Consulting Services for 2028-2034 City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan (Request for Qualifications)

Description: Consultant team with experience preparing municipal parks and open space plans, RCO-compliant planning documents, statistically valid surveys, GIS-based park system analysis, natural resource mapping, asset management, and capital implementation strategies. The selected firm will work with the City to prepare a targeted update to the 2022-2028 POSP. Consultants should rely on existing City plans, GIS data, survey data, capital project information, asset replacement data, and prior POSP work products wherever practical. Primary tasks will include: Review the 2022-2028 POSP, appendices, GIS files, survey results, and related work products; identify which sections can be retained, refreshed, or revised. Update park, open space, trail, facility, population, demographic, equity, access, transit access, Recreation Value, Level of Service, and story mapping information as needed for the targeted plan update. Natural Areas and Nature Access Methodology: Building on the Nature Score framework established in the 2022 Parks and Open Space Plan, the consultant shall develop an updated methodology for evaluating the quality, ecological function, distribution, connectivity, and public accessibility of natural areas throughout Kent’s park system. The methodology should incorporate current GIS data, natural resource conditions, habitat and landscape connectivity, sensitive ecological features, recreational use and access, and the equitable distribution of opportunities to experience nature. The consultant should evaluate how public access and recreational use can be appropriately balanced with the protection and enhancement of ecological function, meeting the requirements of Kent’s critical areas ordinance and shoreline master program and including identifying circumstances where increased access, improved infrastructure, managed access, or limited access is most appropriate. The resulting framework should establish measurable criteria and a repeatable scoring or classification system that can be mapped and used by Kent Parks to guide capital investments, natural resource management, trail and amenity planning, acquisition priorities, maintenance strategies, and future Parks and Open Space Plan updates.