Request For Proposals: RFP 26-002 - Comprehensive Plan Update - Professional Planning Consulting Services (Awarded Oct. 19, 2026)

Location:	Georgia
Posted:	Oct 27, 2026
Agency:	City of Powder Springs
Type of Contract:	Awards
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	C - Architect and Engineering Services - Construction R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

The City of Powder Springs, Georgia (the "City") is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified consulting firms to prepare a full update of the City's Comprehensive Plan. The resulting document will replace the Springs in Motion Comprehensive Plan Update adopted in December 2021 and will guide the City's growth, development, investment, and service decisions over a twenty-year horizon.

The Comprehensive Plan shall be prepared pursuant to the Rules of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Chapter 110-12-1, Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning, also known as the "Local Planning Requirements." The Local Planning Requirements establish the minimum standard for this engagement. The City expects the selected firm to exceed those minimums in the areas of emphasis identified in Attachment A, particularly community engagement, land use and community character, and the Community Work Program.

Sealed proposals will be received until Aug. 31, 2026, at noon EDT at the City of Powder Springs City Hall, 4483 Pineview Drive, Powder Springs, GA 30127, sent to the attention of Kelly Axt, City Clerk.

Proposals received after the stated date and time will not be accepted or considered unless the date and/or time is changed in an addendum..

Firms shall submit one (1) original hard copy, (5) additional hard copies, and one (1) electronic copy in PDF format on a USB flash drive.

The deadline for submission of written questions is Aug. 14, 2026, at noon EDT. All questions shall be submitted by e-mail to Kelly Axt, City Clerk, at kaxt@powderspringsga.gov . Questions and the City's responses will be posted as addenda to this RFP.

The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informality or technicality in the procurement process in order to contract in the best interest of the City.

Attachment Preview

City of Powder Springs, Georgia

RFP No. 26-002 — Comprehensive Plan Update

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Comprehensive Plan Update

Professional Planning Consulting Services

RFP No. 26-002

Issue Date: July 31, 2026

Proposals Due: August 31, 2026 at 12:00 PM noon, EDT

City of Powder Springs

4483 Pineview Drive

Powder Springs, Georgia 30127

Page 1 of 30

City of Powder Springs, Georgia

RFP No. 26-002 — Comprehensive Plan Update

Table of Contents

A. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 3

B. Background .................................................................................................................................................... 3

C. Scope of Work................................................................................................................................................ 5

D. Schedule of Events and Project Schedule...................................................................................................... 6

E. Proposal Response Format ............................................................................................................................ 7

F. Evaluation Procedure ..................................................................................................................................... 9

G. Award of Contract ....................................................................................................................................... 10

H. Restriction of Communication; Questions and Clarifications...................................................................... 10

I. Addenda ....................................................................................................................................................... 11

J. Right to Cancel or Change the RFP ............................................................................................................... 11

K. Expenses of Preparing Responses................................................................................................................ 11

L. Open Records ............................................................................................................................................... 11

M. Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance .......................................................................................... 11

N. Insurance ..................................................................................................................................................... 12

O. Terms and Conditions.................................................................................................................................. 12

Attachment A — Scope of Work....................................................................................................................... 14

Attachment B — Required Forms and Certifications........................................................................................ 22

Page 2 of 30

City of Powder Springs, Georgia

RFP No. 26-002 — Comprehensive Plan Update

A. Introduction

The City of Powder Springs, Georgia (the "City") is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified

consulting firms to prepare a full update of the City's Comprehensive Plan. The resulting document will

replace the Springs in Motion Comprehensive Plan Update adopted in December 2021 and will guide the

City's growth, development, investment, and service decisions over a twenty-year horizon.

The Comprehensive Plan shall be prepared pursuant to the Rules of the Georgia Department of Community

Affairs, Chapter 110-12-1, Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning, also known as the

"Local Planning Requirements." The Local Planning Requirements establish the minimum standard for this

engagement. The City expects the selected firm to exceed those minimums in the areas of emphasis

identified in Attachment A, particularly community engagement, land use and community character, and the

Community Work Program.

Sealed proposals will be received until August 31, 2026, at 12:00 PM noon, EDT, at the City of Powder Springs

City Hall, 4483 Pineview Drive, Powder Springs, Georgia 30127, sent to the attention of Kelly Axt, City Clerk.

Proposals received after the stated date and time will not be accepted or considered unless the date and/or

time is changed as an addendum to this document.

Firms shall submit one (1) original hard copy, (5) additional hard copies, and one (1) electronic copy in PDF

format on a USB flash drive.

The deadline for submission of written questions is August 14, 2026, at 12:00 PM noon, EDT. All questions

shall be submitted by e-mail to Kelly Axt, City Clerk, at kaxt@powderspringsga.gov. Questions and the City's

responses will be posted as Addenda to this RFP on the City's website at www.powderspringsga.gov.

The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informality or technicality in the

procurement process in order to contract in the best interest of the City.

B. Background

1. The Community

Powder Springs is located in southwest Cobb County, approximately twenty-two miles west of downtown

Atlanta and approximately twelve miles southwest of Marietta. The City encompasses roughly seven square

miles and is a member jurisdiction of the ten-county Atlanta Regional Commission ("ARC"). The City's

population is currently estimated at approximately 21,000 residents (per U.S. Census Bureau Population

Estimates Program), ranking it among the smaller of Cobb County's seven municipalities by population while

simultaneously experiencing sustained residential growth and development pressure.

The City is predominantly characterized by low-density, single-family neighborhoods organized around a

historic downtown core. Powder Springs is served by the Silver Comet Trail, one of the region's most heavily

used multi-use trail corridors, and has invested substantially in its town center in recent years, including

Thurman Springs Park, the downtown amphitheater, the brand new Powder Springs Dog Park, and a new City

Hall. The City places a high value on transparency in local government and on accessible public participation

in municipal decision-making.

Page 3 of 30

City of Powder Springs, Georgia

RFP No. 26-002 — Comprehensive Plan Update

2. Planning Context

The City maintains an active hand in its local planning efforts. Documents that form the immediate context

for this update include, but are not limited to, the following. City documents can be accessed via the City’s

webpage at https://www.powderspringsga.gov/669/Planning-Documents. The selected firm will be expected

to review each and reconcile its recommendations with them.

• Springs in Motion Comprehensive Plan Update (2021) — the plan being replaced

• Springs in Motion Livable Centers Initiative Plan (2016) and the Livable Centers Initiative Major Update

(adopted May 18, 2026).

• City of Powder Springs Unified Development Code

• City of Powder Springs Downtown Area Traffic Analysis (2021)

• Capital Improvements Element and Short Term Work Program/Plan (last updated February 2, 2026)

• Cobb County Comprehensive Plan and Cobb Forward Comprehensive Transportation Plan

• Atlanta Regional Commission Regional Plan and applicable Regional Water Plan

The 2021 Springs in Motion Comprehensive Plan Update was organized around a community assessment, a

community priorities and outreach section, a community vision addressing land use, economic development,

housing, transportation, open space and natural resources, and annexation, and an implementation section

containing a short term work program/plan. It also included a report of accomplishments, a fiscal impact case

study, and public engagement documentation as appendices. The selected firm should treat the 2021 plan as

the point of departure for this update rather than as a template to be reproduced.

3. Purpose of this Update

This procurement is intended to produce a full plan update rather than a minimum-compliance refresh. The

City seeks a plan that is concise, visually compelling, written in plain language for a general audience, and

structured so that City staff, the Planning Commission, and the Mayor and City Council can use it routinely in

day-to-day decision-making. Specific objectives include:

• Maintaining the City's Qualified Local Government certification and its continued eligibility for state

funding and permitting programs

• Reassessing the City's land use and community character framework in light of the growth, annexation

activity, and development that have occurred since 2021

• Reviewing, evaluating, and providing recommendations on the City’s draft Community Work Program

to improve compliance, feasibility, implementation effectiveness, and alignment with community goals

and planning best practices.

• Coordinating the Comprehensive Plan with the 2026 Livable Centers Initiative Update so that the two

documents reinforce rather than duplicate one another

• Broadening participation in the planning process beyond the residents who typically attend public

meetings

Page 4 of 30

City of Powder Springs, Georgia

RFP No. 26-002 — Comprehensive Plan Update

4. Applicable Planning Requirements

The City is a Qualified Local Government that administers zoning and land development regulations subject

to the Zoning Procedures Law, lies within the Atlanta metropolitan planning organization area, and charges

development impact fees for park and recreation and public safety facilities. Based on these conditions and

on the Local Planning Requirements, the plan update is expected to include, at minimum:

• Community Goals

• Needs and Opportunities

• Broadband Services Element

• Community Work Program

• Land Use Element

• Transportation Element

• Capital Improvements Element, prepared to satisfy the Development Impact Fee Compliance

Requirements at DCA Rules 110-12-2

The City also intends to include Housing and Economic Development elements, together with a natural and

cultural resources discussion, as locally elected optional elements. The selected firm shall confirm the City's

required elements and recertification deadline against the recertification schedule maintained by the

Department of Community Affairs at the outset of the engagement and shall promptly advise the City of any

discrepancy between that schedule and the scope described in Attachment A.

C. Scope of Work

The complete scope of work is set out in Attachment A and is incorporated into this RFP by reference. The

work is organized into the following tasks:

Task

Description

Project Initiation, Management, and Coordination

Review of Existing Plans and Existing Conditions Assessment

Report of Accomplishments

Community Engagement and Public Participation Program

Community Goals and Vision

Needs and Opportunities

Land Use and Community Character Element

Transportation Element

Housing Element

Economic Development Element

Page 5 of 30

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Daily notification on new contract opportunities

With GovernmentContracts, you can:

Find more opportunities and win more business
Receive daily alerts for all new bid opportunities
Get contract opportunities matched to your business

ONE WEEK FREE TRIAL

Request For Proposals: RFP 26-002 - Comprehensive Plan Update - Professional Planning Consulting Services (Awarded Oct. 19, 2026)

Attachment Preview

See also