Comprehensive Plan Services

The Vendor is required to provide professional planning services for the four assigned elements across all phases of the comprehensive plan update.
- Project initiation and analysis
1. Project management and coordination
• Establish project management protocols and communication procedures.
• Conduct a project kickoff meeting with town staff and planning board.
• Develop a detailed project work plan and timeline.
• Coordinate with state statewide planning program staff.
• Establish a regular progress reporting schedule.
2. Background research and data collection
• Review the existing comprehensive plan elements in scope and related background documents.
• Collect and analyze existing relevant data sources including demographic, economic, and land use data.
• Review regional plans and coordination requirements applicable to the four elements.
• Assess consistency with applicable state guide plan elements.
3. Existing conditions analysis
• Prepare an updated inventory of existing conditions for each of the four plan elements.
• Conduct field reconnaissance and mapping verification where necessary.
• Evaluate historic and cultural assets, including any changes since the last plan update (historical and cultural resources element).
• Analyze commercial development trends, employment patterns, and economic conditions (economic development element).
• Identify planning issues, opportunities, and constraints specific to each element.
• Assess infrastructure capacity and service needs (services and facilities element).
• Review current land use patterns, zoning consistency, and development trends (land use element).
- Community engagement and visioning
1. Public participation strategy
• Develop a community engagement plan based on a minimum of four (4) in-person public engagements.
• Engagements may be proposed as optional and add-on services not included in the fixed fee.
• Design multiple engagement methods to reach diverse populations.
• Establish project communications via website content and social media as appropriate.
2. Community outreach activities
• Conduct community visioning sessions and workshops focused on the four plan elements.
• Facilitate focus groups with key stakeholders (e.g., business owners, historic preservation advocates, and community organizations).
• Implement online surveys and interactive tools as appropriate.
• Host public meetings and neighborhood sessions.
• Coordinate with adjacent municipalities for regional consistency where relevant.
3. Stakeholder engagement
• Facilitate meetings with the planning board and town council as needed.
• Coordinate regularly with town planning department staff preparing the remaining plan elements to ensure consistency in format, data, and policy direction throughout the full comprehensive plan.
• Engage state and regional agencies with oversight of applicable plan elements.
• Consult with advocacy groups and community organizations relevant to the four elements.
- Plan element development
1. Goals and policies formulation
• Develop updated vision statements and goals for each of the four plan elements based on community input.
• Create objectives and policies for each element.
• Ensure internal consistency between the four updated elements and alignment with the remaining existing plan elements.
• Address regional coordination and state compliance requirements.
2. Historical and cultural resources planning
• Inventory significant historic and cultural resources, including updates to any prior surveys.
• Develop goals and policies for preservation, protection, and adaptive reuse.
• Address coordination with the commission and local historical bodies.
3. Economic development planning
• Identify economic development opportunities, priority corridors, and target industries.
• Address workforce, business retention, and attraction strategies.
• Coordinate with regional economic development partners.
4. Services and facilities planning
• Assess current and projected demand for municipal services and facilities.
• Evaluate capacity of public infrastructure including utilities, schools, public safety, and recreation.
• Develop recommendations for capital improvements and service delivery.