Planning board reviews draft RFP for zoning ordinance update; posts target Sept. 1, proposals due late September

Planning staff presented a draft request for proposals Wednesday seeking a consultant to update Birmingham’s zoning ordinance and associated maps. Nick Dupuy told the board the draft has been reviewed by the city manager and the city attorney and that staff intends to post the RFP on or about Sept. 1, 2025, with a proposal deadline of roughly four weeks later (board members recommended setting the due date to a Tuesday — “the thirtieth” was suggested during discussion).

Board members reviewed the RFP’s scope and raised several substantive edits staff should incorporate before posting. Key guidance from the board included: tighten language on public engagement to emphasize an inclusive outreach strategy (residents, business owners, developers, institutions), avoid potentially loaded language such as “innovative” in favor of terms like “quality” or “best practices,” and clarify who will control and approve the diagnostic findings and subsequent ordinance rewrite (consultant produces diagnostic report; staff and the planning board will refine and recommend the final ordinance to the city commission).

Members asked staff to add clear checkpoints and mid-range deliverables (for example, 50% and 75% drafts) so respondents and the city can budget meetings and time. Several board members recommended the RFP clarify expectations for proposal content and the consultant’s work plan (how the consultant will carry out engagement, analysis and drafting) rather than use vague terms like “content of proposals.” Board members also suggested the evaluation criteria identify or weight the most important factors (for instance, public engagement and demonstrated experience rewriting zoning code) to ensure comparability among submissions.

Other items raised during the discussion: identify the Birmingham 2040 plan (the city’s comprehensive plan) in the RFP introduction as a foundational policy reference; note that obsolete or confusing zoning-map colors and many overlapping zoning districts may be simplified; consider practical limits on required professional disciplines (suggestions included dropping “architecture” as a mandatory discipline in qualification lists where “urban design” already covers graphical and form-related expertise); and include an explicit deadline for written questions from proposers with answers posted to all prospective respondents.

Staff told the board the final RFP will include the attorney’s suggested mid-range deliverables and that staff expects to return to the board with a revised draft on Aug. 27 and bring the final posting to the board on Sept. 20. Board members moved and approved a separate procedural motion to make the September, October, November and December meetings hybrid to give staff and applicants scheduling flexibility while the ordinance update and other items proceed.

No contract award or consultant selection took place at Wednesday’s meeting; board members directed staff to update the RFP language and return with a revised draft for final posting schedule confirmation.