RFP_7-26.pdf

City of Cheyenne / Request for Proposal #7-26 / Comprehensive Plan Update

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP 7-26)

for

CheyenneNext

Comprehensive Plan Update

Issued by:

Planning & Development Department

City of Cheyenne, Wyoming

City of Cheyenne

Purchasing, Attn: TJ Barttelbort

2101 O’Neil Avenue

Cheyenne, WY 82001

(307) 773-1045

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #7-26

CheyenneNext

Comprehensive Plan Update

I. Notice to Respondents

The City of Cheyenne (City) is requesting letters of proposal from experienced firms to develop

CheyenneNext, the City's next comprehensive plan. CheyenneNext is a desired plan name acknowledging and respecting the original 2007 award winning PlanCheyenne and signals a shift from the City’s 25-year-old comprehensive plan toward a more modern, community driven approach in a region of independence, connection, and opportunity.

II. Project Details

Background

The City of Cheyenne, Wyoming's Capital, is a regional hub located at the crossroads of Interstates

25 and 80 along the northern edge of the Rocky Mountain Front Range Urban Corridor. Cheyenne's strategic location, business-friendly tax environment, available land and infrastructure, and expedited development review processes have positioned the community as a growing destination for major private and public investment. In recent years, the City has become a focal point for data center and hyperscale data center development, supported by robust power capacity, connectivity assets, and reliable regional utilities.

Cheyenne is also preparing for significant economic and workforce impacts associated with the

Sentinel missile modernization program based out of F.E. Warren Air Force Base. This long-term federal investment is projected to bring new employment, increase housing demand, and stimulate regional economic activity.

Beyond the technology and defense sectors, Cheyenne is experiencing renewed momentum in manufacturing, with multiple businesses expanding operations and new industrial development occurring in and around the community due to the State's favorable tax and political climate. The tourism sector continues to grow as well, anchored by major events such as Cheyenne Frontier

Days, which remain central to the community's cultural identity and economic vitality.

Development pressures, driven by a diversifying economy and spillover from the Colorado Front

Range, are influencing Cheyenne's land use patterns. The City is experiencing increased annexation, utility extensions into new growth areas, and rising multifamily residential construction occurring both at the community's fringe and through infill redevelopment. These trends reflect growing demand for varied and attainable housing options.

The recent surge of hyperscale data center interest in Cheyenne presents both opportunity and challenge that this Comprehensive Plan update must address. Large technology companies have expressed interest in acquiring hundreds of acres of strategically located land, particularly along growth corridors and near existing infrastructure, which may limit the availability of lands for future residential development. This occurs at a time when housing demand is expected to rise due to Sentinel-related workforce growth, and influx of construction jobs related to data center development, continued Front Range spillover, and continued economic expansion. At the same time, data centers provide meaningful fiscal benefits through significant utility use and high-value property investment that strengthens the City’s tax base. As State-level actions create uncertainty around traditional local revenue sources, these projects represent a stable revenue stream. The

Comprehensive Plan must consider how to balance these fiscal benefits with the long-term need to preserve and identify land for housing and support sustainable growth that serves current and future residents.

Cheyenne continues to invest in quality-of-life initiatives, including expansion of the Greater

Cheyenne Greenway, development of the Reed Rail Corridor and 15th Street Rail Experience

Projects downtown, enhancements to the Historic Cheyenne Depot and Depot Plaza, and improvements to parks and recreational facilities. Community interest in active transportation, improved walkability, and safer, more connected streets continue to grow, reinforcing the City's commitment to a more accessible and livable built environment.

The City's planning efforts aim to proactively manage these evolving trends, support sustainable and strategic growth, and preserve Cheyenne's historic character while positioning the community for long-term economic resilience.

Plan Objectives

To develop a clear, concise, and user-friendly Comprehensive Plan that aligns prior planning efforts with current community goals and needs. The plan will identify goals and objectives for the future of Cheyenne, with discussion on opportunities and barriers toward achieving them. The plan will include principles for officials to utilize when crafting regulations and analyzing projects.

The plan will address specific issues facing Cheyenne today including:

• Housing

• Land Use

• Industry (specifically data center development)

• Infill development

• Development processes and development standards

• Services and Infrastructure

• Intergovernmental cooperation

• Funding and any other major issues discovered through the planning process

III. Scope of Work

The selected consultant shall work in coordination with City staff to prepare a comprehensive plan update. The Scope of Work is organized into the following tasks. Proposers may suggest refinement to the approach or add-on services, but the core tasks and outcomes must be met.

Task 1: Existing Conditions Analysis

The consultant shall conduct a comprehensive review of existing conditions, trends, and future needs to inform the development of the comprehensive plan. This analysis shall identify opportunities, constraints, and policy considerations across the following subject areas:

Land Use and Zoning

• Existing and planned locations for land uses

• Housing supply, diversity, and affordability

• Infill and redevelopment opportunities and constraints

• Development and design standards

• Land availability and suitability for residential versus large-scale development

Transportation

• Roadway and street network connectivity and performance

• Active transportation systems

• Regional transportation, including transit and air service

• Street section and right-of-way design standards

Public Safety

• Fire services and service areas

• Police services and facilities

Public Health

• Utility infrastructure and capacity and outside user connections

• Environmental conditions, including pollution considerations, including noise pollution

• Cemetery planning and long-term needs

Community Services

• Education facilities and coordination

• Parks, recreation, and open space

• Arts and cultural resources

• Historic preservation

Intergovernmental and Interagency Coordination

• Internal Coordination best practices

• Coordination with Laramie County

• Coordination with State agencies

• Coordination with nearby federal institutions, including a VA hospital and an Air

Force base

• Coordination with other agencies and organizations, including non-profits, economic development entities, and potential public-private partnerships

Funding and Implementation Considerations

• Existing and potential funding sources

• Opportunities for new or alternative funding mechanisms

• Impact fees and development-related financing tools

• Funding and service-level trade-offs

• Hyperscale data center fiscal contributions, including utility tax revenue and property assessment value relative to other land uses

Task 2: Review of Background Materials and Data

The consultant shall review existing plans, policies, maps, and existing datasets provided by the

City and partner agencies. City staff will assist in prioritizing materials and identifying key datasets. The City will provide base mapping, GIS files, and relevant data as further described in this Task. The consultant is expected to rely on existing resources where feasible and identify any additional data needs in the submitted qualifications. Generally, the consultant is not expected to create new datasets where data does not already exist. Background materials are anticipated to include, but are not limited to:

Prior Planning Efforts

• PlanCheyenne Comprehensive Plan (2014)

• Parks and Recreation Master Plan (2025)

• Airport Master Plan (Estimated completion Summer of 2026)

• Community Climate Action Plan (2026)

• Downtown Development Authority Plan of Development (2024)

• City of Cheyenne Community Development Processes and Permitting Best

Practices Review (2015)

• Unified Development Code as amended (2012)

• Cheyenne Area On-Street Bicycle Plan and Greenway Plan Update (2012)

• Cheyenne MPO corridor studies

• Staff solicited community survey data regarding land use, development, and transportation preferences in the community.

• Other relevant planning documents

Mapping and Spatial Data

• Future Land Use Plan and Transportation Plan Map (2020) and as subsequently amended

• MPO Future Land Use and Transportation Network (2025)

• Stormwater and sewerable basins

• Parks and recreation system maps

• Active transportation maps

• Freight and logistics maps

• Zoning maps

• Fire and utility service areas

• Traffic count data

Other Documents and Data

• Unified Development Code

• Municipal Code

• Franchise agreements

• Facility and usage data (parks, recreation, utilities, airport, etc.)

• Assessor and parcel data

Task 3: Best Practices and Trend Analysis

The consultant shall apply national and regional best practices and evaluate relevant trends to inform plan recommendations.

Best Practices

• Service provision standards and industry limits

• Housing and infill strategies

• Development processes

• Funding mechanisms

• Intergovernmental coordination

• Large-footprint technology development and residential land compatibility

Local and Regional Trends

• Commuting patterns

• Employment and economic conditions

• Demographic trends

• Data center trends, including land acquisition, infrastructure demands, fiscal impacts, and peer community responses

Task 4: Plan Development, Public Involvement , Meetings and Presentations and Final

Deliverables

The consultant shall prepare a concise, user-friendly comprehensive plan document that translates analysis, community input, and best practices into clear policies and implementation strategies.

Public Involvement

An effort will be made to obtain public input from community residents and developers. The consultant must lead a public process aligned best practices for Comprehensive Plan development. This shall include:

• At least two public open houses or meetings/events

• Stakeholder engagement with local residents, landowners, and developers

• Public input collection through digital surveys or tools that can be aligned for distribution with community events

• A work session with the Cheyenne City Council

• Final Presentations to the Planning Commission and Governing Body.

Meetings and Presentations

A Project Steering Committee will be formed consisting of representatives from the City of

Cheyenne, Laramie County, Cheyenne MPO, relevant committees, other agencies, developers, and citizens. The consultant is expected to engage the Steering Committee at key project milestones, including at minimum project kickoff, prior to public meetings, following draft submittals, and at project conclusion. Proposers are encouraged to suggest alternative meeting structures or engagement approaches that may better serve the project's goals and improve efficiency.

Public Involvement

An effort will be made to obtain public input from community residents and developers. Public input should be in conjunction with the City’s public input engagement platform online here:

https://publicinput.com/Hub/Index/1645/ Independent websites are not permitted. The consultant must lead a public process aligned best practices for Comprehensive Plan development. This shall include:

Meetings and Presentations

A Project Steering Committee will be formed consisting of representatives from the City of Cheyenne, Laramie County, Cheyenne MPO, relevant committees, other agencies, developers, and citizens. The consultant is expected to engage the Steering Committee at key project milestones, including at minimum project kickoff, prior to public meetings, following draft submittals, and at project conclusion. Proposers are encouraged to suggest alternative meeting structures or engagement approaches that may better serve the project's goals and improve efficiency.

Final Product Requirements

• The final Comprehensive Plan shall be concise, substantive, and easy to read. All other content, including background analysis, existing conditions, and data, shall be limited to what is necessary to support the plan's goals, policies, and action statements and should reference recent planning efforts and data. Excess technical analysis shall be placed in an appendix. Goals, policies, and action statements shall be clearly formatted, consistently structured, and written in plain, actionable language accessible to elected officials, staff, and the public.

• Graphics that are functional, visionary, and representative of desired outcomes

• Core maps to include:

o Recommended Future Land Use Map o Barriers and Opportunities Map o Recommended Greenway Master Plan o Recommended Bicycle Master Plan o Technology and Residential Growth Suitability Map https://publicinput.com/Hub/Index/1645/

• Appendices (anticipated):

o Short-term action items and quick-win implementation strategies o Funding source details o Public outreach summary o List of background materials and data sources o Additional appendices as appropriate

Implementation Framework

• Review of implementation measures from the previous comprehensive plan and other plans and studies to build on successes, address gaps, and reflect relevant concepts and goals

• Define actionable steps, priorities, and performance metrics

• Provide a framework for periodic updates and alignment with other City plans and relevant Wyoming State Statutes regarding comprehensive/master planning. The consultant should familiarize themselves with the statutory requirements and ensure alignment with the legal framework.

• Policy framework for balancing large-scale technology development with residential land preservation and long-term fiscal sustainability

V. Anticipated Project Timeline

The project timeline is flexible and will look to include opportunities for outreach during important community events, typically during the summer. Staff envisions this entire process be approximately eighteen (18) months from contract execution.

Proposal Phase

• Optional pre-proposal conference May 1, 2026

• Written Question Deadline May 8, 2026

• Addendum Issued, if necessary, May 15, 2026

• Proposals Due: Thursday, May 28, 2026

• Proposals Review and Firms Selected for Interviews: by June 5, 2026

• Consultant Interviews (In-person): Approximately June 15-24, 2026

• Consultant Selection: Approximately June 30, 2026.

Project Start-Up

• Staff-Consultant project set-up and determination of steering committee

• Review of background materials and meetings with stakeholders

• Outreach campaign begins with online surveys

High-Level Review

Drafting of high-level goals and objectives, including desired land uses

• Public outreach at a public event such as Fridays on the Plaza. The public will be asked for feedback on vision and goals of the plan.

• High-level Planning Commission and City Council work sessions

• Various outreach continues

Draft Plan

• Drafting of plan

• Draft Plan Planning Commission and City Council work sessions

• Online outreach continues

Adoption

• Final Plan submitted to the City.

• Online outreach continues until final consideration noting that updates may be required throughout the adoption process

Deliverable and Close Out

• Consultant delivers final document including original, editable documents and maps to allow for minor updates and changes

VI. Proposal Format and Requirements

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

The City will utilize a two-step process for selection through this solicitation. This process dictates that proposers divide their submittals into two parts: a technical proposal and a price proposal.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION FORMAT:

Proposers shall submit / upload their technical proposal and price proposal simultaneously on the date and time specified in this RFP, via the OpenGov e-procurement portal, as follows:

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

Upload via the e-procurement portal (1) TECHNICAL Proposal, in PDF format.

(Please merge all documents relating to your proposal into one single PDF document).

Proposals shall use a minimum 11-point font with numbered pages and be organized in the order below. The Technical Proposal shall not exceed twenty (20) pages, excluding front and back cover, resumes, required forms, and additive alternates. Each additive alternate shall not exceed one page.

• Cover Letter

• Firm Qualifications and Experience

• Project Understanding and Approach

• Project Team

• Project Schedule

• References

• Additive Alternate 1: Mobile Device Data Collection and Analysis

Proposers are advised that proposal content and completeness are most important, and that clear and effective presentations are preferred, with unnecessarily elaborate, decorative or extraneous materials discouraged. Each section within the proposal shall be clearly identified for easy reference.

Project Understanding and Approach

A thorough grasp of Wyoming's state and regional political landscape, the City of Cheyenne's priorities, and the critical tasks, goals, and milestones that will define project success.

Resumes

Responding proposers should submit resumes of key personnel along with their proposal response.

Project Schedule

Provide an anticipated timeframe to perform the required work with respect to the availability of project personnel and present workload using the tasks outlined under the Scope of Work.

References

A minimum of three references shall be submitted. References shall include web links to applicable plans, consultant contact information, and community project manager information.

References shall only be for projects completed within the last five years.

PRICE PROPOSAL

Upload via the e-procurement portal (1) PRICE Proposal, in PDF format.

(Please merge all documents relating to your proposal into one single PDF document).

Price Proposal

All Price Proposals shall be submitted separately and will not be reviewed until technical evaluation is complete. Include a line-item budget for all Scope of Work tasks, billing rates by staff classification, and separate prices for all Additives. Stated rates shall remain in place for the duration of the Contract. Each proposer shall certify that its Price Proposal shall remain valid for a period of at least one hundred and twenty (120) days. In the event a contract award is delayed beyond the 120-day period, such award shall be conditioned upon the proposer’s acceptance of the original proposed price.

Additive Alternate 1: Mobile Device Data Collection and Analysis

Proposers shall provide a separate, itemized price for the collection and analysis of mobile device location data to support transportation and land use planning. The analysis shall include, at minimum, destination pattern analysis at the regional level. Proposers shall identify the data source or vendor, methodology, geographic scope, and any limitations of the data. This may be uploaded with the overall Price Proposal.

Additional Additives

Additional additives shall provide a separate, itemized price. Additional additives shall be priced separately from the base bid and will be evaluated independently.

VII. Evaluation Criteria

The City, at its sole discretion, shall determine whether vendors have the basic qualifications to complete the project. An evaluation committee comprised of members selected by the City will evaluate the proposals. Members of the Evaluation Committee will review and rate each proposal based on the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria Weight

Relevant Experience and Past Performance

• Experience preparing comprehensive plans for communities of similar size and complexity

• Proven track record with land use, infrastructure, growth management, and areas of specialization

• References demonstrating successful project delivery and outcomes

40%

Project Understanding, Technical Approach & Local Knowledge

• Clear understanding of the community context, challenges, priorities, and regional considerations

• Logical, feasible methodology for data analysis, mapping, and plan development

• Integration of implementation strategies, policy guidance, and familiarity with local regulations or interagency coordination

25%

Public Engagement & Stakeholder Process

• Effective strategy for broad community and stakeholder involvement

• Experience with both in-person and digital engagement methods

• Approach to addressing contentious issues and building consensus

15%

Project Team and Management Capacity

• Qualifications and relevant experience of key personnel

• Clearly defined roles and responsibilities within the project team

• Availability to meet project schedule and manage workloads effectively

5%

Schedule, Cost, and Value

• Realistic timeline with achievable milestones and identification of risks

• Demonstrated ability to complete projects on time and within budget

• Transparent, itemized fee structure with reasonable cost relative to scope, showing efficiency and value in project delivery

5%

Cost and Value

• Transparent, itemized fee structure

• Reasonable cost relative to scope showing efficiency and value in project delivery

5%

Resident Contractor

• Firm is a Resident Contractor, registered with Wyoming Workforce Services (Yes

10 Points, No 0 Points)

5%

VIII. Award of Contract

A formal contract will be executed between the Contractor and the City utilizing the City Standard

Services Contract. By submitting a proposal, the Contractor agrees to sign and be bound by the terms of the City's standard Professional Services Agreement, and all requirements stated in this

RFP.

Certificates of Insurance

Consultants will be required to provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI) evidencing compliance with liability coverages and naming the City of Cheyenne as additional insured. A copy of the endorsement naming the City as additional insured must accompany the Certificate of

Insurance. Note also that the Certificate must state that 30 days advance notice will be given if the policy is canceled before its expiration date.

IX. Ownership

Regardless of the future services retained of the successful Contractor, all of the products of this project, including recommendations, drawings, artwork, photos, and similar materials used to produce the required submittals, shall become the property of the City. Any furnished materials shall remain the property of the City. All such items shall be delivered to the City in usable condition after completion of the work, and prior to submission of the invoice for payment.

X. Provisions

The selection committee may require selected Proposers to attend an interview process with members of the selection committee.

The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and does not bind itself to accept any proposal for this work or any part thereof. The City may waive any technical or formal defect in any proposal and shall have the right to ask for new proposals for the whole or parts of this work should the City desire to do so or shall have the right to negotiate with any or other qualified

Contractor.

The City does not guarantee to provide a minimum/maximum amount of work or funding for projects.

The City reserves the right to evaluate information from any other source that may provide information on the contractor's qualifications for the performance of the work. Upon submission of the proposal, the Contractor grants the City the express permission to use all or portions of the

Contractor's proposals as needed by the City.

All proposals received will be considered public information by the City of Cheyenne. Proposers are advised that any information considered by them to be trade secret, privileged or confidential data should not be revealed in the proposal. Contents of proposals received will be made available to anyone requesting them after the selection process has been completed and the contract has been awarded. The City of Cheyenne assumes no liability for the use or disclosure of technical or cost data submitted by any responding Proposer.

XI. Budget

The City has budgeted approximately $295,000 for the base scope. Additional funding may be available for approved additive alternates.