City received single $20,000 bid to craft commercial appearance code; staff to run references

City planning staff told the Oct. 6 economic development, planning and zoning committee that the city received a single response to an RFP seeking a consultant to draft minimum design standards for nonresidential buildings.

The lone proposal, submitted by Kimberly Horne, carried an estimated professional fee “not to exceed” $20,000, according to materials presented to the committee. Staff said the fee breakdown and scope are included in the proposal and recommended that the committee allow staff time to review the submission and check references before bringing a recommendation back to council.

Planning staff described the purpose of the appearance code as supplementing the existing zoning ordinance with minimum design standards—covering items such as permitted exterior materials, window placement and other façade elements—to raise design expectations while avoiding rules so strict they would deter investment. The staff member said the consultant would present a draft code for council review and that final adoption would rest with city council after Planning and Zoning Commission review.

Alderman Murphy and others asked staff to contact other municipalities that had worked with Horne to learn how those projects performed and whether costs were comparable. Staff said they would perform reference checks and return with a recommendation at a subsequent meeting.

Ending

Staff did not recommend award during the Oct. 6 meeting; instead the committee agreed to review references and staff findings before any contract approval. The proposal was the only bid the city received for this work.