Introduction

The City of Green, Ohio is seeking qualified planning consultants to submit a Request for Qualifications to develop and update the city's Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

The City of Green, once a rural landscape, has transformed into a thriving community that 27,000 + residents and 1200 business call home. The city is the beneficiary of more than 2200 acres of recreational and preserved greenspace that include 9 (nine) city parks, the Singer Lake Bog (managed by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History) and the Nimisila Reservoir Metro Park. Green is also home to Foreign Trade Zone 181, the Akron Canton Regional Airport, and the MAPS Air Museum. Located at the southern border of Summit County halfway between Akron and Canton, the City of Green comprises an area of just under 33.5 square miles. It is traversed from north to south by Interstate 77 which provides easy access north to Akron, Cleveland, and the Ohio Turnpike - a major east-west connector, and south to the City of Canton.

This document represents the City of Green's Request for Qualifications for consultant services to assist with the updating of its Comprehensive Land Use Plan, a process that will include identifying existing conditions, emerging trends, best practices, community priorities and implementation strategies.

A full range of stakeholders including residents, business leaders, board and commission members, regional planning partners, city staff and City Council will contribute to this effort. We welcome experienced multi-disciplinary teams to partner with our staff and growing community to offer creative solutions to further the city's commitment to building a resilient and healthy community for generations to come.

II. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan Opportunity

The City of Green Comprehensive Land Use Plan was first completed in 2004 under the name "Long Range Land Use Plan." In 2014 the plan was updated with a primary focus on the city's Massillon Road (SR241) corridor. Since the last plan update, growth and momentum in the City of Green has been dynamic. We have completed the construction of 10 new roundabouts, suffered the loss of a major employer, developed a connectivity study, opened a third fire station, reconstructed an historic schoolhouse nearly destroyed by arson, created a Student Municipal Representative program, added the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee to the city's inventory of boards and commissions and saw the opening of a small-scale sustainable agricultural farm in one of the city's parks.

We are energized by the opportunity this unique time offers to engage with our community and our region around the future City of Green. A collaborative process to create a shared vision and identify priorities around the city's evolving built, natural, and human environment is timely. The City of Green is committed to partnering with an enthusiastic planning team that values integration with the municipal staff and prioritizes engagement with the community.

III. Scope

1. Initial meeting with the city's liaison to review the project schedule, schedule meetings, and begin the process of data acquisition.
2. Review existing plans, maps, and other data to identify areas where the city should consider revising or updating.
3. Schedule and conduct meetings with appropriate elected and appointed officials. These meetings should include the Mayor, City Council, the Planning and Zoning Commission, planning staff, and various city staff members as needed. The purpose of these meetings will be to obtain input and guidance as it relates to the Comprehensive Plan update process. Individual meetings can be virtual but public meetings and presentations to the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission need to be in person.
4. Schedule and conduct public meetings and topic-specific focus groups, as necessary. Meetings should vary in time and location throughout the City of Green.
5. Use modern public engagement techniques to share and solicit more information from residents.
6. Work with Planning Staff to Prepare a population analysis of the City of Green, including a demographic composite and potential areas for residential, commercial, and industrial growth.
7. Review land use plan summaries from contiguous communities and other government entities and assess land uses within the City of Green in reference to those plans.
8. Accounting for utility needs and land use patterns inside and around the City of Green develop a land use strategy for undeveloped land within the city limits.
9. Review and incorporate information from other city’s plans as appropriate.
10. Review strategic plans from local, state, and federal agencies to ensure coordination.
11. Develop planning goals, objectives and implementation strategies.
12. Make periodic reports to planning staff and present the final document at a public hearing required for official adoption of the Plan.

IV. Submittal Instructions & Other Information

1. Please include the following:

• Staff bios (Project Manager, key staff)
• Composition of firm's staff
• Links to completed plans similar in scope and geographic region/characteristics
• Contact information for communities served
• Explanation of how your firm is especially suited to the City of Green Comprehensive Land Use project
• Public participation/engagement methodology (key priority)

2. One (1) electronic submittal shall be submitted to: WWiethe@cityofgreen.org

3. Qualification statements must be received by 4:00EST Friday, June 24, 2022.

4. For questions or to request additional information, please contact Wayne L. Wiethe, AICP, Director of Planning at 330-896-6614 or WWiethe@cityofgreen.org

5. City administration will rank submittals and schedule interviews/presentations accordingly. The City of Green reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.