Grants Pass council directs staff to seek consultant for Washington "North Star" opportunity plan

Grants Pass City staff on Monday asked the council to authorize hiring a consultant to prepare an “opportunity plan” for roughly eight acres the city owns on the north end of town, a site staff and council discussed as a possible catalyst for housing and commercial investment.

The plan would evaluate zoning, infrastructure and market demand for three blocks of city-owned land — described in the presentation as the Washington, Midland and Franklin parcels — and would produce concept scenarios, a phasing strategy and developer criteria intended to attract private investment. City staff received direction to draft a request for proposals for a consultant and to return with a procurement package.

Why it matters: The site is large, relatively flat and has existing water and sewer infrastructure, making it a candidate for an urban renewal “catalyst” that could expand the city’s tax base and produce housing and jobs. Staff emphasized the work would aim to reduce development risk, align investment with community goals and position the city to solicit experienced developers.

City staff briefed council on the parcels’ size and zoning. The Washington property was described as about 4.81 acres (a mix of R‑4 residential and PUD common area), Midland as roughly 0.5–0.6 acres (general commercial and R‑4 parking), and Franklin as about 2.36 acres divided across 16 parcels (about 1 acre R‑4 and 1.35 acres general commercial). Staff said the properties were acquired for a combined $2,000,000.

Staff recommended an opportunity plan that would: - produce a shared community vision and guiding principles; - include a commercial market study and concept scenarios; - create an implementation toolkit and developer criteria; and - culminate in an RFQ/RFP to solicit developers who match the community vision.

Presenters and staff described a typical consultant timeline of about nine months and gave a broad cost range: hourly consultant rates were estimated at roughly $125–$200 per hour, with total project fees “well over $30,000” in typical local engagements and higher for larger teams. Staff cited other Oregon examples (Redmond, Tigard, Bend) where opportunity planning supported mixed‑use redevelopment, brownfield remediation and housing production.

Council discussion emphasized the scale of the project and the value of outside expertise. “There’s no doubt that this is a way bigger project than Grants Pass could handle without a consultant,” Councilor Rob said, urging staff to issue an RFP and start the process. Multiple council members said the consultant should lead community engagement and offer recommendations about whether to form a task force; councilors also suggested the consultant advise on which parcels, if any, the city should acquire additionally to make a coordinated project viable.

Staff recommendations to the council included issuing an RFP for consultant services, launching a community and council visioning process, and returning with a project scope and schedule. Council consensus was to direct staff to prepare the RFP; staff said they would proceed and return with a consultant recommendation. The council did not adopt a formal ordinance or commit URA funding amounts at the meeting.

Ending: Staff said the RFP draft will be prepared for council review; if the city selects a consultant the work would proceed next year with public engagement and a market analysis to frame future development and any potential changes to zoning or transfers of property ownership.