effective manner.
• Engage with the community to educate and inform on the concept and benefits of Missing Middle Housing and to gauge local housing needs and preferences.
• Provide actionable metrics around local and regional housing demand.
• Add diversity in resident types and income levels to standard single-family neighborhoods.
• Create policies that will allow infill density in low density areas of the City.
• Increase the types of housing units available to meet demographic and cultural needs.

The scope of the study should include, but is not limited to:

Pre-Study Data Collection

• Conduct a housing needs assessment that includes an analysis of housing demand, affordability gaps, population growth, and demographic trends.
• Evaluate our existing housing stock at a neighborhood level, including a detailed review of single-family and multi-family housing stock.
• Review existing zoning regulations and land-use policies, including the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
• Review existing Mixed Income Housing Policy available here.
• Review existing Narrow Lot Housing Study available here.
• Review existing Comprehensive Housing Needs Analysis available here.
• Review existing Housing Chapter of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan here.

Engagement

Conduct community engagement related to the study including:

• Staff: Engage Planning, Housing, Building, Engineering, Sustainability, and Equity staff.
• Developers: Consult with local developers to better understand the appetite and/or feasibility for development of desirable housing types.
• Boards and Commissions: Meet with the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, Planning Commission, and potentially Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission to help determine implementation plan recommendations.
• City Council: Meet with City Council throughout process (1 – 2 meetings) and to present implementation plan (1 meeting).
• Residents and Community Members: Inform and educate the public about missing middle housing through a comprehensive community involvement strategy. Provide the Communications Department language and documents for website and online communications.

Policy and Regulatory Review

• Analyze existing zoning and land use policies at the City and identify barriers within those policies (e.g. should the City consider flag lots, should we streamline the process for an ADU). Identify additional equity considerations.
• Identify conflicts that infill housing could have with environmental goals and emergency response considerations.
• Respond to last year's proposed legislative actions and provide guidance as it relates to housing density and allowed housing types.

Case Studies and Best Practices

• Research and present successful case studies of missing middle housing implementation in other cities. - Identify any specific design standards that other cities have implemented in relation to missing middle housing to help alleviate neighborhood concerns.

Feasibility

• Identify the most viable missing middle housing types for Golden Valley.
• Discuss the potential economic impacts of missing middle housing on local housing prices, rental markets, and citywide affordability. Provide analysis on whether this type of housing helps us meet our affordability goals.
• Evaluate infrastructure capacity as it relates to increased density with a key focus on sewer and water capacity. Highlight transportation needs including public transportation (bus), bicycling, and parking needs.
• Include accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in analysis.
• Include emergency response considerations.
• Include environmental goals that could be furthered or hindered by infill housing.

Implementation Plan

• Provide specific policy and zoning code recommendations to implement missing middle housing.
• Outline an implementation plan that includes the 2050 Comprehensive Plan.

Final Report

• Prepare final comprehensive report.
• Prepare 'one pager' on report for streamlined communications as it relates to this work. Present to Planning Commission, HRA, and City Council.

III. Questions about and Clarifications of the RFP

All questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted via e-mail to Emily Goellner at egoellner@goldenvalleymn.gov on or before April 11, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

Should any prospective respondent be in doubt as to the true meaning of any portion of this RFP, or should the respondent find any ambiguity, inconsistency, or omission therein, the respondent shall make a written request for an official interpretation or correction by the due date above.

All interpretations, corrections, or additions to this RFP will be made only as an official addendum and it shall be the respondent's responsibility to ensure they have received all addenda before submitting a proposal. Any addendum issued by the City shall become part of the RFP and must be incorporated in the proposal where applicable.

IV. Tentative Project Timeline & Payment

The timeline below represents the City's best estimates for the completion of major milestones regarding this project. Dates are subject to change as needed to best fit the City's needs. However, consideration of input from the selected consultant will be used to develop a final schedule to be used in the award of contract. All deadlines are 11:59 pm on the day posted.

1. Distribution of RFP: April 1, 2025
2. Submit questions: April 11, 2025
3. Answers posted: April 16, 2025
4. Submission of proposals to City: April 30, 2025
5. Interviews: May 13, 2025
6. Notice of selection: May 16, 2025
7. City Council approval: June 3, 2025
8. Execution of contract: by June 6, 2025
9. Complete project: October 31, 2025

Payment to the selected consultant is anticipated to be based upon monthly invoices documenting time and reimbursable expenses of each team member in accordance with the proposed fee schedule.

The City has allocated $55,000 for completion of the project. If there are additional services available from the chosen consultant, the City may choose to add on additional services outside of the contract amount.

V. Proposal Submissions Process

A. Due Date

Proposals received after 11:59 pm on April 30, 2025, will not be considered.

B. Submission Requirements

1. Proposals should be limited to ten pages or less.
2. Do not include any promotional material.
3. Submit proposal via email to: Emily Goellner, Community and Economic Development Director egoellner@goldenvalleymn.gov

C. Format

For equitable comparison and evaluation, proposals must be limited to 10 pages, in the following format:

1. Cover Page

1. Title
2. Company: Name and Address
3. Contact Person: Name, Title, Phone Number, and Email Address
4. Date of Proposal

2. Cover Letter

1. Describe the company's mission, vision, and values and how they align with the mission, vision, and values of the City of Golden Valley.
2. Describe the company's prior experience providing similar services described in this RFP.
3. Describe the qualifications of key personnel involved in the scope of work.

3. Statement of Proposed Work

1. Methodology: An overview of the approach to providing the services detailed above.
2. Timeline: Propose a concrete, reasonable timeline for the completion of each component in the process, including the important meetings and contacts with the City's key project personnel and other employees.
3. Budget and Deliverables: Provide a detailed budget, including description of cost for each service and deliverable, identification of payment milestones, and clear identification of optional services and reimbursable costs not included in basic fees (including hourly rates).

VI. Proposal Evaluation and Selection

A team of City staff will evaluate all proposals and select the proposal or proposals that best demonstrate the ability to reliably perform the work with integrity. Companies may partner to submit proposals; however, one company must be identified as the primary contact on the proposal. The City reserves the right to reject some or all of the proposals and to award by individual line item, by group of line items or as a total, whichever is deemed most advantageous to the City. The City reserves the right to request additional information or clarifications, to allow corrections of errors or omissions, or to modify the proposal schedule.

A. Proposal Evaluation

Each proposal will be examined initially to ensure it follows the proposal format and instructions in this RFP. Proposals that do not follow the specific format will not be considered. Late proposals will not be considered.

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Experience of company and key personnel related to scope of services outlined in this RFP, including years and history
• Qualifications of key personnel.
• Expressed understanding of the project scope and objectives.
• Quality and technical evaluation of the proposal, project approach, and methodology
• Quality of the work plan and project schedule.
• Company's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Proposal describes how diversity, equity, and inclusion are imbedded in the company's mission, values, strategic plan, and this specific project.
• Cost estimates for the project, including hourly rates of key staff, estimate of hours worked for person per task.

B. Additional Questions and Oral Interviews

After the initial review, the evaluation team will narrow the number of companies and proposals for further consideration. The evaluation team may contact successful companies with additional questions or to schedule an oral interview of approximately one hour. The company shall present to key City staff for approximately 20 – 25 minutes and provide 20 – 25 minutes for question and answers. The remaining time will be used for room/presentation set up and introductions.

Companies shall provide responses to any additional questions within three business days following receipt of the inquiry. The evaluation team will conduct oral interviews in person or via Teams meeting.

C. Final Evaluation

The final evaluation of proposals will be based on the following criteria:

• Initial Proposal
• Oral Interview and Additional Questions
• References
• Final Cost Proposal

D. Contract Award

The evaluation team will make a recommendation to the City Council for awarding the contract. Final approval of the contract rests with the City Council

E. Appeals Process

Protests of the award must be made in writing and must specifically state your grievance. All protests must be filed with City Clerk, Theresa Schyma, TSchyma@goldenvalleymn.gov, within ten calendar days after issuance of notice to award.