COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

The City of Stafford is seeking qualified planning consultants or multidisciplinary teams to prepare a Comprehensive Plan Update and a full rewrite of the City's Zoning Ordinance. These efforts will be conducted concurrently and in close coordination to ensure consistency between the City's long-range policy framework and its development regulations.

Respondents may submit proposals for one or both efforts; however, separate cost proposals must be provided for each.

The selected consultant should demonstrate experience in preparing and implementing comprehensive plans for municipalities of similar size and complexity and be capable of guiding the city through a collaborative, forward-looking planning process.

The City of Stafford adopted its current Comprehensive Plan in 2015. Since that time, the city has experienced population growth, shifting demographic trends, and increasing development pressures. Its strategic location within the Houston metropolitan area and Fort Bend County — along with proximity to major transportation corridors, including US-59/I-69 and US-90A — has influenced land use patterns, redevelopment potential, and corridor intensification.

Redevelopment and reinvestment have continued within established commercial corridors and residential areas. Some areas present opportunities for infill development, adaptive reuse, and targeted investment, while others face challenges related to aging infrastructure and changing market conditions. These dynamics underscore the need for an updated Comprehensive Plan that reflects current conditions while establishing a realistic and achievable vision for the City's future.

The updated Comprehensive Plan must be implementation-oriented rather than purely aspirational. The consultant shall develop actionable strategies, measurable objectives, and realistic timelines that align with municipal capacity and available resources. The final document should be clear, user-friendly, graphically engaging, and structured to accommodate future updates.

The city anticipates a project budget consistent with comparable Texas municipalities undertaking comprehensive plan updates of similar scope.

Any questions regarding this RFP should be addressed to the City Planner, Silvia Bolivar via email at sbolivar@staffordtx.gov no later than ten (10) days prior to the submission deadline. Responses to questions will be posted on the City's website https://staffordtx.gov/Bids.aspx

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

Submission Requirements and Deadline

Respondent shall submit three (3) complete original proposals signed in ink and one (1) electronic copy in PDF format on a USB Flash Drive. Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed package clearly labeled with the project name, "RFP 2026-001 PROPOSAL FOR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE."

To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM, Central Time, on Friday, May 22, 2026, and delivered to:

Roxanne Benitez
City Secretary
2610 South Main Street
Stafford, TX 77477

Proposals received after the deadline will not be accepted. Faxed or emailed proposals will not be considered. Postmarks prior to the deadline are not sufficient for acceptance. The city is not responsible for delays in delivery or for errors or omissions in any proposal.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The selected consultant will manage the project and prepare all required deliverables under the direction and oversight of the City Planner and the Director of Public Works and Development Services.

All work must comply with the Texas Local Government Code (Chapter 213 – Municipal Comprehensive Plans) and all applicable City of Stafford ordinances. This Scope of Work is intended to serve as a general framework; consultants are encouraged to propose refinements or additional tasks based on their professional expertise. The final Scope of Services will be developed in coordination with the selected consultant prior to contract approval.

At a minimum, the selected proposer shall complete the following tasks and deliverables:

1. Comprehensive Plan Update

• Develop a community vision statement
• Establish goals, policies, and strategies to guide future growth and development
• Integrate land use and mobility considerations including roadway classification, connectivity, pedestrian infrastructure, and coordination with regional transportation partners
• Coordinate with applicable regional planning efforts and Fort Bend County initiatives

2. Economic Development, Redevelopment Strategy & Market Analysis

• Evaluate Stafford's economic base, commercial corridors, and development trends
• Identify opportunities for business retention, expansion, and attraction
• Develop policy guidance to strengthen commercial competitiveness and fiscal sustainability
• Prepare corridor planning strategies for Murphy Road (FM 1092) and other key commercial areas
• Identify redevelopment and reinvestment opportunities
• Develop recommendations to support economic development initiatives through land use policy
• Evaluate Stafford's retail market, including inventory, vacancy rates, and regional benchmarks
• Assess market capacity for additional retail development and its relationship to local sales tax generation
• Assess the industrial and employment market, including factors influencing industrial, logistics, and distribution development
• Identify redevelopment and infill opportunities, with strategies to support mixed-use development, placemaking, and long-term economic competitiveness

3. Updated Future Land Use Map

• Prepare an updated Future Land Use Map that reflects existing conditions, redevelopment opportunities, infrastructure capacity, and long-term growth strategies
• Identify redevelopment opportunity areas and ensure appropriate transitions between land uses

4. Community and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

The consultant shall develop and implement a public engagement strategy tailored to Stafford's community.

At a minimum, the engagement process shall include:

• Two (2) public workshops or open houses
• Stakeholder interviews with key community and institutional representatives
• Work sessions with the Planning and Zoning Commission
• Work sessions with the City Council
• Public surveys or other engagement tools, as appropriate

5. Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Framework

• Develop a fiscally constrained implementation framework, recognizing that the City of Stafford does not levy property taxes.
• Identify and evaluate infrastructure needs, including transportation, utilities, drainage, parks, and public facilities
• Evaluate existing and projected revenue sources, including sales tax, development-related revenues, grants, and other legally authorized funding mechanisms
• Prepare a capital improvement prioritization strategy aligned with realistic municipal funding capacity
• Recommend phasing of improvements based on financial feasibility and redevelopment potential

6. Adoption Roadmap

• Prepare a clear adoption roadmap consistent with Texas Local Government Code requirements
• Identify required public hearings before the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council
• Develop a strategy for engaging elected and appointed officials throughout the adoption process
• Target adoption date: September 2027

7. Implementation Framework

• Develop an implementation matrix identifying responsible parties, priority levels, and anticipated timeframes
• Identify regulatory tools and policy actions necessary to support implementation
• Provide recommendations for periodic updates and ongoing plan maintenance

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Each Request for Proposal (RFP) must include the following information:

Proposals for the Comprehensive Plan update shall be clear, concise, and organized according to the format below. The proposal length shall not exceed twenty (20 pages, excluding cover letter, table of contents, and resumes).

a. Project Team and Key Personnel

Provide a narrative describing the qualifications and relevant experience of all key personnel assigned to the project, including any subcontractors or subconsultants.

The proposal shall identify the Project Manager, who will serve as the primary point of contact with the City.

If subcontractors are proposed, identify their role and describe the lead firm's experience working with those team members. Any proposed changes to key personnel after submission must receive prior written approval from the City.

b. Relevant Project Experience

Provide descriptions of no more than three (3) representative projects completed within the past ten (10) years that demonstrate experience with comparable municipal comprehensive planning efforts.

For each project include:

• Project name and location
• Description of the project and relevance to the Stafford Comprehensive Plan Update
• Year completed
• Description of services provided
• Client name and contact information
• Total project duration and budget
• Confirmation of whether the project was completed on schedule and within budget
• Graphics or examples from the final planning document

c. Project Approach and Methodology

Describe the firm's proposed approach to preparing the City of Stafford Comprehensive Plan Update including:

• Data collection and analysis
• Public engagement strategy
• Coordination with City staff and elected officials
• Development of the Future Land Use Map
• Preparation of the final Comprehensive Plan document

d. Cost Proposal

Provide a detailed cost proposal including:

• Labor hours and billing rates for each key staff member
• Total project cost broken down by major task or phase
• Identification of reimbursable expenses such as travel, printing, or meeting materials

The total cost proposal should include all anticipated expenses necessary to complete the work described in the Scope of Services.

EVALUATION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Project Approach (30 Points)

• Overall understanding of the project
• Proposed methodology and scope
• Realistic timeline reflecting a June 2027 adoption
• Approach to public engagement
• Quality and clarity of deliverables

2. Project Team Qualifications (20 Points)

• Qualifications of the firm and any subconsultants
• Identification of project team members and roles
• Experience with municipal planning projects

3. Experience with Similar Projects (20 Points)

• Demonstrated experience with comprehensive plan projects
• Experience with small to mid-sized Texas municipalities preferred
• References for comparable projects

4. Project Management (15 Points)

• Proposed project schedule and milestones
• Approach to managing scope and schedule
• Experience of the proposed Project Manager

5. Understanding of Local and Regional Context (15 Points)

• Familiarity with the City of Stafford
• Understanding of local development patterns and redevelopment challenges
• Awareness of regional context within Fort Bend County and the Houston metropolitan area, familiarity with Texas statutory planning requirements.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Proposals shall include the following:

• Letter of Interest
• Project Approach
• Project Team Qualifications
• Experience with Similar Projects
• Project Management Plan
• Statement describing understanding of local and regional context
• References

Only submittals conforming to the provisions of this RFP will pass the initial screening. Submittals that fail to meet minimum requirements may be rejected without further consideration.

The review committee may request interviews, presentations, or additional information from selected firms prior to final selection.