GREENVILLE COUNTY OPEN SPACE PLAN

The intent of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to procure qualified professional consultant services to develop and prepare a comprehensive and community supported open space, recreation and trails expansion plan (Open Space Plan) for Greenville County, SC in furtherance of the 2020 Plan Greenville Comprehensive Plan and the 2010 Greenville County Comprehensive Greenways Plan. The plan will establish an on-going vision for open space, preservation goals for long-term growth management and sustainability, and an action plan for implementation for the next 10 years including strategic collaborations and community partnerships to leverage resources and expertise, policy recommendations for plan implementation, and a needs analysis for priority capital projects, land acquisitions, trail development, funding estimates and mechanisms. Additional outcomes of the Open Space Plan shall include high level concept plans, GIS map and data of open space, recreation and trail expansion locations,

and a web accessible interactive story map of the planning process and the importance of open space integration and active participation.The successful consultant will perform the services outlined in this RFP in a timely manner as determined by Greenville County and the consultant with an estimated completion date for all deliverables by the first quarter of 2025. It is requested that the responding firms use this general timeframe as a template from which to narrow and detail their proposed schedules.BackgroundThe County of Greenville is the most populous county in South Carolina, with approximately 552,910 residents and an average annual growth rate of 1.7 percent (2023 est.), and 22.5 percent growth since the 2010 Census. It is the center of the 10 county Upstate region of the state situated along the industrious Interstate 85 corridor between Atlanta and Charlotte. With an estimated Gross Domestic Product of $40.5 billion in 2022, the County is an economic powerhouse and center of activity in the Upstate (US Federal Reserve). Coupled with a relative low cost of living, people from all over the world have migrated to the area for economic opportunity and unparalleled quality of life. As a result, the community has seen rapid growth in the last decade with recent projections indicating an additional 206 square miles of urban land area will be added by 2040. Additionally, the residents of Greenville County have become increasingly concerned in recent years about the loss of greenspace and trees throughout the County due primarily to new low-density subdivision developments on the urban fringe.In an effort to reverse this trend, County Leaders, Planning Staff, and consultants worked to the develop the Plan Greenville County Comprehensive Plan in 2020, which addresses the need for balanced growth with respect to land use policies, calling for preservation of community character while accommodating necessary growth. The community’s preferred “Focused Growth” pattern seeks to reduce urban land consumption rates by 75 percent over the next twenty years. Along with the Comprehensive Plan, Greenville County has recently taken unprecedented steps to improve the County’s land use policies and change the rules of development. The Unified Development Ordinance, a multi-year project to update Greenville County’s fifty-year-old, one-size fits all development code, is set to be adopted by County Council in 2024. This newly combined Zoning and Land Development Code seeks to implement many of the goals and objectives outlined in "Plan Greenville County". Among these is the community’s desire to protect and enhance active and passive open spaces throughout the county; the statements below, taken from the Comprehensive Plan, are indicative of this desire:Protect the most valuable and vulnerable resources in Greenville County.Increase opportunities for recreation and active transportation, including expansion of the County multi-use trail network.Ensure the conservation of abundant natural areas and open spaces as an integral component of workplace development strategies.Develop a strong and durable partnership between natural resources.Protect tourism, and parks and recreation.Identify and protect critical open space, scenic byways, and important rural vistas.Protect trees, native vegetation, and wildlife habitat.Provide recreational and entertainment choices for all age and ability levels.Expand tree canopy through the promotion of tree planting within all new developments or individual properties.Protect critical-resource areas such as steep slopes, watersheds, and prime farmland.Protect and improve water resources such as rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands.Protect trees, native vegetation, and wildlife habitat.Protect the character of rural areas.TimelineRelease Project Date:February 9, 2024Question Submission Deadline:February 19, 2024, 5:00pmProposal Submission Deadline:March 4, 2024, 3:00pmReview of Proposals:March 4 - March 18, 2024Tentative Date of Award:March 18, 2024Contract Negotiations:March 18 - April 1, 2024Issue Notice to Proceed:April 1, 2024