COMPREHENSIVE ZONING CODE & DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATE RFP
| Location: | Illinois |
|---|---|
| Posted: | Mar 16, 2026 |
| Due: | Apr 17, 2026 |
| Agency: | O'Fallon city |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
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| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Bid Title: |
COMPREHENSIVE ZONING CODE & DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATE RFP
|
| Category: | Bids |
| Status: | Open |
|
Attachment Preview
COMPREHENSIVE ZONING
CODE & DESIGN
GUIDELINES UPDATE
Request for Proposals
March 16, 2026
Background
The City of O’Fallon, Illinois (“City”) is a growing and dynamic community located in St. Clair County in the Metro-East
region of the St. Louis metropolitan area. With a population exceeding 32,000 residents, O’Fallon has evolved from
its historic roots as a railroad and coal-mining community into one of Southern Illinois’ premier residential and
commercial centers. The City is widely recognized for its high-performing school districts, strong public safety
services, extensive park and recreation amenities, revitalized downtown, and proximity to Scott Air Force Base and
Downtown St. Louis.
O’Fallon has experienced steady growth over the past several decades, driven by its strategic location, quality of
life, and proactive planning efforts. At the same time, residents consistently cite the City’s “small-town feel,”
established neighborhoods, and overall community character as defining features they value and wish to preserve.
Balancing continued growth with thoughtful land use planning and high-quality design is therefore a central priority
for the City.
To guide long-term decision-making, the City adopted the O’Fallon 2040 Master Plan, which articulates a community
vision centered on sustainability, inclusivity, walkability, and economic vitality. Key principles of the plan include
the future land use map plan, infill and redevelopment, support for neighborhood-scale commercial development,
and the provision of diverse and attainable housing options for residents at all stages of life. Implementation of
these principles relies heavily on clear, modern, and well-coordinated regulatory and design frameworks consistent
with an updated, modern Comprehensive Zoning Code and design guidelines.
Project Description & Objectives
The City has experienced sustained residential and commercial growth while maintaining a strong commitment to
high-quality development, neighborhood character, and long-term sustainability. The City utilizes Title XV: Land
Usage, Commercial Design Guidelines, and Residential Design guidelines which are valuable tools in guiding land
use policy decisions, development, design standards, and regulations.
Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), the City of O’Fallon is seeking a qualified, multidisciplinary consultant
team to conduct a coordinated and comprehensive review and update of:
• Title XV: Land Usage
o Chapter 151: Historic Preservation
o Chapter 154: Subdivisions
o Chapter 155: Development Manual
o Chapter 156: Mobile Home Park Code
o Chapter 157: Zoning
• Commercial Design Guidelines
• Residential Design Guidelines
Based on the comprehensive review and update, minor revisions may be necessary to the following sections:
• Chapter 94: Nuisances
• Chapter 99: Tree and Shrubs
The City’s goal is to produce modernized, user-friendly, and internally consistent documents that effectively
implement the 2040 Master Plan, support predictable and high-quality development, and reflect the community’s
values and long-term vision.
The primary objectives of this project include:
1. Conducting a comprehensive review of Title XV to identify areas for modernization, clarification, and
improved usability.
2. Updating zoning regulations to better support infill development, redevelopment, and missing middle
housing where appropriate.
3. Ensuring consistency between zoning standards and the City’s Commercial and Residential Design
Guidelines.
4. Updating the Commercial and Residential Design Guidelines to reflect current design best practices,
community expectations, and regulatory alignment.
5. Producing clear, user-friendly, and legally defensible documents that are straightforward for applicants,
staff, Planning Commission, and City Council to administer.
Title XV: Land Usage – Overview
Title XV structures the city’s land-use and development framework through a set of chapters addressing
everything from building standards to zoning rules. Within this section of the City code, the City is seeking to
review and update Chapter 151: Historic Preservation, Chapter 154: Subdivisions, Chapter 155: Development
Manual, and Chapter 157: Zoning.
Chapter 151 – Historic Preservation
This section of the code establishes rules for protecting historic sites and structures. This typically includes
criteria for designation, review processes for changes or demolitions, and preservation standards to maintain the
city’s historical character.
Chapter 154 – Subdivisions
Chapter 154 regulates the division and mapping of land, including requirements for plats, street layouts, utilities,
and improvements when land is divided into lots for development.
Chapter 155 – Development Manual
Chapter 155 provides detailed technical guidelines and standards for development, such as construction
specifications, infrastructure design (roads, drainage, utilities), and engineering standards used by developers
and the city.
Chapter 156 – Mobile Home Park Code
Chapter 156 specifically addresses regulations for the establishment and operation of mobile home parks,
including design, spacing, utilities, and safety standards.
Chapter 157 – Zoning Code
The City’s primary land use regulatory tool is Chapter 157 of the O’Fallon Municipal Code (Zoning Code). Originally
adopted in 1970 and amended periodically, Chapter 157 establishes zoning districts, permitted and special uses,
dimensional and development standards, parking and landscaping requirements, and administrative procedures
governing development review and approvals.
While Chapter 157 has served the City well, incremental amendments over time and evolving development patterns
have created opportunities for modernization and refinement. The City seeks to evaluate the zoning code
comprehensively to improve clarity, internal consistency, and usability, and to ensure that regulations effectively
support contemporary planning goals such as infill development, redevelopment, mixed-use environments, and
missing middle housing, while continuing to protect established neighborhoods.
Commercial Design Guidelines
The City’s Commercial Design Guidelines (Commercial Design Handbook), adopted in 2009, provide architectural
and site design guidance for commercial development throughout O’Fallon. The guidelines emphasize human-
scaled design, architectural compatibility, pedestrian orientation, and long-term durability, and are intended to
complement the zoning code and site plan review process.
The Commercial Design Guidelines have been a valuable tool in shaping quality commercial development;
however, changes in commercial building types, market trends, and best practices over the past decade warrant a
comprehensive update. The City seeks to modernize these guidelines to ensure they remain relevant, visually
clear, and aligned with current zoning standards, while continuing to provide predictable expectations for
developers and decision-makers.
Residential Design Guidelines
The City adopted updated Residential Design Guidelines in 2023 to support high-quality residential development
and to advance the housing goals of the 2040 Master Plan. The guidelines place particular emphasis on
neighborhood compatibility, architectural quality, sustainability, and the integration of “missing middle” housing
types such as duplexes, townhouses, cottage courts, and small multi-unit buildings.
As the City continues to implement zoning and land use strategies that encourage infill and housing diversity, it is
essential that the Residential Design Guidelines work seamlessly with Chapter 157 and other development
regulations. The City is therefore seeking to review and refine the Residential Design Guidelines to ensure they are
clear, implementable, and fully integrated into the overall regulatory framework.
Scope of Services
Firms that wish to be considered should be able to provide comprehensive land use, planning and zoning, and
architectural design expertise necessary to understand O’Fallon’s conditions and vision.
Task 1: Project Initiation & Existing Conditions Review
• Conduct a kickoff meeting with City staff to confirm goals, schedule, roles, and communication protocols.
• Review relevant background materials, including but not limited to:
o Title XV: Land Usage
o Commercial Design Guidelines
o Residential Design Guidelines
o 2040 Master Plan and supporting documents
• Identify strengths, gaps, inconsistencies, and implementation challenges across the three documents.
Task 2: Title XV: Land Usage Review & Update
• Perform a comprehensive review of City Code, including:
o Development standards
o Subdivisions
o Zoning districts and permitted uses
o Use tables and definitions
o Dimensional, bulk, and development standards
o Parking, landscaping, signage, and site design standards
o Administrative procedures, approvals, and decision-making processes
o Evaluate the code’s effectiveness in supporting:
o Infill and redevelopment
o Mixed-use and neighborhood-scale development
o Downtown District uses and regulations
• Prepare recommended amendments, including text revisions, reorganized sections, updated
graphics/tables where appropriate, and implementation guidance.
Task 3: Commercial Design Guidelines Update
• Review the existing Commercial Design Guidelines and assess alignment with current zoning standards
and development trends.
• Update guidelines to:
o Improve clarity and usability
o Reflect contemporary commercial architecture and site design practices
o Reinforce pedestrian-oriented design, human scale, and context sensitivity
o Incorporate illustrative diagrams, precedent imagery, and clear “encouraged/discouraged”
guidance where appropriate.
Task 4: Residential Design Guidelines Update
• Review and refine the existing Residential Design Guidelines, with particular attention to:
o Compatibility with other referenced sections of City code
o Implementation of missing middle housing concepts
o Neighborhood context and scale
o Ensure the guidelines are suitable for use in both new development and infill/redevelopment
scenarios.
o Recommend procedural or regulatory integration strategies where appropriate.
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
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