The City Council’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 includes a milestone to review Town ordinances and regulations with a focus on modernization in order to facilitate redevelopment. It was estimated that $350,000 would be needed over two years to complete such a project. Accordingly, $175,000 was budgeted in the current fiscal year with the same amount contemplated to be budgeted for FY2019.
Once the budget was approved, staff released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to update the Town’s Zoning, Landscaping, Subdivision and Signage regulations. The RFQ stated that the Town desires a development code that achieves the following:
- Reflects current trends and best practices in the various development regulations, while keeping Addison as a desired location for investment.
- Uses illustrations and form code provisions to simplify the ordinance, to make it more understandable to readers, and to promote well-designed neighborhoods and places.
- Includes mixed-use zoning districts and accompanying regulations for both built-up areas of the city as well as undeveloped properties.
- Includes provisions that link land use and transportation with an emphasis on protecting traditional neighborhood development while encouraging transit-oriented development in the future.
- Promotes and supports alternative forms of transportation, including walking, biking, and transit.
- Provides for a sustainable built and natural environment.
- An ordinance that will meet the needs of the City both now and in the future.
The RFQ was posted to Bidsync on September 11, 2017 and remained open until October 12, 2017. Additionally, the RFQ was advertised on both the national American Planning Association and Texas state chapter websites. The following four firms responded to the RFQ:
- Clarion Associates, LLC
- Duncan Associates with Codametrics
- Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
- Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
Based on a review of the responses, staff selected Clarion Associates, LLC. Clarion is a national land-use consulting firm with vast experience working on similar projects, including several in Texas such as Arlington, Austin, Cedar Hill, Denton, Irving, Rowlett, and San Antonio.
The proposed scope includes five tasks:
- Public Participation and Project Management
- Project Orientation
- Ordinance Assessment and Annotated Outline
- Prepare Discussion Draft Unified Development Code
- Unified Development Code Adoption
The scope anticipates a robust community engagement program including creation of a project website, distribution of online surveys, and up to 8 meetings each with an advisory committee, 8 meetings with stakeholder groups, 8 community meetings. Additionally, there will be several check-ins with the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council to ensure consensus at various stages of the project.
As part of this process, Clarion will review current regulations to assess the following:
- Their effectiveness in implementing, and consistency with the Comprehensive Plan
- Relationship with the project goals listed in the RFQ
- Inconsistencies between the ordinance and relevant policies
- National best practices relevant to Addison
- Strengths and weaknesses of the existing ordinance
- Development review procedures as described in the ordinance, and as carried-out in practice
- Opportunities to streamline application and review process
- Overall organization and user-friendliness
Based on this assessment and the community input received during the project, Clarion will develop a draft unified development code for review by the community. Once a final draft is developed, it will be presented to the Planning and Zoning and City Council for their consideration.
The project is anticipated to take 24 months to complete and has been scoped to remain within budgeted amounts. The agreement with Clarion is a lump sum contract not to exceed $349,980. |