Project Information

Bid Title

COMPREHENSIVE ZONING CODE & DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATE RFP

Issuing Agency

O'Fallon city

Location

Illinois

Published Date

Mar 16, 2026

Closing Date

Apr 17, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	COMPREHENSIVE ZONING CODE & DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATE RFP
Category:	Bids
Status:	Open

Description: 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. Please see attached file for additional information regarding RFP. Delivery of Proposals Any firm which desires to present its qualifications to the City of O’Fallon shall provide them to the City via digital submittal (PDF preferred) by Friday, April 17, 2026. Submittals and questions regarding the project can be directed to: Greg Anderson Community Development Director 618-624-4500 ext. 4 For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. City Rights & Reservations The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive informalities, request additional information, and negotiate scope and fees with the selected consultant as deemed to be in the City’s best interest Publication Date/Time: 3/16/2026 7:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 4/17/2026 5:00 PM Contact Person: Greg Anderson Community Development Director 618-624-4500 x 4 ganderson@ofallon.org Related Documents: RFP Zoning Code and Design Guidelines Update

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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.

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541310Architectural Services
• NAICS 541330Engineering Services

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