RFP-26-001

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE CREATION OF

A UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF ZEBULON, GEORGIA

April, 2026

SUMMARY

The City of Zebulon, Georgia (“City”) is requesting proposals from qualified individuals/firms/corporations (“Consultant”) to provide technical services related to the rewrite, conversion and update of the existing zoning and development standards into a singular Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).

SUBMITTAL DUE DATE

April 28, 2026, 4:00 p.m. local time. There will not be a public opening for this Request for Proposal (“RFP”).

COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

The City of Zebulon is located in west central Georgia and is the county seat of Pike County.  Zebulon is just over an hour’s drive from the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport and is also roughly an hour’s drive from Macon and Columbus.  Zebulon and Pike County are experiencing rapid growth due to the outward expansion of the Atlanta metro area.  Pike County is known for its great school system and excellent quality of life and is attracting small businesses and many new residents.  Zebulon is located at the crossroads of US Hwy 19 and Georgia State Route 18, both of which have an ever-increasing amount of commercial truck traffic. The City has a population of 1,330 persons based on most recent census estimates in a four and a half square mile area (see attachments). However, the daytime population is much larger due to the presence of the Pike County Schools, County government buildings and a majority of the commercial businesses in the county.

Recently, the City has approved a number of multifamily and attached residential  projects that will add an additional 200 plus housing units to the City over the next few years.  The local business park is at capacity and the Development Authority of Pike County recently purchased 250 acres in the City for a new industrial park/mixed use development.

The City is governed by a five member Council, with a Mayor elected citywide and four council members elected by districts.  The City has appointed a Planning and Zoning Commission to review zoning and development proposals and make recommendations to the Mayor and Council in some cases and approve variances to the ordinances from time to time.  The PZC also functions as the Design Review Committee for the Architectural Guidelines.  The City also has appointed an Urban Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners to implement the Urban Redevelopment Plan.

CURRENT ZONING AND LAND USE DOCUMENTS IN EFFECT

The City currently has adopted and enforces these ordinances related to zoning and land development:

• 2004 Zoning Ordinance as amended
• *Official Zoning Map
• 2007 Comprehensive Land Development Ordinance
• 2014 Sign Ordinance
• 2007 Architectural Design Ordinance
• 2024 Telecommunications Ordinance
• 2024 Urban Redevelopment Plan
• 2022 Comprehensive Plan (Joint Plan with Pike County/Cities)
• 2023 Regional Water Resources Management Plan

*NOTE – (the most recent version of the Zoning Map has been prepared by Carter and Sloope Engineers as a part of their demand services agreement with the City)

THE NEED TO MODERNIZE AND INTEGRATE THESE ORDINANCES

• The current ordinances are outdated with regard to the recent development trends.
• The current Zoning Ordinance does not address mixed use and downtown development.
• The current Zoning Ordinance does not address any differentiation between Light industrial and other industrial uses.
• The Land Development Ordinance and Architectural Design Ordinance were adapted from other communities and conflict with the Zoning Ordinance (and each other), especially in relation to site standards, sidewalks, etc.
• The Zoning Ordinance does not contain a zoning category for agricultural uses, even though a large portion of the community is used for pasture, forest and hay production.
• None of the ordinances adequately match the vision of the Comprehensive Plan and vice versa.

SCOPE OF SERVICES 

Short Summary – The consultant who is selected and who executes an agreement with the City of Zebulon (the “Consultant” and the “Contract,” respectively) shall evaluate the existing ordinances, meet with City staff and boards, develop a new Unified Development Ordinance that will meet the applicable state laws and regulations and assist the City with the adoption process,

Detailed Scope – The Consultant is expected to provide a scope and fee to perform the following tasks:

• Schedule an in-person kickoff meeting with City working group discuss current and anticipated development patterns and desired outcomes from the UDO development process.
• Note – the City working group may include City Administrator/Zoning Administrator and her assistant, the Mayor, the Mayor Pro-Tem, the Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, etc. The working group will not include more than two of any of the elected or appointed boards.
• Review existing ordinances and supplements (i.e., Standard Design Details) – review should also include a cursory review of Pike County Zoning and Development Regulations (or related documents)
• Meet with Public Works Director to review anticipated changes to the road network and to discuss recent changes to roadway design due to the Fire Code updates, etc.
• Outline a framework for the new Unified Development Ordinance and present to the City working group for review and comment. This meeting may be in person or online.
• Provide written monthly progress reports/status updates.
• Incorporate feedback from the City and develop a 50% draft of the proposed UDO.
• Present the 50% draft to the Planning and Zoning Commission for their review and feedback. This meeting should be in-person.
• Incorporate changes from this review and develop a 70% draft
• Present the 70% draft to the City working group for review and feedback. This meeting should be in-person. The City Attorney will be brought in for his review and consultation at this point.
• Consultant should also include the preparation of an updated Official Zoning Map
• Consultant to incorporate feedback and advance the document to a level where the adoption process may proceed.
• Consultant should include the adoption ordinances and other documents and prepare a presentation showing changes, new concepts, etc. for the Planning and Zoning Commission.
• Present the Final Draft to the Planning and Zoning Commission for review and recommendation.
• Present the Final Draft to the Mayor and Council for review and adoption.
• Provide final deliverables to the City Administrator in the designated formats

PROPOSAL AND SELECTION

The Consultants responding to this RFP shall provide a single proposal to the City for the services requested. To be considered for this engagement, the Consultants must meet the qualifications and satisfy the requirements set forth in this RFP. The evaluation and selection of a qualified Consultants will be based on the information submitted in the Consultant’s proposal, references, and any required oral presentations/interviews. A response may be rejected if it fails to meet each of the requirements of the RFP.

The contract may be awarded to the most responsible Consultant whose proposal will be, on an overall basis, the most advantageous to the City. Qualifications, experience, performance, and cost factors will be considered as elements of a responsible proposal at the discretion of the City. Cost alone shall not be the determining factor.

ANTICIPATED SELECTION SCHEDULE

 The proposal submission deadline is 4:00 p.m., local time, on April 28, 2026. It is anticipated that the selected Consultant will be under contract by June 8, 2026.

METHOD OF SELECTION

1. An initial screening of submitted proposals will be conducted by the Mayor and the City Administrator to establish a short list of qualified Consultants. This short list will be provided in alphabetical order without any ranking whatsoever to the Selection Committee.
2. The Selection Committee, composed of the Mayor, City Administrator, City Attorney and the Mayor Pro-Term shall interview the short-listed firms. The Selection Committee will submit their choices to the Council for approval.

During the evaluation process, the City reserves the right to request additional information or clarifications from Consultants, or to allow corrections of errors or omissions.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposals that do not address the items listed in this RFP may be considered incomplete and be deemed non-responsive by the City at its discretion. It is the responsibility of the Consultant submitting a proposal to determine the actual efforts required to complete the project. Proposals shall include the following in this order:

1. Cover letter
2. General information about the Consultant/Team
3. Project Approach and proposed Project Schedule (see Compensation Section for some specific information related to schedule)
4. Identify key staff to work on the project, including their experience, credentials/certifications, and training.
5. Provide a list of previous UDOs/UDCs or Form Based Codes developed or updated. This listing should include a brief sample of the work product and a link to the adopted version.
6. At least three (3) references from municipalities/counties where a UDO/UDC was developed. The reference should also include the name and contact information of the local project contact.
7. Any additional information that the Consultant feels necessary
8. A fee proposal for the cost to perform the work outlined in the Scope of Services.

All Consultants submitting a proposal are welcome to tour the City and examine the above referenced specifications for the proposed work and judge for themselves the circumstances affecting the cost of the work or the time requirements for its completion. Failure to do so will not relieve the successful Consultant of the obligation to furnish and perform the work, to carry out the provisions of the contract, or complete the contemplated work for the consideration set forth in this RFP.

INSURANCE 

The Consultant shall maintain liability insurance coverage to protect against claims, demands, actions, and causes of action, arising from any act or omission of the Consultant, its agents, servants, officers or employees in the execution of duties. Certificates of insurance by a company authorized to transact business in the State of Georgia shall be supplied to the City. Limits of liability shall not be less than:

• Commercial General Liability: $1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate Comprehensive Automobile Liability (Including non-ownership coverage):
• $1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate
• Property Damage: $1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate Professional Liability (Errors and Omissions):
• $1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate Bodily Injury Liability:$1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate Worker’s Compensation: As required by statute
• Excess liability/umbrella coverage may be used to meet these minimums.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Consultant, its agents, servants, officers or employees shall indemnify and hold harmless the City, including, but not limited to, its respective elected and appointed officials, officers, employees and agents, from any and all claims brought by any person or entity whatsoever, arising from any act, error, or omission of the Consultant during the Consultant’s performance of a contract or any other agreements of the Consultant entered into by reason thereof. The Consultant shall indemnify and defend the City, including, but not limited to, its respective elected and appointed officials, officers, employees and agents, with respect to any claim arising, or alleged to have arisen from negligence and/or willful, wanton or reckless acts or omissions of the Consultant, its agents, servants, officers, or employees, and any or all losses or liabilities resulting from any such claims, including, but not limited to, damage awards, costs and reasonable attorney’s fees, etc.

COMPENSATION 

The City has budgeted a certain amount in the FY 2026 (Jan-December) budget for this project.  We understand that the cost for this effort will need additional funds to be budgeted in FY 2027 to complete the project.  The compensation quoted in the proposal may be separated by tasks with the understanding that the payments will be divided over two budget cycles.

RIGHTS RESERVED

This RFP does not commit the City to enter into a contract, nor does it obligate the City to reimburse responding parties for any costs incurred in the preparation and/or submission of proposals in anticipation of a contract. This RFP also does not obligate or make liable the City to reimburse responding parties for any costs associated with discussions required for clarification of items related to this RFP or for attendance of an interview or oral presentation.

The City reserves the right to do the following at its discretion and without penalty:

• Make the selection based on their discretion
• Reject any and all proposals without prejudice
• Issue subsequent Requests for Proposal, whether all or in part of this RFP
• Postpone opening proposals for their own convenience
• Remedy technical errors in the proposal process
• Approve or disapprove the use of subconsultants
• Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Consultants
• Solicit best and final offers from all or some of the Consultants
• Accept other than the lowest cost offer
• Waive informalities, irregularities and non-substantive deficiencies in a proposal
• Request clarification of any information submitted
• Request additional information

The City reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a proposal regardless of whether that proposal is selected. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the Consultant of the conditions contained in this RFP, unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the contract between the City and the selected Consultant.

CONSULTANT RESPONSIBILITY 

Interested Consultants have the responsibility of understanding what is required by this RFP. Neither City shall be held responsible for any Consultant’s lack of understanding.  Consultants are responsible to assure delivery prior to the deadline.

CONTRACT

No contract shall be in effect until the City executes a signed contract agreement. The contract will be in a format agreed upon by the Mayor and Council, the City Attorney and the selected Consultant. The Consultant selected will not be permitted to assign, subcontract or transfer the work of providing building inspection services without the prior written authorization of the City.

LATE PROPOSALS

Any proposal received after the time and date specified will not be considered. Consultants are responsible to assure delivery prior to the deadline.

REQUIRED SUBMITTAL 

Submit one (1) digital copy in PDF format and Five (5) hard copies of the proposal to the City in accordance with the instructions in the section “Proposal Requirements.” No faxed submittals will be accepted. The proposal shall be plainly labeled “City of Zebulon RFP 26-001.” Proposals are to be submitted via e-mail to, Felicia Trammel City Administrator (ftrammel@zebulonga.us).

RFP documents can be found on the City of Zebulon’s website www.cityofzebulonga.us.

INQUIRIES 

Questions regarding this RFP must be sent via e-mail to Felicia Trammel at (ftrammel@zebulonga.us) at least five (5) days before the proposal is due. Questions after this date involving the content or intent of this RFP will not be answered. All questions will be responded to via e-mail, provided to all parties requesting an RFP for which the City has contact information, and treated as an addendum to the RFP packet.

CONTACT PERSON

Felicia Trammel

Administrator

City of Zebulon

(ftrammel@zebulonga.us)

(770) 567-8748

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT 

The City of Zebulon does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, marital or veterans’ status, sex, national origin, disability, or any other legally protected status in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs or activities.

WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS 

Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time prior to the proposal submission closing date and time. Proposals may also be withdrawn in person by an officer or by a representative of the Consultant, provided that the representative signs a receipt for return of the proposal.

LOBBYING

Prospective Consultants shall only contact the designated contacts via e-mail and are not to contact members of the Zebulon City Council, other elected and appointed officials, or members of the review committee other than the designated contact. Any lobbying by Consultants during the RFP process will result in immediate disqualification from consideration.

EXHIBIT A – MOST RECENT ZONING MAP

Addendum

1. The scope of services does not make any mention of public engagement. What are the City’s expectations for public engagement? If any, is there specific guidance on expectations for this engagement? All public comment would go through City Council
2. Does the City require firms to provide insurance as part of the proposal submission? Please see the Insurance portion of the RFP
3. What is the deadline for submitting questions? 4/21 4PM
4. Does the City require five (5) hard copies of firms’ responses? If so, please provide the mailing or delivery address for proposal submissions. 7818 Hwy 19 S Zebulon GA 30295 or PO Box 385 Zebulon, GA 30295
5. Is there a project budget or budget range that the City can share? $50,000
6. How many project examples would the City like firms to include in their responses? 3 examples
7. What additional information does the City need from firms? Experience with developing zoning codes and UDOs
8. Can you clarify the submission instructions. Are you wanting (1) digital file via email and (5) copies delivered? If so, can you provide an address? One digital and 5 mailed copies

9. Insurance form – does the City want an insurance form submitted with the proposal or when the firm is selected? Please submit with the proposal