Comprehensive Plan

Town of Clayton, North Carolina
Request for Proposals (RFP #700-2027-PLANNING-03)
Clayton Growth Plan:
A New Comprehensive Plan for
Clayton, North Carolina
Date Issued:
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Due Date:
Friday, October 2, 2026
Issuing Department:
Planning
Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:
Email: planning@townofclaytonnc.org
Subject: "RFP #700-2027-PLANNING-03: Questions"
Attn: Conrad Olmedo, Planning Director

CLAYTON GROWTH PLAN | RFP
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 3
A. OPENING LETTER .................................................................................................................... 3
B. RFP BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................. 5
C. CLAYTON'S PLANNING EFFORTS......................................................................................... 5
D. CLAYTON'S GEOGRAPHY & DEMOGRAPHICS ................................................................... 6
E. IMPORTANT DATES ................................................................................................................ 7
F. PROPOSAL QUESTIONS ......................................................................................................... 7
G. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS ........................................................................... 8
H. RIGHTS TO SUBMITTED MATERIAL ...................................................................................... 8
2 RFP SUBMITTALS ................................................................................................................... 9
A. RFP SUBMITTAL COMPONENTS ........................................................................................... 9
B. EVALUATION PROCESS ....................................................................................................... 11
3 PROJECT SCOPE ................................................................................................................. 13
A. TASKS AND DELIVERABLES ................................................................................................. 13
B. PROJECT COMPLETION AND SUBMITTAL ....................................................................... 18
C. MEDIA AND FILE FORMATS ................................................................................................ 18
D. GENERAL CONSULTANT RESPONSIBILITIES .................................................................... 18
E. ATTACHMENT LINKS ............................................................................................................ 18
4 EXECUTION OF PROPOSAL .............................................................................................. 19
Request for Proposals Due Date
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CLAYTON GROWTH PLAN | RFP
1 INTRODUCTION
A. OPENING LETTER
Notice: Request for Proposals (RFP)
Project: Clayton Growth Plan: A New Comprehensive Plan for Clayton, North Carolina
Thank you for taking the time to review this Request for Proposals (RFP). The Town of Clayton,
North Carolina, is seeking qualified consultant teams to create a new comprehensive plan.
Like many rapidly growing communities, Clayton has experienced change and development
pressures that make a new comprehensive plan both timely and necessary.
As Planning Director, I recognize this effort will involve competing interests. Some will
advocate for preserving what works today, while others will push for continued growth and
new opportunities. The consultant team's central challenge will be to help the Town and its
community to strike a thoughtful balance that protects Clayton's character and values while
planning responsibly for continued growth and economic vitality. Overall, this new plan will
articulate how all of Clayton's residents, both existing and future, will benefit from growth.
Each day at Town Hall, I'm reminded of an image that captures these competing interests
well: Clayton Patchwork (see image) a mural created by Ms. Dorothy Dembroski in 2009
painted on the second floor of Town Hall. Much like planning itself, the mural's many distinct
pieces come together as one cohesive whole. As planners, we work with many "patches" of
our community: neighborhoods, businesses, infrastructure, residents, elected officials, and
partners. Our task is to weave these elements into a shared vision, or a patchwork, of our
respective communities. Consider Clayton Patchwork as this project's "north star".
With this RFP, we encourage proposing teams to move beyond a standard planning
approach. The profession continues to advance new frameworks that reshape how
communities think about land use, fiscal sustainability, mobility, and quality of life. As such,
we invite proposals with ideas that are innovative, creative, and tested through
implementation. This will energize our selection committee and give us an understanding of
your thoughts on Clayton's long-term success. It will also demonstrate your firm's creative
problem-solving skills. This new plan will guide the Clayton of tomorrow and serve as a
practical tool for residents, elected officials, staff, and the development community. To keep
this plan off the shelf, consider aspects of how to have an online interactive plan.
Lastly, we want this plan to be a product your firm is proud of, one that is a highlight in your
portfolio of successful projects. So, together, let's show how a once-small Southern-tobacco
farming town can be one of the best-planned-for communities in the capital region,
southeast, and country.
Sincerely,
Conrad Olmedo, AICP, CZO, MPA, MURP | Planning Director
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Clayton Patchwork, 2009
Dorothy Dembroski
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CLAYTON GROWTH PLAN | RFP
B. RFP BACKGROUND
The Town of Clayton, NC is seeking proposals for a new Comprehensive Plan. This new plan
will need to set the stage for the Clayton of tomorrow, one that accounts for land use
challenges of a fast-growing town in a metropolitan area. The new plan will need to direct
Clayton's development and growth trajectories in greenfield development, fiscally vibrant
land uses, community enhancements, sensitivity to the environment, proactively support infill
opportunities, and resiliency to acute weather events.
Responders to this RFP should be familiar with work of cutting-edge planning theory and
practice. Examples include but not limited to work done by Urban3 (economics of land use),
SOM (20-minute suburb), Strong Towns (growth Ponzi scheme), the Congress for New
Urbanism (mixed land uses), HDR (transit/corridor orientated development), and have in
mind submitting for national recognition to the American Planning Association (Daniel
Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan).
C. CLAYTON'S PLANNING EFFORTS
With rapid population growth (333% since 2000), the Town faces opportunities and
challenges in balancing growth with environmental stewardship, housing affordability, and
preservation of green space. Residents, businesses, and stakeholders have voiced strong
support for updating long-range planning tools to ensure that Clayton's small-town charm is
preserved while Clayton prepares for the demands of an increasingly urbanized future.
This is demonstrated by the significant amount of plans adopted by the Town Council in the
last two years. Among them is the Town Council's approved Clayton Strategic Plan (2024).
The Strategic Plan sets the stage for Town staff's daily administrative functionality as well as
guiding the Town's future investments. Principles from the Strategic Plan include a vibrant
downtown, creating desirable amenities and spaces, building sustainable infrastructure
investment, diversifying economic development, building a multi-modal transportation
network, having vibrant community engagement, and supporting public safety services.
These principles should be reflected upon in the development of the new comprehensive
plan.
Other plans include Town Council's recently approved first Comprehensive Transportation
Plan (2024), Parks & Recreation Master Plan (2024), Downtown Clayton Plan (2024), and
Gateway 42 Small Area Plan (2024). The Town also collaborates with the Capital Area
Metropolitan Transportation Organization (CAMPO) for Capital Improvement Projects and
regional transit plans. Also, the Town Council continues to support land use regulation text
amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance, most recently on June 15, 2026.
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D. CLAYTON'S GEOGRAPHY & DEMOGRAPHICS
Clayton's planning area includes Town corporate limits of 10,985 acres and an extraterritorial
jurisdiction of 19,067 acres, for a total of 30,052 acres (approximately 46.9 square miles). This
plan will need to consider further increases in size through voluntary annexations that are the
result of real estate developments and the expansion of Town utility and public safety
services.
As mentioned, Clayton is experiencing significant growth. The Town has increased from
26,314 residents in 2020 to an estimated 32,633 residents in 2025. Clayton is also located
Johnston County, which is one of the fastest growing Counties in North Carolina, growing by
almost 100,000 people since 2010. Currently, Johnston County has a 2025 population
estimate of 256,448 residents and is projected to be an estimated 418,008 residents by 2060
(U.S. Census QuickFacts and N.C. Office of State Budget and Management).
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E. IMPORTANT DATES
RFP submittal deadlines and project initiation will be according to the following schedule:
RFP Process Date
RFP posted to NC eVP website 8/25/2026
Proposers Written Questions Due 9/11/2026 4:00 PM
Town Responses (addendum) to Proposers questions
9/18/2026
posted on NC eVP
Proposal Submission Deadline 10/2/2026 2:00 pm EST
Selection Committee review of Submittals 10/5/2026 - 10/16/2026
Virtual interviews conducted with selected consultants, if
10/19/2026 - 10/30/2026
necessary
Highest ranked firm notified 11/6/2026
Contract finalized / non-selected firms notified 11/20/2026
Project Management Date
Project Start 11/30/2026
12/10/2026
Project status reporting and update meeting subsequent 1st Thursday of
each month
12/31/2026
Project billing and compensation processing subsequent last workday of
each month
Project End Date 12/31/2028
F. PROPOSAL QUESTIONS
Upon review of the Scope of Work, Parties may submit any questions to clarify in order to
submit the best RFP possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Proposers
shall submit any such questions by September 11, 2026 (no exceptions). The Town will not
entertain any further questions after the due date; send questions to:
Email: planning@townofclaytonnc.org
Subject: RFP #700-2027-PLANNING-03: Questions
Attention: Conrad Olmedo, Planning Director
Request for Proposals Due Date
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Questions received prior to the submission deadline of September 11, 2026 will be answered
by the Town and posted in the form of an addenda to the North Carolina eVP website and
shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction, or advice provided orally
or informally by any Town personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in
connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Proposers shall rely
only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFP.
It is the Proposer's responsibility to ensure that all addendum(s) have been reviewed
signed and returned with the RFP. Failure to sign and include the addendum(s) with
your RFP will result in your response being rejected.
G. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Proposals must be submitted via email in a .PDF format to:
Email: planning@townofclaytonnc.org
Subject: RFP #700-2027-PLANNING-03: Submittal
Attention: Conrad Olmedo, Planning Director
Proposals emailed after the due date will be rejected. The proposals shall not be more than
30 pages. The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for any reason and to
waive any informality it deems in its best interest. Proposers must respond to the entire
Request for Proposals (RFP). Any proposals received by the Town that are incomplete in their
responses will be rejected. NOTE: Include All Tasks in your proposal.
H. RIGHTS TO SUBMITTED MATERIAL
All proposals, responses, inquiries, or correspondence relating to or in reference to this RFP,
and all reports, charts, and other documentation submitted by Proposers (other than
materials submitted as and qualifying as trade secrets under North Carolina law) shall
become the property of the Town when received and the entire proposal shall be subject to
the public records laws of the State of North Carolina except where a proper trade secrets
exception has been made by the Proposer in accordance with the procedures allowed by
North Carolina law.
The Town 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 Proposer of the conditions contained in this RFP.
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CLAYTON GROWTH PLAN | RFP
2 RFP SUBMITTALS
Responses must follow the format outlined herein as provided in the RFP Submittal
Components. The Town may reject as non-responsive at its sole discretion any proposal or
any part thereof that is incomplete, inadequate in its response, or diverts in any substantive
way from the required format. Responses should refer to the Project Scope when responding.
A. RFP SUBMITTAL COMPONENTS
The following are the required components necessary to submit a complete RFP submittal.
Each component is given a maximum number of points for a grand total of 100 points.
1: COVER LETTER/LETTER OF INTENT (2 points)
A letter, signed by an individual authorized to bind the firm, indicating the firm's interest in
the project and its ability to meet the requirements set forth in this RFP. The letter should
briefly summarize the firm's understanding of the project, confirm the availability of key
personnel, and express commitment to the proposed timeline. Lastly, the letter should
explain how and why your firm is well-suited for this project.
2: CORPORATE BACKGROUND (3 points)
Provide a general overview of the firm, that includes:
* Legal name, address, and primary contact information
* Year established and type of business entity
* Office location responsible for project delivery
* Description of the firm's primary services
* Relevant certifications and professional affiliations
3: RELEVANT EXPERIENCE (15 points)
Describe the firm's experience with land use planning, particularly with municipalities
facing rapid growth and development in a metropolitan area:
* Summary of at least three (3) similar comprehensive land use plans completed
within the last seven (7) years with the name of the entity, a contact person's name,
title, phone number, and email address
* Description of services performed and project outcomes
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4: PROJECT UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH (35 points)
Provide a narrative that demonstrates the proposer's understanding of the project, its
deliverables, and the Town's land use planning needs. Discuss key issues, challenges, and
opportunities that the project may present. Describe the proposed approach to
completing the scope of services, refer to the Project Scope:
* Methodology and project phases
* Tools, techniques, and deliverables
* Justification for the approach to the plan
5: TIMELINE AND WORKPLAN (30 points)
Provide a timeline and workplan for completion of the project, refer to Project Scope:
* Milestones of deliverables
* Estimated start and completion dates for tasks and phases
* Duration of each project task and phase
6: TEAM ORGANIZATION AND RESUMES (5 points)
Identify all key personnel assigned to the project, align with Project Scope:
* Organization chart indicating roles and responsibilities
* Resumes for each key team member
* Relevant experience, certifications, and project experience
7: COST PROPOSAL (10 points)
Submit a detailed cost proposal for completing Project Scope:
* Breakdown of costs by task, deliverable, and meeting participation
* Hourly rates and estimated hours for each team member
* Anticipated travel or reimbursable expenses for in-person attendance
* Total not-to-exceed amount for the entire project
EVALUATION CRITERIA 100 Points Total
Request for Proposals Due Date
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