Brookfield wants new proposals for zoning code updates

The village of Brookfield will put out a request for proposals (RFP) for qualified consultants Sept. 7 to review and update the village’s zoning code. 

With these updates, the village aims to modernize the village code and create “user friendlier” ordinances that support economic development. 

The move comes after the village failed to receive multiple proposals to create a unified development ordinance, an idea the village explored earlier this year. The call for proposals was put out in mid-May, but only one qualified consulting firm submitted a proposal, Tim Wiberg, village manager, told the village board Aug. 28. 

Wiberg asked the village board to reject the only proposal received to ensure due diligence and a responsible vendor selection process. 

The decision does not halt the village’s plans to update and upgrade its code, but it has prompted village staff to narrow the scope of the changes it hopes to bring. 

The new request for proposals will focus on updating the village’s zoning code, Wiberg said. 

The idea of creating a unified ordinance was initially brought up to modernize the village code, a need that has emerged with the village’s adoption of comprehensive economic and development plans over the last few years.

Many of these plans, the Open Space Plan, Active Transportation Plan, Comprehensive Plan, the Energize Ogden Plan and the Economic Development Plan include recommended changes to the village zoning code. 

In addition, it was meant to consolidate multiple ordinances and zoning processes into a single ordinance, streamlining the process that prospective businesses or existing businesses follow to build or modify their properties. 

In the rejected RFP, consultants were expected to review the village’s code and zoning map, including ordinances pertaining to buildings, construction, signs, streets, sidewalks, and rights-of-way. Consultants were expected to engage with local stakeholders to ensure the community’s needs were addressed, before presenting final recommendations to the village board by early 2025.