Request For Proposals Craig Master Plan Update

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
CRAIG MASTER PLAN UPDATE
City of Craig
300 West 4th Street
Craig, CO 81625
www.ci.craig.co.us
Issue Date: July 29, 2026
Closing Date: September 8, 2026

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSERS
Proposals for the "Craig Master Plan Update" project will be received by the City of Craig
(Owner) via Bidnet Direct at https://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/cityofcraig or mailed,
emailed, or hand delivered to City Hall at 300 West Fourth Street, Craig, Colorado 81625, until
1:00 P.M. prevailing time on September 8, 2026. Late proposals will not be considered and
will be returned to the proposer unopened.
Questions regarding the scope of work must be submitted in writing to the City Clerk at
kcarmody@cityofcraig.org, no later than 5:30 P.M. on August 21, 2026. Responses to all
questions shall be issued in the form of an Addendum to be issued by the City of Craig by no
later than 12:00 P.M. on August 28, 2026.
The Owner may waive any informalities or minor defects or reject any or all proposals. Any
proposal may be withdrawn prior to the above scheduled time for the opening of proposals or
authorized postponement thereof. Any proposal received after the time and date specified shall
not be considered. No proposer may withdraw a proposal within 60 days after the actual date of
the opening thereof. Should there be reasons why the contract cannot be awarded within the
specified period the time may be extended by mutual agreement between the Owner and the
proposer.
The party to whom the contract is awarded will be required to execute the agreement. The
notice to proceed shall be issued within ten (10) days of the execution of the agreement by the
Owner. Should there be reasons why the notice to proceed cannot be issued within such period,
the time may be extended by mutual agreement between the Owner and the proposer. If the
notice to proceed has not been issued within the ten (10) day period or within the period
mutually agreed upon, the proposer may terminate the agreement without further liability on the
part of either party.
The Owner may make such investigations as they deem necessary to determine the ability of
the proposer to perform work, and the proposer shall furnish to the Owner all such information
and data for this purpose as the Owner may request. The Owner reserves the right to reject any
proposals if the evidence submitted by, or investigation of, such proposer fails to satisfy the
Owner that such proposer is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the agreement and
to complete the work contemplated therein.
All applicable laws, ordinances, and the rules and regulations of all authorities having
jurisdiction over the project shall apply to the contract throughout.
This project is exempt from Sales Tax requirements. The party to whom the contract is awarded
will be required to complete all necessary forms to document the exemption.

I. Introduction and Objective:
The City of Craig ("City") desires to solicit Proposals from interested and qualified firms
or persons to prepare a Master Plan Update ("plan") that will result in a new
comprehensive plan for the City of Craig.
The plan will replace the City's portion of the existing City of Craig / Moffat County
Master Plan completed in 2003. The updated plan will serve as Craig's primary long-
range policy guide for land use, growth, housing, transportation, parks, trails and open
space, recreation and tourism, downtown infrastructure, economic development,
community character, water supply, hazard mitigation resiliency, and implementation.
The City desires a plan that is clear, concise, visually accessible, and useful for day-to-
day decision-making by City staff, the Planning and Zoning Commission, City Council,
residents, property owners, businesses, and development applicants. The final plan
should provide a shared vision for Craig's future, identify key goals and policies,
establish a coordinated future land use framework, and provide an implementation
strategy that can guide future investment, regulatory updates, partnerships, and
development decisions. As importantly the plan shall be prepared in the context of the
community for the City of Craig.
The selected consultant should have demonstrated experience with comprehensive
planning for Colorado municipalities, public engagement, housing and land use policy,
GIS mapping, implementation strategies, and preparation of plans that are both
visionary and practical.
II. Budget:
The project will be funded by a Local Planning Capacity grant received by the State of
Colorado Division of Local Government (DOLA) with local match funds by the City of
Craig, and incentive funding by DOLA due to the City of Craig becoming an early
adoption fast track community. The total budget available for the project subject to this
Request for Proposal (RFP) is $195,000. The consultants are requested to provide a
realistic scope of work and fee proposal based on the information described in this RFP.
III. Background and Purpose:
The City of Craig is located within Moffat County in Northwest Colorado. Moffat County
is the second largest county by area in Colorado at approximately 4,751 square miles.
Craig is the county seat of Moffat County and has approximately 9,000 residents. Craig
has traditionally been known as an energy and agricultural community, a distinct small-
town identity, with a historic downtown, established neighborhoods, high-quality
schools, and access to regional transportation and employment corridors. Craig sits at
the confluence of the Yampa River and Fortification Creek where coal energy
production has anchored its economy for most of the twentieth century.
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The Craig Station power plant, built in phases between 1974 and 1984, reached
approximately 1,427 megawatts of capacity and drew its coal from the nearby Colowyo
and Trapper mines. The plant's final units are currently going through the
decommissioning process with full retirement scheduled by the end of 2028. The wind-
down is reshaping Craig's economic and fiscal environment. The City is pursuing a
diversified future that builds upon its energy and agricultural heritage while expanding
opportunities in industrial and business development, outdoor recreation and tourism,
healthcare, aviation, housing, small business, emerging energy technologies, and other
sectors identified through the planning process. Craig is part of a regional labor and
housing market that includes Steamboat Springs and other Northwest Colorado
communities noting a substantial portion of Craig's population commutes daily to nearby
Steamboat Springs.
The Master Plan Update provides an opportunity to revisit the City's policy framework
for land use, growth, housing, transportation, parks, trails and open space, recreation
and tourism, downtown infrastructure, economic development, community character,
water supply, hazard mitigation resiliency, and implementation.
Core Values
The City Council has identified six core values to serve as a guide to Craig's priorities
and decision making:
1. Preserving our Heritage and Small-Town Identify.
2. Practicing Fiscal Responsibility and Transparency.
3. Building Infrastructure for Planned Growth.
4. Enhancing Quality of Life and Community Pride.
5. Governing in Collaboration with Stakeholders.
6. Proactively Communicating with the Community.
These core values are relevant to the Master Plan Update because they reflect the City
Council's broader policy priorities and relate to the many topics addressed in a
comprehensive plan, including growth management, infrastructure, housing, parks and
trails, public engagement, safety, community services, and long-term needs of current
and future residents.
IV. Scope of Work:
The selected consultant shall provide the professional services necessary to prepare a
focused and implementable update to the City of Craig's Master Plan. The final scope
will be negotiated with the selected consultant, but proposals should address the
following major work areas.
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1. Project Management
The consultant shall manage the project schedule, deliverables, meetings,
communications, and coordination with City staff and stakeholders. The
consultant shall designate a project manager who will serve as the primary point
of contact and shall provide regular updates to City staff throughout the project.
2. Plan Review and Strategic Integration
The consultant shall review the City's and State's relevant adopted plans,
studies, and policy documents and identify how they should be incorporated in
the updated Master Plan. See Resource Documents attached to this RFP. This
review should be strategic and concise. The goal is not to duplicate prior plans,
but to create a coordinated plan that carries forward relevant recommendations
and identifies where updates or refinements are needed.
This work should include review of, but is not limited to, the 2003 City of Craig /
Moffat County Master Plan, Housing Needs Assessment, Housing Action Plan,
Economic Development Strategic Plan, Moffat County Vision 2025 Transition
Plan, Moffat County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS),
Craig Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Trails Master Plan, Water and
Wastewater Master Plan Updates, Sewer Main Capacity Analysis, Water Rights
Yield Modeling Report, Colorado Statewide Strategic Growth Report, Colorado's
Vital Landscapes and Resources Report, Colorado Water Plan, and the CDOT
Northwest 2050 Regional Transportation Plan.
The consultant shall prepare a brief plan integration summary or matrix
identifying key recommendations to carry forward, potential conflicts or gaps, and
how prior planning efforts will be reflected in the updated Master Plan.
3. Community Engagement
The consultant shall design and implement a public engagement process
appropriate for the community of Craig. The engagement process should be
efficient, inclusive, and meaningful. It should help the City confirm community
values, evaluate growth and housing choices, identify priorities, and build support
for the final plan before adoption.
The engagement approach may include community workshops, stakeholder
interviews, online engagement, targeted outreach, pop-up opportunities,
Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council workshops, and public review
of draft materials. The consultant should recommend an engagement strategy
that fits the project budget, schedule, and community context.
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4. Existing Conditions and Key Issues
The consultant shall prepare a concise existing conditions and key issues
summary. This work should rely on existing plans and data to the extent possible
and should avoid duplicating analysis that has already been completed.
The summary should address major trends and issues related to:
1. Population and growth.
2. Housing needs and housing diversity.
3. Existing and future land use.
4. Downtown and community character.
5. Transportation and mobility.
6. Parks, trails, and open space.
7. Recreation and tourism.
8. Water, wastewater, storm drainage, and infrastructure.
9. Economic development and fiscal sustainability.
10. Water supply and availability.
11. Environmental resources and hazard mitigation resiliency.
12. Intergovernmental coordination.
The consultant should identify the key choices and policy questions that the
Master Plan needs to address.
5. Housing Integration and State Compliance
The City completed the City of Craig Housing Needs Assessment in Fall 2021.
The consultant shall incorporate the Housing Needs Assessment into the Master
Plan Update and use it to inform housing, land use, growth, infrastructure, and
implementation recommendations.
The Master Plan Update should address housing variety, affordability,
attainability, rental housing, ownership housing, senior housing, accessory
dwelling units, missing middle housing, workforce housing, and coordination
between housing and infrastructure capacity.
6. Water Supply Element and Hazard Mitigation Resiliency Plan
The consultant shall include in the plan elements and documentation needed to
support applicable Colorado Senate Bill (SB 24-174) including the Water Supply
Element. The Water Supply Element shall be identified as a separate deliverable
for purposes of scope, cost, billing, tracking, and grant documentation. The Water
Supply Element may be integrated into the Master Plan as an appendix.
In the Colorado context, the integration of water supply shall be coordinated with
land use, urban growth, and development decisions directly with available water
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resources, the local water providers, and conservation policies to ensure long-
term community and environmental resilience.
The Water Supply Element must be developed in consultation with entities that
supply water for use within the City of Craig, include water conservation policies
consistent with state requirements, and estimate a range of water supplies and
facilities needed to support the potential public and private development
described in the Master Plan. The Water Supply Element shall explicitly include a
plan or action step to update the Element in five (5) years in accordance with the
statutory update requirement.
For reference, DOLA guidance for the Water Supply Element and Hazard
Mitigation Resiliency can be found at the following links:
* Water Supply Element Guidance Overview Division of Local Government
* Resilience and Hazard Mitigation Division of Local Government
7. Vision, Goals, and Policy Framework
The consultant shall work with the City to prepare an updated vision, goals, and
policy framework for the Master Plan. The plan should reflect public input,
adopted plans, the Housing Needs Assessment, the City's core values, and
current growth and infrastructure conditions.
The policy framework should be organized around the City's key planning topics
and should be written in a clear and practical format that can guide future
decisions.
8. Future Land Use and Growth Framework
The consultant shall prepare an updated future land use and growth framework.
This work should provide clear direction for development, redevelopment, infill,
annexation, housing diversity, downtown, employment areas parks and open
space, public uses, and preservation of community character.
The consultant shall include a high-level zoning and subdivision code alignment
assessment to identify regulations, zone map changes, development standards,
or procedural changes that may be necessary to implement the Master Plan. This
is not intended to be a code rewrite but more specifically to identify areas for
future code revisions that may be necessary for Master Plan implementation.
The future land use framework should be coordinated with infrastructure capacity,
water and wastewater planning, transportation and mobility, parks and trails,
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recreation and tourism, downtown revitalization, housing needs, and fiscal
sustainability. The consultant shall provide updated maps and GIS-based
deliverables to be maintained by the City.
For reference, the DOLA Template Land Development Code can be found at the
following link:
* Template Land Development Code Division of Local Government
9. Intergovernmental and Regional Coordination
The consultant shall coordinate with Moffat County and other affected
neighboring jurisdictions throughout the planning process. The City and County
anticipate maintaining separate comprehensive plans reflecting their respective
jurisdictions, authorities, services, and policy priorities. Coordination is intended
to promote compatible data, assumptions, maps, policies, and implementation
strategies where City and County interests overlap.
Coordination shall include, at a minimum:
* Review of relevant Moffat County plans and regulations;
* Notification and documentation of the process and procedure with Moffat
County.
* Coordination regarding areas of potential growth within approximately
three miles of the City boundary (e.g., Three-Mile Plan);
* Consultation regarding water supply, annexation, transportation, utilities,
housing, economic development, public facilities, hazard mitigation,
natural resources, and agricultural lands;
* Consideration of the local school district boundary which includes a large
area of western Moffat County;
* At least two City-County coordination meetings;
* Opportunity for County review of relevant draft materials;
* Documentation of comments, objections, responses, and outcomes as
required by Colorado law; and
* Coordination with any County comprehensive-plan consultant retained
during the City's planning process.
This coordination shall not require preparation of a countywide future land use
plan or adoption of a joint City-County comprehensive plan unless separately
authorized through a written amendment to the consultant's scope.
For reference, more information on the Three-Mile Plan can be found at the
following link:
* Three-Mile Plan Overview Division of Local Government
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10. Plan Elements
The updated Master Plan should address, at a minimum, the following elements:
1. Community Vision and Strategic Framework.
2. Land Use and Growth.
3. Housing and Neighborhoods.
4. Downtown and Community Character.
5. Economic Development and Fiscal Sustainability.
6. Transportation and Mobility.
7. Parks, Trails, and Open Space.
8. Recreation and Tourism.
9. Public Facilities, Water and Wastewater Infrastructure.
10. Water Supply.
11. Environmental Resources.
12. Hazard Mitigation Resiliency.
13. Intergovernmental Coordination.
14. Implementation.
15. Three-Mile Plan.
The City is open to alternative organization if the proposer recommends a
structure that is clearer, more user-friendly, or better suited to the final plan.
11. Implementation Strategy
The final Master Plan shall include a practical implementation strategy that is
organized in a clear and easy to follow format. The implementation strategy
should identify priority actions, responsible parties, timeframes, potential
partners, funding opportunities, and related regulatory or capital improvement
needs.
The implementation strategy should include actions carried forward from prior
plans, actions related to the Housing Needs Assessment, actions that support the
City's core values, and actions needed to align the Master Plan with future
zoning, subdivision, capital improvement, and development review decisions.
12. Plan Adoption
The Final Master Plan shall be reviewed and approved for adoption by the City's
Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council in accordance with C.R.S. 31-
23-206(1.3)(c). In addition to other engagement with the governing bodies of the
City of Craig, the Consultant shall be prepared to attend a total of three public
meetings for plan adoption which include one meeting with Planning & Zoning
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