The Town of Amherst requests Statements of Qualifications from qualified planning teams to assist with the management and formulation of a new comprehensive plan and related implementation tools, along with possible revisions to Town regulations and/or processes that will guide development, revitalization and sustainability in Amherst over the next 25 years.

The Town's current plan was initiated in 2000 and intended to guide its growth through 2018-2020. Changing conditions and emerging trends in technology, demographics, housing, economics, mobility, land use, and lifestyles are reshaping communities and their futures. It is time to consider how these trends and others will shape Amherst's future.

The Town has completed a variety of smaller plans and initiatives over the past few years to address some of these and that can inform the new comprehensive plan. Amherst seeks to be at the forefront of understanding and leveraging these trends in order to sustain its success and continue to be a model of innovation, prosperity, and resilience, and a community of choice in the Western New York Region and in New York State.

Submitted SOQs should identify a proposed approach to the various components of this project (as outlined in the RFQ) with an experienced team. The Town desires an approach that includes innovative techniques, unique skillsets, and creative processes; those that may not necessarily fit the standard comprehensive planning process. The Town seeks SOQs that highlight skills, staff, and ideas that have a proven record of both innovation and success.

The selected team, led by a lead planning consultant, will collaborate with Town staff to manage a multi-component project to prepare a new comprehensive plan, related implementation tools, and inform revisions to its development regulations and other Town processes. In view of the broad scope and range of considerations with this project, the composition of the selected team must be flexible in order to enable exploration and consideration of trends and opportunities that may emerge throughout the project.

The desired time for completion of the various components is twenty-four (24) months from the issuance of a notice to proceed. Based upon the experiences of the team and/or any unforeseen circumstances affecting the proposed schedule, the Town may consider a lengthened timeframe for completion.