Project Information

Bid Title

Land Use, Housing and Economic Development Initiative

Issuing Agency

City of San Bruno

Location

California

Published Date

Oct 29, 2025

Closing Date

Dec 5, 2025

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	Land Use, Housing and Economic Development Initiative
Category:	Request for Proposals/Qualifications
Status:	Open

Description: The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to facilitate the selection of a qualified consulting team to assist the City with a multi-year initiative to revise land use, housing, and economic development policies to strengthen the City’s fiscal health and facilitate real estate investment. Please see RFP for more details. Publication Date/Time: 10/29/2025 4:00 PM Closing Date/Time: 12/5/2025 5:00 PM Pre-bid Meeting: November 10, 2025, at 2 pm Contact Person: Kelly Beggs, Assistant Community Development Director kbeggs@sanbruno.ca.gov Written questions must be received by November 14th, 2025, at 5 pm. Questions will be responded to in writing. Related Documents: Land Use, Housing and Economic Development Initiative RFP

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Request for Proposals (RFP)

Land Use, Housing and Economic

Development Initiative

__

Issue Date: October 29, 2025

Proposals Due: December 5th, 2025 at 5:00pm

City of San Bruno

Community Development Department

567 El Camino Real, San Bruno, CA 94066

Peter Gilli, Community Development Director

pgilli@sanbruno.ca.gov

Kelly Beggs, Assistant Community Development Director

kbeggs@sanbruno.ca.gov

City of San Bruno

RFP: Land Use, Housing and Economic Development Initiative

City Background

The City San of Bruno (“City”) is a general law city founded in 1914 as a railroad suburb to San

Francisco. The city experienced steady growth from its inception until World War II, when the influx of

military personnel spurred rapid expansion. Following the post-war housing boom, San Bruno’s

population reached approximately 35,000 by the 1960s. Growth has since slowed, with the population

now standing at around 43,000 as of 2024. Located in northern San Mateo County, just west of San

Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Bruno spans roughly 5.5 square miles. It extends 3.5 miles

from the relatively flat eastern areas along Highway 101 to the hilly western neighborhoods on the

eastern slopes of the Coast Range, rising nearly 1,200 feet in elevation. The eastern portion is more

urbanized with a mix of land uses, while the western part is primarily low-density residential and open

space. Key transportation corridors include Highways 101, 280, and 380, El Camino Real, and the

Caltrain and BART rail lines.

Purpose

The City of San Bruno is seeking proposals from qualified consultant teams with expertise in land use

planning, housing policy, economic development, financial feasibility analysis, environmental review

(CEQA), public engagement, and development process improvement. The selected consultant will assist

the City with a multi-year initiative to revise land use, housing, and economic development policies to

strengthen the City’s fiscal health and facilitate real estate investment.

Background

The San Bruno City Council adopted a resolution in July of 2025 to launch a major initiative to assess

and enhance the City’s long-term fiscal health through strategic land use, housing, and economic

development policy changes. Please review the staff report here and the recording of the presentation

here for more information.

The City’s most recent General Plan update was adopted in 2009. Since then, growth and investment in

San Bruno have lagged behind regional peers. Development in San Bruno is subject to Ordinance No.

1284 (adopted in 1977), which requires voter approval for development applications that propose any

of the following:

• exceeding 50 feet in height or three stories,

• increasing residential density beyond 1974 zoning levels,

• standalone multistory parking structures, and

• encroachments on designated scenic corridors.

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City of San Bruno

RFP: Land Use, Housing and Economic Development Initiative

Several areas of the city are subject to ballot measures that have modified Ordinance 1284’s

requirements, including the Tanforan Shopping Center, the Navy Site Specific Plan Area, and the Transit

Corridors Plan Area. Still, specific plans, including the 2013 Transit Corridors Plan (TCP) and 2021 Bayhill

Specific Plan, have not yielded the anticipated levels of private development. In addition, the City’s

2023-2031 Housing Element (Programs 4f and 5a) requires that the City conduct a ballot measure to

allow amendments to Ordinance No. 1284 to expand housing opportunities, including allowing more

ADUs/JADUs than required by State law on R-1 and R-2 properties, providing for missing middle

housing, and expanding TCP height regulations to the entirety of El Camino Real within City limits.

Desired Product

Revisit and revise City policies, regulations and processes to support transformational economic

development and housing opportunities in San Bruno. This is anticipated to include:

• A comprehensive update to the Land Use Element

• Corresponding amendments to other General Plan Elements as needed, such as the

Transportation Element

• New, or revised Specific Plans and Municipal Code chapters

• A citywide or area-wide Community Facilities District and/or other viable funding mechanism, to

fund infrastructure improvements and service costs of new development

• Environmental Impact Report for applicable parts of this initiative

• Completion of these tasks in advance of a 2028 ballot measure. Note that while the scope of the

General Plan and Zoning Code amendments will likely require a ballot measure, preparation of a

ballot measure and informational analysis and communications regarding the ballot measure

will be completed separately in conformance with California Government Code § 54964.

• Business and community engagement to inform and build support for land use policies

• Concurrently, overhaul of City development review organization and processes

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City of San Bruno

RFP: Land Use, Housing and Economic Development Initiative

Scope of Services

The following scope of services should be addressed in the proposal and may follow this layout.

Alternative scopes that achieve the desired outcome are welcome. At a minimum, the following tasks

should be included in the scope of work:

Phase One. Community Engagement, Existing Conditions, and

Alternatives

Task 1. General Project Management

Consultant, in coordination with City Staff, is expected to:

• Provide regular communication on project status and schedule updates, project budget,

potential issues/challenges, and other items of interest or concern;

• Hold regularly schedule project management meetings;

• Prepare meeting agendas and minutes, and;

• Prepare and manage the project schedule and tracker.

DELIVERABLE: Project schedule and tracker, meeting agendas and minutes, website, and other

communications as necessary.

Task 2. Project Kickoff, Tour, and Study Area Refinement

Consultant and City staff will hold a kickoff meeting to introduce key project staff, establish roles and

communication procedures, discuss project schedule, and conduct a group tour of San Bruno’s major

corridors.

The City expects that the study area for the project will be Citywide, with a focus on R-1 and R-2

neighborhoods to implement Housing Element Programs 4f and 5a, and then focusing on studying

increased height and intensity regulations within specific plan areas and other mixed/use and

commercial properties along San Bruno Avenue and El Camino Real to the east of I-280. The consultant

will work with City staff to confirm and map the study area as part of this task.

DELIVERABLE: Kickoff meeting minutes detailing key decisions and processes; a summary of key

takeaways from the site tour; draft and final study area map.

Task 3. Community Engagement Strategy, Implementation, and Summary

The consultant team will develop and participate in implementation of a community engagement

strategy that engages the business community and residents. The City seeks to broadly engage the San

Bruno community in substantive discussions related to proposed land use policies.

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City of San Bruno

RFP: Land Use, Housing and Economic Development Initiative

Branding

As part of this community engagement strategy, the consultant will work with City staff to develop a

clear, compelling, and accessible identity for the initiative that resonates with residents, businesses, and

regional stakeholders. Branding materials should include the following:

• Initiative Naming: Propose and refine a set of potential initiative names that are memorable,

easy to understand, and reflective of the goals of the project (land use, housing, economic

vitality, and long-term fiscal health). The naming process should include engagement with City

leadership, key stakeholders, and community members.

• Branding Framework: Create a cohesive visual identity package, including logo concepts, color

palette, typography, and design guidelines for print and digital applications. Branding must be

accessible and adaptable for multi-lingual communication, particularly English, Spanish, and

potentially Mandarin and Cantonese.

Community Engagement

The Community Engagement Strategy should include a speaker series to inform residents on relevant

topics as well as a mix of other formats that could include focus groups, open houses, a potential

citizens advisory committee, website materials, online surveys, and pop-ups. Translation of key outreach

materials and interpretation services for monolingual Spanish (and potentially Mandarin and

Cantonese) speakers will be necessary.

Overall, outreach is intended to:

• Inform the public about the City’s existing and long-term fiscal situation, and the projected fiscal

benefits of private sector real-estate investment on the City’s ability to maintain and improve

services for the entire City;

• Inform the public about best practices regarding multi-modal transportation, housing

development, parking, retail districts, urban design, and open space. This information should

provide a basis for further discussions on appropriate land uses, design strategies, and

transportation;

• Educate the public about financial concepts that drive the success of development proposals

(project value vs. project costs), including how the City can strive to reduce soft costs to increase

profit margins and make development in San Bruno more feasible;

• Create meaningful opportunities for community members to identify successes and challenges

from previous plans, goals of and concerns around possible future changes, and ways to

prioritize and rank strategies for the next phase of the plan development;

• Establish a feedback mechanism so that each stage of outreach is summarized and responsive to

the previous input received, and;

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Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541611Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
• NAICS 541990All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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