Escondido 2040 'Infrastructure Leading Land Use'

The City of Escondido is seeking a multidisciplinary consultant team to execute the Escondido 2040 program, a $2.25 million comprehensive planning initiative with a two-year timeline ending July 1, 2028. The project is guided by the principle that infrastructure should lead land use and requires the update of the City’s General Plan’s Land Use and Mobility/Infrastructure elements, along with the creation or revision of five Master Plans—Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, Transportation, and Parks/Trails/Open Space—and two Specific Plans for Downtown and South Centre City. Additional deliverables include technical studies on housing market feasibility and downtown parking, a robust public engagement strategy, and full environmental documentation under CEQA to support adoption of all planning documents. The contract is structured as a Time-and-Materials agreement with a not-to-exceed ceiling, and proposals must separately price optional services while ensuring compliance with the City’s standard Consulting Agreement. All work must be performed primarily within Escondido, California, and deliverables, including GIS data, maps, reports, and meeting materials, become the exclusive property of the City upon acceptance. Proposals must demonstrate a clear understanding of the project’s objectives and challenges, a detailed technical approach, strong project management and team coordination, and an effective community engagement strategy, evaluated on a best-value trade-off basis rather than lowest price. The evaluation is weighted toward technical merit and includes 25 points for methodology, 20 for project understanding, 20 for project management, 15 for engagement, 10 for schedule, 5 for CEQA strategy, and 5 for team qualifications. Key personnel must be identified with resumes and availability percentages, and substitutions require written approval from the City. Subcontracting is restricted to pre-approved personnel listed in Attachment B, and all deliverables must be validated for accuracy, including AI-generated content which must be explicitly disclosed and verified. The City requires a Non-Collusion Declaration, W-9 form, business license, and certificate of insurance with waiver of subrogation and indemnification coverage. Invoicing is monthly and must be sent to the Development Services Department with no prepayments permitted; payments are non-assignable and subject to net 30-day terms. The proposal deadline is September 4, 2026, and submissions must be no more than 40 pages in searchable PDF format, sent via email to the Principal Planner, with supplemental materials submitted separately.