The City of Belmont acknowledges that the original deadline for question submission
and city response was unclear. Accordingly, staff has extended both deadlines as
follows:
– Deadline for Questions: Thursday, November 9, 2023
– City Responses: Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

THERE WILL NOT BE A FORMAL PUBLIC BID OPENING.

While a formal public bid opening was previously scheduled for 2pm on November 22nd, the City has learned that this is not required based on the nature of the work requested in the RFP and has therefore been eliminated from the project schedule. Proposals will instead be opened and then reviewed by our selection committee over the week or so following receipt to identify the top proposal(s) for review by Planning Board and City Council.

All proposals are due by 12:00 pm (noon) on November 22nd, 2023.

•  The City of Belmont will review all proposals received, and then utilize the following
  process for consultant selection:
  • Selection Committee Review
    •  Consultants will be notified by Friday, December 1, 2023 if selected for
      an interview.
  • Planning Board Interview:
    • Selected Consultants are asked to interview with Planning Board
      (tentatively December 14, 2023; final date to be included in consultant
      interview invitation)
    • Selected consultants will be recommended for interview by City
      Council.
  • City Council Interview:
    • Selected Consultants are asked to interview with City Council (tentatively
      January 15, 2024; may be rescheduled with 2 week notice given)
      • Final selection is anticipated following interviews, but may take
        place at following meeting at City Council’s discretion.

• Commencement of the project is anticipated to begin as soon as possible following final
  consultant selection, once all required documentation is in place.
  • The original RFP reference to a May 15th commencement was incorrect.

• The project duration is anticipated to be 12 to 18 months, dependent on the schedule
  recommendation of the selected consultant.
  • This is to allow for ample public engagement throughout the community to
    inform the updated plan.
  • This timeline also allows for collaboration and coordination with other
    simultaneous efforts to be integrated into this planning initiative- see
    Anticipated Consultant Coordination section.

Yes- Consultant should anticipate consultant selection in January 2024. The start date was
incorrectly noted as 2023 in the original RFP document.

• The 2018 Comprehensive Land Use Plan (along with other adopted plans) can be found
  online at: https://www.cityofbelmont.org/adopted-plans-and-maps/
  • The City also has Word and PDF versions of the 2018 Comprehensive Land Use
    Plan available for consultant use. An ESRI Layer Package of sidewalks, multi-use
    paths, and off-road lines is also available.

The 2018 Comprehensive Land Use Plan (along with other adopted plans) can be found online at: https://www.cityofbelmont.org/adopted-plans-and-maps/

The Consultant is expected to review all relevant current adopted plans (prepared by others) to inform the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update. This may include municipal, county-wide, and regional plans impacting the City of Belmont.

• Please find further clarification of city expectations in each of the sections as follows. Please note that the scope should include updates to all sections as needed to reflect the collective feedback received from our community, but staff specifically anticipates
the following:

• Land Use– This section is existing, but should be updated. See notes on fiscal
  impact analysis.
•  Transportation– Consultant is NOT expected to update this chapter- the City will begin the creation of a Multimodal Network Plan utilizing a separate consultant for this scope. – see Consultant Coordination.
• Parks and Open Spaces– This section will be new, but build upon information within the existing plan. See notes on Parks and Open Spaces.
• Place Types/ Housing– The City of Belmont is currently working with Centralina Council of Governments to identify and incorporate new “missing middle” housing forms into the Land Development Code (link to project scope here). The new proposed housing forms are anticipated for consideration by City Council in January 2024, prior to commencement of the CLUP update. The CLUP consultant shall determine where these new place types should be sited throughout Belmont.
• Center City Small Area Plan– This update is anticipated to be updated. See notes on center city update.
• Public Health– This should be a new section within the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. This section should outline a Health in All Policies approach (active living, food & nutrition, health and human services, access to education, etc.) for various aspects of land use planning. It should also consider available public infrastructure (water, sewer) to support land uses, as well as how planned growth will impact municipal service needs for ongoing public health and safety of our community. The following studies will be available for reference:
  • Asset Inventory and Assessment for water and sewer
  •  Sewer capacity study
  •  Fire Station Study (North Belmont Focus)
• Historic Preservation– This new section (or sub-section) is intended to provide guidance on thoughtful planning that honors Belmont’s heritage and character, respects our Gaston County local landmarks and contributing structures within  National Register Historic District, and outlines a strategy to preserve and/or revitalize historic areas/assets within our community. This section should also address a vision for introducing new growth and opportunity in a way that  complements and celebrates our past while embracing our future.
• Implementation section– This section should be enhanced to outline clear steps for tracking plan progress, and implementing the community’s vision. This may include prioritization of key implementation strategies, opportunities for collaboration, etc. depending on the recommendations within the CLUP Update.

• While the City has an attorney that will review the final document prior to adoption, the
  consultant is expected to understand the requirements of N.C.G.S. 160-D and other
  applicable regulations and prepare a plan update in compliance with North Carolina
  requirements for long-range plans.

A refreshed branding/graphic presentation is preferred to distinguish the plan update from the 2018 Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Branding should incorporate Belmont’s new city-wide branding (link to Brand Guidebook here), but the plan itself should have its own identity that can be used throughout the public engagement process.

• The Fiscal impact analysis within the Comprehensive Land Use Plan is at minimum intended to demonstrate how each land use impacts municipal finances (costs and revenue), and how these land uses impact the city’s ability to provide for public services
  • During the preparation of this analysis, the Capital Improvements Plan should be considered to ensure a land use approach that financially supports our future needs. The City has a Capital Improvement finance planning tool that can be utilized by the consultant as a resource during preparation of this analysis.
  • An analysis of property values per acre shall be provided based on each of the land uses envisioned. This shall include a comparison chart of envisioned land uses to the City’s existing neighborhoods utilizing information available in GIS.

• This should be a new section within the Comprehensive Land Use Plan that builds on the environmental factors and Parks/Natural Areas place type within the existing comprehensive land use plan. This section should incorporate the following elements at minimum:
  • • Urban & Suburban Open Space types
      ▪ Public vs. Private
      ▪ Cluster Developments vs. Large Lot Developments
    •  Tree Canopy/ Protection
      ▪ Incorporate recommendations in response to the city’s Tree Canopy
      Assessment
    •  Parks
      ▪ 2019 Parks and Recreation Master Plan Recommendations
      ▪ Private amenities (ie. Within HOA neighborhoods) and their impact on
      the need for municipal parks/ amenities
    •  Greenways and Blueways
    •  Water Resources
      ▪ Watershed Protection
      ▪ Floodplain
    • Return on Investments – balancing initial costs and costs for maintenance with
      positive impacts on recreation, travel/ tourism, environmental protection, etc.

• Yes- This update is anticipated to be updated in coordination with a separate consultant (hired by a downtown property owner) who has interest in redevelopment within this area. Their visioning plan has been publicly shared, but not yet adopted (link to plan presentation here).  Staff has notified the property owner that public input and subsequent adoption of a small area plan update incorporating this document could be coordinated with the City’s CLUP to ensure that their vision for downtown growth aligns with the City’s vision.

Yes- A new Transit Oriented Development small area plan may be warranted within the CLUP Update, and would be part of the CLUP Update project scope. A preliminary TOD plan has been envisioned for our area within the LYNX Silver Line Transit-Oriented Development Study (link here), specifically on pages 25-26, that could serve as the foundation for a new small area plan. This small area plan would be coordinated in conjunction with the Multimodal Network plan concurrent planning effort,

• If additional studies are recommended for completion of any of the plan updates as outlined above, consultants should make those recommendations within their proposal.
  • Additional studies should not be included in pricing of CLUP Update. These recommendations may be considered by the city, but would require separate budgeting approvals.

• The Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update should be prepared in a way that compliments a form-based code, but updates to the Land Development Code itself are not included in the scope of this project.
  • The City anticipates the need to update our Land Development Code a separate project after adoption of the CLUP update.

• CLUP Update Consultant will serve as the “Project Manager” compiling concurrent planning efforts for inclusion in the CLUP Update, and making sure all parties are informed of updates that may impact or inform all parties. City Staff will manage individual contracts assist with coordination of public outreach associated with all concurrent planning efforts.
  • Multimodal Network Plan- Outside consultant (to be selected by NCDOT) is anticipated to commence plan at the same time as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update consultant. The CLUP consultant is expected to coordinate with this consultant throughout the planning process to ensure that land use and transportation planning are complimentary and integrated.
  • This scope will build on the recently adopted Pedestrian Plan Update, and add in bicycle, transit, and intersection considerations.
    • The Multimodal Network Plan is anticipated to serve as the Transportation section within the CLUP.
    • Belmont currently utilizes a traffic engineering consultant for developer Traffic Impact Analysis studies. This data is anticipated to inform underperforming intersections for improvement recommendations within this plan.
  • Downtown Visioning Plan- Outside consultant (to be hired by private property owner) has prepared a draft plan, and is seeking review during the City’s public engagement process to allow plan to be adjusted as needed and then incorporated into an update to the Center City Small Area Plan.

The City of Belmont has good working relationships with Duke Energy, Catawba Riverkeepers, Lake Wylie Marine Commission, Carolina Thread Trail, neighboring municipalities, Gaston County, Centralina Council of Governments, and others that can offer support and assistance during the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update process to understand outside guidelines that may impact our envisioned land uses.

The City of Belmont has allocated up to $125,000 in this year’s fiscal budget (FY 23/24) for the development of a Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update. We understand that costs for plan preparation may exceed this amount, and any additional costs may be budgeted in future years at the discretion of City Council prior to contract scope finalization.

Award shall be made to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the invitation for bids- taking into consideration quality, performance, and the time specified n the proposal for performance of the contract.

The City of Belmont has allocated up to $125,000 in this year’s fiscal budget (FY 23/24) for the development of a Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update. We understand that costs for plan preparation may exceed this amount, and any additional costs may be budgeted in future years at the discretion of City Council prior to contract scope finalization.

Award shall be made to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the invitation for bids- taking into consideration quality, performance, and the time specified n the proposal for performance of the contract.