Oak Ridge, TN
Peace Bell in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

City of Oak Ridge Comprehensive Plan

View Request for Proposals

The City of Oak Ridge, via the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, is soliciting interest in contracting with a planning consulting team to augment staff and commissioners in an update of the Comprehensive Plan.

Oak Ridge was born as one of three Manhattan Project ‘secret cities’ – a world-changing scientific leap to end WWII. Since its incorporation in 1959 as a city – rather than a government installation – Oak Ridge has been slowly transforming from its secretive past into an outward-looking, modern, evolving community.

The update of the Oak Ridge Comprehensive Plan must recognize the past while helping communicate the vision for the future of an independent city – unlike its surrounding satellite neighbors – within the metropolitan region. This may require an atypical planning approach.

The resulting plan must:
• Clearly convey the City’s vision;
• Have involved a broad cross-section of the community in ways that create a unique plan that has real community buy-in;
• Contain actionable recommendations for clear guidance when considering future rezoning requests, new developments or unexpected circumstances;
• Be adaptable such that future updates can be evolutionary and not require wholesale change during the planning horizon.


IMPORTANT SUPPORTING INFORMATION

Additionally, the proposed City contract template is attached along with this supporting information.

View Request for Proposals

Over HALF of the City’s footprint, including nearly all undeveloped acreage, is owned by the Department of Energy, and is unavailable for urban development; DOE is, however, open to discussions about the transfer of unused properties that are not considered to be ‘mission critical’ for their future use.  The comprehensive plan offers an important opportunity to evaluate options as the basis for subsequent requests of property transfer; [areas in light blue are TVA or UT controlled and off-limits as well.]

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"The history, formation and transformation of the ‘secret city’ into a modern city is not a typical story. While most cities are born as small places, and grow generationally into their future, Oak Ridge became what it ‘was’ virtually overnight."
Wayne Blasius
Wayne Blasius
Oak Ridge Planning & Development Director

Project Updates

Important Dates

22
Apr 2024

Comprehensive Plan Planning Consultant Request for Proposals (RFP) Issued

The City of Oak Ridge, via the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, is soliciting interest in contracting with a planning consulting team to augment staff and commissioners in an update of the Comprehensive Plan.

15
May 2024

Questions must be submitted

Any questions regarding this solicitation, the community or the Planning Commission’s intentions, may be submitted to staff liaison via email at plandev@oakridgetn.gov, or wblasius@oakridgetn.gov. Questions and answers submitted before May 15, 2024 will be posted on this page (oakridgetn.gov/comprehensiveplan).

► View questions & answers submitted

22
May 2024

Submittals due by 3 p.m.

Submittals must be received by the Planning Commission NO LATER THAN: 3:00pm, May 22, 2024. Proposer names will be public information, but submittal content will not be shared until after developer selection. Confidential financial information will not be made public.

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