Consultant Services: Composition & Development Of a Land Development Code

Rowan County, North Carolina is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consultant services to compose and develop a comprehensive Land Development Code that integrates and modernizes the County's current land use regulations. The procurement seeks qualified consultants or firms to consolidate the County's zoning, subdivision, flood damage prevention, historic landmarks, addressing, and minimum housing ordinances into a single, user-friendly code document. The successful consultant will work in a supportive role to Rowan County Planning Staff and be responsible for data collection, code drafting, graphics preparation, and overall code development. Key deliverables include final code materials in digital format compatible with standard software that meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards and comply with North Carolina General Statute 160D and the County's Land Use Plan adopted December 1, 2025. Required qualifications include experience with similar land development code projects, preferably in North Carolina counties, and the ability to provide references from three local governments. The RFP was posted on March 26, 2026, with a pre-proposal meeting scheduled for April 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET at the Rowan County Planning Department in Salisbury. The deadline for written questions is April 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET, and proposals must be submitted by April 23, 2026, at 11:00 AM ET to the Rowan County Purchasing Department, with an anticipated award date at the Board of Commissioners meeting in May 2026. Evaluation criteria allocate 40 percent weight to pricing, 20 percent to experience, 20 percent to qualifications, 10 percent to response to scope of work, and 10 percent to references.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular organization types or disadvantaged enterprises. Respondents must maintain commercial insurance including Workers' Compensation coverage of at least $500,000 employer's liability and Comprehensive General Liability coverage of at least $500,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate, with Rowan County named as an additional insured. Performance and payment bonds will be required only from the awarded respondent prior to contract execution. The successful contractor will have an initial contract term of two years with an option for one additional year of renewal, for a maximum total of three years. Proposals must include three signed hard copies and one electronic PDF copy with a cover letter, project team information with resumes, implementation schedule, itemized budget, and references from local governments. All prices submitted must remain valid for 90 calendar days following the submission deadline and be presented as a not-to-exceed amount that is itemized to include all project-related expenses, travel, and materials; however, specific budget ranges or award values are not disclosed in the RFP documentation.