The City of Whitefish, Montana, is seeking proposals for professional services from qualified planning consultants to provide professional long range planning services to assist with the development of the Land Use Element of the Whitefish comprehensive plan update. City planning staff has been preparing the Vision Whitefish 2045 Community Plan and has developed most of the background and existing conditions information, as well as completed drafts of the Environment, Natural Resources and Hazards, Economic Development, Public Facilities, and Transportation chapters. Housing and land use are the two remaining elements required by Montana law, with the development of the Land Use Element being the consultant's responsibility. Specific requirements for the Land Use Element are detailed in the recently enacted Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA).

Project Description

The progress on the Vison Whitefish 2045 Community Plan, including initial community visioning results, can be found online at www.engagewhitefish.com.

The consultant will be responsible for working with the community, the City of Whitefish Planning Office, the Community Development Board (acting as the steering committee), and the City Council to assist with developing the Land Use Element chapter and future land use map of the Vision Whitefish 2045 Community Plan.

This project will involve community outreach and engagement, including obtaining community input and support on future land use in the planning area. Using community engagement results, current infrastructure plans, adopted plans, a recent economic development study, and current detailed existing conditions, and GIS mapping, the consultant will consider existing conditions, current land uses, and available and future infrastructure to make recommendations on future land use categories, areas of density, locations for suburban/urban/high density residential, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, institutional, areas for future employment, and other land uses as well as valuable open space and environmentally sensitive areas that should be protected.

Using elements of form-based zoning the consultant will develop street types and place type transects for the downtown area using a community form analysis for commercial, mixed-use areas, high-density residential districts, historic neighborhoods, traditional neighborhoods, etc.

The consultant will suggest and draft zoning methods (such as an overlay zone) and utilizing street and place types to maintain historic downtown and residential neighborhood character and integrity while allowing infill and/or small lot development (see implementation items of Downtown Business District Master Plan and the Highway 93 South Corridor Plan Segment A).

The consultant will identify areas where future small lot development, making more efficient use of infill, could either be permitted for future subdivisions or added as an overlay zone.

The consultant will make comprehensive plan zoning implementation and zoning code revision recommendations based on code diagnostics and consistency with MLUPA, taking into consideration barriers to housing equity, supply and affordability, as well as identifying locations for compatible infill.

The final deliverables will be a community supported Future Land Use Map, showing basic land use categories for the City's twenty-year growth projection, as well as a Place Type Map, showing typical building forms in various districts, place type form transects for various districts with a corresponding narrative matching the style of the other land use plan chapters, recommended goals and objectives for the land use chapter, recommendations on implementation items, as well as recommendations on zoning map and zoning text amendments necessary to implement the Land Use Element.

Required Services

The consultant services required under this request may include, but will not necessarily be limited to, the following:

• Regular communication with the comprehensive plan project manager and planning staff.
• Review, compile, and analyze existing infrastructure, land use, and environmental conditions as well as adopted plans.
• Host a minimum of three public meetings: kick off meeting/stakeholder initial land use visioning input meeting, summary of findings/plan alternatives/feedback meeting, and preferred draft future land use map, land use recommendations, and implementation strategies meeting.
• Compile feedback/findings of community and stakeholder input meetings.
• Attend and provide a leadership role in Community Development Board monthly Growth Policy Update work session meetings (estimate four two-hour meetings, one in-person and three remote) to establish a land use plan and policies.
• Prepare a draft land use chapter document, including existing land use conditions, to determine where land use allocation and growth should be directed over the next twenty years.
• Prepare diagrams of design elements of place types transects and make recommendations on a downtown overlay zone to allow infill while protecting neigbhorhood character.
• Prepare a draft future land use map and obtaining community consensus on its makeup.
• Identify city land use implementation activities (i.e., necessary zoning map and zoning code changes).
• Present the draft Land Use chapter and future land use map to Community Development Board and City Council for inclusion in the Vision 2045 Community Plan document (estimate 2-4 meetings).
• Ability to complete the project within a four to five month timeline.

Cost Estimates

A cost estimate to complete the project must be submitted with the planning work proposal. Your proposal should clearly define your value proposition as it relates to the deliverables and the funding you will require to accomplish the work set forth in the RFP. The consultant should not make assumptions that the City of Whitefish or any other party will bear any costs beyond the collaboration required to complete the project.

Closing Date and Mailing Address for Submittals

Proposals will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 25th in the City Planning Office, City of Whitefish, 418 E. 2nd Street, Whitefish, Montana, 59937. Submittals shall include five (5) complete bound copies and one digital copy of all requested information, clearly identified as "Proposal and Cost Estimate for Planning Services for Land Use Element of Comprehensive Plan."

Minimum Requirements

As a minimum requirement, the Proposal must include the following:

1. An organizational chart and resume for the proposed Project Manager and each professional staff person who would be assigned to the project. Please include in each resume a statement of anticipated responsibilities on this project, qualifications and experience or involvement in any of the projects referenced below, and office assignment (location).
2. A description of the project team's experience and qualifications with long range land use planning, public engagement, and future land use mapping.
3. Examples of comparable plans completed.
4. Related and current work for the City of Whitefish.
5. The address (s) of the office(s) to which the project would be assigned.
6. Present and projected workloads from September, 2025 through January, 2026, and capability to meet time requirements.
7. Cost estimate to complete the proposed plan.

The Proposal shall be no longer than twenty (20) pages, not counting resumes.

Evaluation of Proposal

The City of Whitefish will review each project proposal based on the following criteria:

1. Availability and interest in providing services.
2. Related experience of the firm.
3. Related experience and qualifications of the project team assigned to this project.
4. References for similar projects from similar clients.
5. Project approach.
6. Previous similar project approaches and schedules.
7. Estimated cost to conduct services.
8. Other information regarding the firm that may prove beneficial

Selection Process and Contract Negotiations

Proposals will be ranked by a Selection Committee that will evaluate the responses based on the criteria set forth above. The firm selected will have a proven track record for meeting deadlines with high quality results. The three highest ranked firms will be invited to interview in August 2025. Contract negotiations will begin with the highest ranked firm as soon as possible following the interviews. If the City determines acceptable terms cannot be reached, the City will terminate negotiations and continue with the next highest ranked firm.

Questions may be referred to the Whitefish Director of Planning & Building, David Taylor, by telephone at 406-863-2416 or by email at dtaylor@cityofwhitefish.gov .