The vendor is required to provide under the environmental protection fund smart growth community planning program from eligible towns, villages, cities, counties, regional planning entities.
- By preparing comprehensive or area plans that support smart growth principles, community stakeholders have the opportunity to evaluate local resources, develop goals and a comprehensive strategy for the best and most efficient use of those resources, propose future projects, and adopt a municipal-wide or area plan that will guide development to maximize economic, social, and environmental benefits for the community.
- Planning should address a wide range of issues including, but not limited to, appropriate physical development, economic development, transportation patterns, natural and built resource inventories, affordable housing and demographic trends.
- An effective comprehensive or area plan should:
• Include a strong public participation process to develop public consensus on a vision for the future through community visioning, public meetings and workshops, focus groups, charrettes, etc.
• Determine appropriate land uses to implement community goals and objectives
• Provide a sound, rational basis for local decision making, including the adoption of zoning and local land use regulations.
- Smart growth encourages several best practices for community planning and development including but not limited to:
• Development in areas where water and sewer infrastructure is available.
• Redevelopment of existing community and municipal centers.
• Protection of important historic and natural resources.
• Walkable neighborhood designs with multi-modal-oriented streetscapes.
• Development around transit lines in the form of transit-oriented development.
• Promotion of equity, such as affordable housing and environmental justice; and
• The promotion of siting and development of community-scale clean energy facilities.
- Comprehensive plans, zoning regulations, and area plans must incorporate these smart growth principles to make the most efficient use of community resources, affirmatively provide access to housing across all income levels, reduce the property tax burden, promote sustainable economic development, and enhance equity and quality of life for people and households of all incomes, backgrounds, ages and abilities.
- The comprehensive plan, zoning regulations, or area plan can set a course for clean, affordable, and reliable energy and transportation; safe and energy efficient businesses; protection of farmland and forestlands to avoid loss of natural resources; and overall healthy communities.
- Contract Period/Term: 3 years
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: June 20, 2025