City of Spearfish

625 N. 5th Street, Spearfish, SD 57783

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Review & Analysis of Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations

Issued May 20, 2025

The City of Spearfish is soliciting proposals from qualified planning consultants or consultant teams to provide professional services for the review, analysis, and strategic recommendations to update the City's Zoning Code. The goal is to ensure the Zoning Code reflects current best practices, supports the City's Comprehensive Plan, promotes sustainable growth, and is user-friendly for residents, developers, and staff.

To be considered, six (6) hard copies and one (1) digital copy of a proposal should be submitted in a sealed envelope labeled "Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations Update" to:

City of Spearfish
Attn: Planning Director
625 N. 5th Street
Spearfish, SD 57783

Proposals should be received no later than 3:00 PM, MST, Friday, June 13, 2025.

Questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing to:

Kevin Koelbel, Planning Director
k.koelbel@spearfish.gov

Introduction

The City of Spearfish ("City") is seeking the services of a qualified professional planning consulting firm to assist in the comprehensive review, analysis and recommendations to update the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations.

Background

Spearfish is located along Interstate 90 in the northern Black Hills. Nearly 42 miles northwest of Rapid City, the state's second largest city, Spearfish has been experiencing increased levels of growth and development over the last 10 years. During this time, Spearfish has seen the surrounding Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Area (ETJ) shift from an agricultural and rural setting to a more suburbanized area.

Spearfish is one of the fastest growing cities in Lawrence County and in the State of South Dakota. With an estimated population of 13,200 and an estimated serviceable population of 18,000, Spearfish continues a high level of growth and development within the corporate limits as well as throughout the ETJ, the three-mile planning jurisdiction boundary surrounding the city limits. It is also home to Black Hills State University, a public institution with an annual enrollment of approximately 3,500 students.

The current Zoning Code, which was last comprehensively updated in 2003, has served the city well but has become increasingly outdated in addressing modern development trends, housing needs, land use challenges, and community priorities. The city seeks to revise the code to support strategic goals related to housing diversity, economic development, urban design, and environmental stewardship.

Statement of Need

Spearfish seeks to balance the preservation of its small-town atmosphere with the pressures and opportunities of new residential, commercial, and industrial development. Although the Zoning Ordinance has been updated incrementally over time, it is not well aligned with the vision and goals of the recently adopted 2025 Adventure Ahead Comprehensive Plan.

The current Zoning Ordinance contains regulatory sections on parking, signage, landscaping, and supplemental requirements for specific uses. As part of the analysis, for instance, the City would like to see parking maximums instead of parking minimums, and regulations for accessory dwelling units to be added. The Subdivision Regulations, in turn, address platting requirements, design standards, required improvements, dedications/reservations on public land, improvement procedures, and certifications.

This analysis and recommendations should include the overall modernization of the regulations to provide clarity, improved functionality, and achieve greater sensitivity to the character of the community. It is imperative that firms demonstrate experience with land use planning, zoning code revisions, and the development of subdivision regulations.

The project deliverables anticipate well-organized and user-friendly regulations with supporting graphics, tables, maps, and diagrams. The updates should provide better consistency throughout and ensure that terminology is current, with outdated language updated or eliminated for ease of comprehension. The recommendations should also promote efficient administration and be responsive to market conditions, best practices, and quality outcomes.

Project Objectives

The goal of this project is to provide City Staff guidance to develop updated zoning and subdivision regulations. In coordination with City Staff, the following broad objectives are the driving force for updates:

• Identify existing zoning regulations that are inconsistent with State Statutes or relevant case law
• Identify inconsistencies, unclear language, and outdated requirements contained in existing zoning and subdivision regulations.
• Identify inconsistencies between definitions and terminology throughout the code
• Review existing zoning to better align with the 2025 Adventure Ahead Comprehensive Plan. This includes review of district standards, such as setbacks, height, and building coverage.
• Review the list of permitted and conditional uses and recommend changes to either increase the use types and what uses should be allowed or prohibited in certain zoning districts.
• Review development procedures as needed (rezoning, major/minor subdivision, conditional use permits, etc.)
• Evaluate whether residential setbacks, heights, and coverage are leading to desired development patterns and propose recommended changes.
• Evaluate all aspects of the commercial and industrial zoning regulations to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved and propose recommended changes.

Supporting Documents

The following supporting documents are located at www.spearfish.gov

• Spearfish Zoning Code
• Adventure Ahead Comprehensive Plan (2025)
• Adventure Ahead Comprehensive Plan Supplemental Documents (2025)
• Future Land Use Map
• City Ordinances
• Area Planning Studies
  • Colorado Boulevard Corridor Study
  • East Colorado Boulevard Area Study
  • Highway 85 Land Use Study
  • Old Belle Road Area Study
• Master Transportation Plan
• Parks and Recreation Master Plan
• The Zoning Map is located HERE

Scope of Services

The consultant, in coordination with City staff, will review the existing zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations. This review is essential for gaining a baseline understanding of what inconsistencies exist between the current zoning regulations and South Dakota Law, City Ordinances, and other applicable legal requirements. During this review it is also expected that the consultant will work with City staff to understand what aspects of the current zoning and subdivision regulations should be preserved. The consultant is expected to have recommendations following this review for strategies for updates to the zoning and subdivision code.

• Review and evaluate the existing zoning code and related regulations
• Identify inconsistencies, redundancies, outdated terminology, and gaps
• Compare existing code to best practices in peer communities
• Testing recommended code changes on sample scenarios to ensure that what is being recommended will in fact be applicable
• Review and incorporation of staff's comments
• Staff will be responsible for timely and consistent follow-through on requests and necessary feedback as requested by the consulting team on a regular basis, but should be primarily directed by the consulting team including, but not limited to, scheduling virtual or in-person meetings to discuss the project and ensure that staff consistently provides adequate input.
• This process is expected to have a four (4) month schedule for completion.
• Prepare a written report summarizing findings, issues, and recommended approaches for code amendments or a full rewrite
• Include a prioritized action plan and implementation strategy
• In coordination with Staff, present findings and recommendations to the Planning Commission and City Council

Deliverables

At the end of the project, the successful firm(s) will deliver:

• Comprehensive evaluation of the existing zoning and subdivision code
• Identification of:
  • Inconsistencies or conflicts
  • Outdated provisions
  • Gaps in regulatory coverage
  • Benchmarking with best practices and peer communities.
• A strategic and prioritized report with:
  • Recommendations for zoning code updates or restructuring
  • Annotated outline or framework for future updates
  • Policy alignment with the Comprehensive Plan and community goals
  • Discussion of potential legal, administrative, and technical considerations
• A phased roadmap for code revisions including:
  • Short-term, mid-term, and long-term actions
  • Estimated staff and resource needs
  • Potential quick wins and complex items
  • Recommendations for sequencing updates
• Maps and associated digital data and shapefiles shall be in GIS readable (.shp) format and shall be provided to the City throughout the process for review and editing. All such data, graphics, charts, images, etc., as contained in the final adopted version of the documents shall also be furnished to the City, including editable versions of the final documents. The consultant shall also grant ownership of and provide all digital products in the following forms as appropriate:
• Text: Microsoft Word (.docx), InDesign (.indd), and Adobe Acrobat Files (.PDF)
• Vector: InDesign (.indd), Illustrator (.ai)
• Images: Portable Network Graphic (.PNG), Photoshop (.PS), InDesign (.indd)
• Maps: GIS Readable (.shp) projects and Adobe Acrobat Files (.PDF).
• The City will retain all ownership of images, maps, media, and documents produced throughout the rewrite process.

Proposals

Applicants should clearly identify their approach to performing the scope of services and providing the deliverables. Information in the proposal must include:

1. A description of the firm(s) history, expertise and experience
2. Identification of key team members and qualifications
3. An explanation of your approach to the project
4. A work program and time schedule for the project
5. A budget for the project, broken down by task
6. A list and/or description of similar projects that have been completed, along with references
7. A list of resources or assistance needed from the City

Budget

The city's projected budget for all components of the project is approximately $32,000

Timeline

Consultant Selection: June 30th 2025

Initial Review & Analysis: July, 2025

Recommendations & Draft Report: August, 2025

Final Report: September, 2025

Presentation to Planning Commission: October, 2025

Prior to making an award determination, the City of Spearfish, at its sole discretion, may conduct consultant interviews. Interviews may be conducted virtually. The City reserves the right to reject one or more of the proposals, to waive any deficiencies associated with the submittal, and to accept any proposals that it deems to be in the City's best interest. The City also reserves the right to re-advertise and reject all proposals that are deemed to be nonresponsive, do not contain all the required submittal information as herein contained, are late, or are deemed unsatisfactory in any way. The City of Spearfish shall have no obligation to award a contract for services and work as a result of this Request for Proposal. The final contract price will be negotiated between the City and the chosen firm. Consultants shall bear all costs incurred by their firm for interviews and the RFP response preparation and shall not include such costs within the RFP response. Interested firms shall submit sealed proposals containing six (6) paper copies and one electronic copy (thumb drive) of the complete proposal either in person to the City of Spearfish or mailed to:

City of Spearfish
Attn: Planning Director
625 N. 5th Street
Spearfish, SD 57783

Sealed proposals must be received no later than 3:00 pm MST on June 13, 2025. Submissions received after this deadline shall not be considered for further review.

Any information given verbally or by telephone will be considered informal. Any questions that the City feels are pertinent to all proposals will be included as an addendum to the RFP.