Project Information

Bid Title

Zoning Ordinance Update

Issuing Agency

City of Wheaton

Location

Illinois

Published Date

May 27, 2026

Closing Date

Jun 17, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

26-107

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Number:	26-107
Bid Title:	Zoning Ordinance Update
Category:	City of Wheaton Bids - Professional Services & Consulting
Status:	Open

Description: The City of Wheaton, Illinois is requesting proposals from qualified firms or individuals to help with a complete overhaul of its Zoning Ordinance. The last full update to the Code was made in 1989, following comprehensive revisions in the late 1970s, though there have since been 147 amendments. The City aims to implement a new Zoning Ordinance that reflects its stated goals, objectives, and strategies, adheres to modern development standards and community needs, and offers a user-friendly experience. This RFP provides all technical requirements, timelines, and submission guidelines. Proposers are invited to submit innovative yet practical solutions that fulfill or surpass the service expectations outlined in this document. Publication Date/Time: 5/27/2026 12:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 6/17/2026 11:00 AM Related Documents: 26-107 RFP Final Downtown Wheaton Strategic Plan and Streetscape Plan (PDF) (1) Strategic Plan 2021-25_202104131644145097

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #26-107 ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE

Issue Date:

May 27, 2026

Last Date for Questions:

June 10, 2026, at 11:00 am (CST)

Due Date:

June 17, 2026, no later than 11:00 am (CST)

To be considered responsive, the following documents shall be included with your submittal:

Fee Proposal Form (Exhibit D)

Notice of Deviations Form (Exhibit E)

Listing of Subcontractors, Consultants and Agents Form (Exhibit F)

References Form (Exhibit G)

Vendor Certification Form (Exhibit H)

Vendor Information Reporting Form (Exhibit I)

W-9 Form

Return submittal to:

City of Wheaton

Procurement Services

303 W. Wesley Street

Wheaton, IL 60187-0727

Attn: Tony Sperkowski, Procurement Officer

The successful Vendor will be required to submit the following additional documents:

• Certificate of Insurance with signed endorsements

• Signed Agreement (Exhibit B)

Page 1 of 1

Notice to Bidders

EXHIBIT A

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL # 26-107

ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

The City of Wheaton, Illinois is requesting proposals from qualified firms or individuals to help with a

complete overhaul of its Zoning Ordinance. The last full update to the Code was made in 1989, following

comprehensive revisions in the late 1970s, though there have since been 147 amendments.

The City aims to implement a new Zoning Ordinance that reflects its stated goals, objectives, and

strategies, adheres to modern development standards and community needs, and offers a user-friendly

experience. This RFP provides all technical requirements, timelines, and submission guidelines.

Proposers are invited to submit innovative yet practical solutions that fulfill or surpass the service

expectations outlined in this document.

Relevant background information includes:

Current Zoning Code

Comprehensive Plan

Wheaton Downtown Strategic Plan and Streetscape Plan (Appendix A)

2021 – 2025 Strategic Plan (Appendix B)

Intergovernmental Agreements with the County and Park District

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The successful consultant shall provide all labor, materials, and incidentals necessary to perform the

services set forth below.

A. Information Gathering and Analysis Phase

The consultant is expected to acquire a comprehensive understanding of current conditions within the

City. This knowledge should result in a background analysis, summarized in an existing conditions

memorandum, which will provide justification for preliminary recommendations in subsequent phases.

The review should, at a minimum, cover zoning applications from the past two years to identify any

trends or patterns. It must thoroughly assess the City’s current plans and ordinances related to zoning

and check for inconsistencies with the Comprehensive Plan. Analyzing conformity with bulk and yard

standards—including minimum setbacks, lot widths, and lot sizes—should utilize City or County GIS

data, Google Street View, site visits, or other suitable methods. In addition, conducting a broader

inventory of Wheaton’s physical conditions—including land uses, building and site features, parking

locations and their condition, as well as landscaping and buffering—can be helpful in developing

updated regulations for bulk, permitted uses, parking standards, and other development factors. The

review should also address the impact of State mandates, such as “People Over Parking.”

The consultant is expected to collaborate closely with City staff to address previously identified Zoning

Code issues, as well as areas of particular concern to the community, which would be revealed through

a public meeting or community survey.

B. Preliminary Recommendations Memorandum Phase

Following the Information Gathering and Analysis phase, the consultant shall develop and present a

memorandum, or equivalent document, describing their major preliminary recommendations related to

Page 1 of 5

Scope of Services

EXHIBIT A

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL # 26-107

ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE

the zoning ordinance. This deliverable should also summarize the analysis and findings of the existing

conditions review to provide a basis for the preliminary recommendations and describe the consultant’s

proposed approach to revising the existing zoning ordinance. The purpose of this deliverable is to

provide a checkpoint for the City to ensure that all project partners are on the same page prior to

drafting regulatory language. The draft memorandum will first be distributed to City staff, who will

review and provide comments on the document. The Consultant should also be available to schedule a

meeting with the Planning and Zoning Board and/or City Council to discuss the memo.

C. Draft Ordinance Phase

Using the preliminary recommendations memorandum as a guide, the consultant shall draft an updated

zoning ordinance for the City. The new ordinance shall be clearly worded and organized to encourage

the document’s accessibility to a wide range of audiences. The new ordinance shall include a table of

contents and utilize graphics, hyperlinks, and tables wherever possible to clearly illustrate concepts. The

consultant should carefully keep track of significant points of departure from the existing ordinance to

ensure clarity and transparency. The draft ordinance should, at a minimum, address the following topics:

(1) Definitions: Review Zoning Ordinance definitions to ensure they are comprehensive and

meet current best practices and modern uses.

(2) Scope of Regulations, Administration and Enforcement: Revise provisions regarding

nonconformities to align with current best practices and ensure clarity through the use of plain

language.

Assess the administration and procedures of the Zoning Ordinance to confirm compliance with

contemporary standards and recent legal precedents. Maintain the administrative process for zoning

variation, refining it if required. Evaluate special use standards and consider implementing

supplementary zoning requirements for designated special uses, to potentially eliminate the need for a

special use permit.

Examine standards for all forms of zoning approvals within the framework of prevailing legal

precedents.

(3) Use Lists: Review the Permitted and Special Use lists in each zoning district to maintain

consistency and relevance throughout. Check definitions and assigned districts to ensure they reflect

current uses where applicable. Streamline and clarify the use lists by following the formatting of the R-R

District, and consolidate them for better organization and efficiency.

Consider recommending further requirements and regulations that could allow certain uses—such as

fast food restaurants and Wheaton College activities—that are currently listed as special uses; to

possibly be administratively approved.

(4) Single-Family Bulk Requirements: Evaluate the existing single-family bulk requirements and

provide recommendations as needed to ensure they align with best practices and maintain the city's

standards of high-quality character.

Page 2 of 5

Scope of Services

EXHIBIT A

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL # 26-107

ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE

(5) Downtown: Establish regulations aligned with the Downtown Strategic Plan and Streetscape

Plan, proposing that areas outside the current C-2 zone be rezoned into a new, comprehensive

Downtown Mixed-Use classification. This new zoning classification would feature provisions designed to

support and promote downtown redevelopment by simplifying and streamlining requirements through

a form-based code for different downtown sections. It would also allow more mixed-use projects by

right, reflecting the vision for Downtown Wheaton.

Revise downtown design guidelines and recommend process improvements with the aim of eliminating

the necessity for the Downtown Design Review Board.

(6) Accessory Uses: Evaluate permitted accessory uses for clarity, completeness, alignment with

current best practices, and suitability for contemporary applications.

(7) Parking Requirements: Conduct a thorough review of current parking requirements and

propose recommendations for standards in line with best practices. Consider provisions for bike rack

installations as well as regulations concerning commercial vehicles and recreational vehicles (RVs).

(8) Signage: Recommend updated, content-neutral sign regulations generally and which also

offers greater flexibility for temporary signage.

(9) Environmental Sustainability: Review and update requirements for lighting, landscaping and

tree preservation.

(10) Performance Standards: update to include clear, enforceable provisions. Identify whether

such standards should remain in the Zoning Ordinance or City Code.

D. Draft Ordinance Review

The consultant will present the draft Zoning Ordinance draft to staff, the Planning and Zoning Board, City

Council, and the public by breaking it into clear, logical, and manageable sections. This approach ensures

that all parts of the draft can be carefully and easily reviewed.

E. Final Ordinance

The consultant shall prepare a final ordinance based on comments made on the draft ordinance by City

staff, local stakeholders, the public, and others. The final ordinances should be provided to the City in

both Word and PDF formats; all illustrations, maps, and graphics contained therein should also be

provided in electronic, editable formats.

F. Other Recommended Services or Tasks

Indicate any other recommended or required services that might be needed to accomplish the goals of

this project.

G. Deliverables

The consultant shall provide all text, graphics, and illustrations to be included in the new Zoning Code

and any materials used in public meetings in electronic form (Microsoft Word for text add or JPEG files

for images). In addition, the City shall have the right to use all text and images produced through this

assignment.

Page 3 of 5

Scope of Services

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

EXHIBIT A

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL # 26-107

ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE

THE CITY OF WHEATON ASKS THAT YOUR RESPONSE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, IN

TABBED SECTIONS, FOR EVALUATION.

Company Information

Vendors shall provide the following information about their company.

o Vendor name and address; Contact name, phone number and email.

o Number of employees.

o Number of years in business.

o Provide a brief description of your company.

o Days and hours of operation.

o A brief statement of the Proposer’s understanding of the work to be done.

Prior Experience and References (EXHIBIT G)

Provide a minimum of three (3) government references of similar nature and scope, including the

company name, contact name and contact information for each reference where all information can be

verified. Include a brief description of the services provided for each reference. Provide a description of

qualifications and skills of specific personnel who will be assigned to the City’s account.

Compensation/Fee Proposal (EXHIBIT D)

Engineering service fees will be calculated on a cost-plus, not-to-exceed basis, using hourly rates applied

to direct staff costs. Direct expenses will be billed at their actual cost incurred without any markup. The

proposal will include a summary outlining the estimated hours and associated fees using the attached

Fee Proposal Form (Exhibit D). The City is tax exempt. Prices shall not include taxes.

EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

City staff will evaluate submittals based on the requirements listed above. During or after the evaluation

of submittals, City staff may submit written questions and requests for clarification. The Vendor to be

recommended for award will be the one whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to

the City, in consideration of price and the evaluation factors set forth in the Request for Proposal.

DUE DATE FOR WRITTEN QUESTIONS

All questions, either administrative or technical, shall be submitted via email to Tony Sperkowski at

asperkowski@wheaton.il.us no later than June 10, 2026, at 11:00 am CST.

ADDENDA

All questions, clarifications or revisions regarding this solicitation will be issued via a written addendum

and published on the City’s website and on DemandStar. Each Vendor shall acknowledge receipt of any

addenda on the Cost Proposal form. Each Vendor, by acknowledging receipt of any addenda, is

responsible for the content of the addenda and any changes to the solicitation. Failure to acknowledge

issued addenda may cause your submittal to be rejected.

RFP SUBMITTAL

Submittals must be received no later than June 17, 2026, at 11:00 am. CST Late submissions will not be

accepted.

Page 4 of 5

Scope of Services

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