RFP Vista Santa Rosa Master Plan - Addendum 1
DATE: December 18, 2025
TO: All Prospective Vista Santa Rosa Master Plan Consultants
RE: 2025 Vista Santa Rosa Master Plan RFP
ADDENDUM NUMBER 1
The following shall be considered as incorporated into the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the above-
referenced services. Portions of RFP not specifically mentioned in this Addendum remain in force. Please
note that questions with similar topics have been put together with one response.
Question 1: What is the anticipated area for the Master Plan? Is it the full SOI area of
7,665 acres, or a portion of it only (if so, what is the estimated area
percentage)?
Answer: The Master Plan will cover the entire SOI area that is roughly bounded by
Monroe Street to the west, Avenue 52 on the North, Avenue 62 on the South
and Harrison Street and Van Buren to the east. The area has been calculated
as 7,665 acres.
Question 2: What is the area anticipated to be recommended for development as part of
the Master Plan?
Answer: The City has not identified any areas recommended for development. The
prezoning designations. The General Plan Land Use Map has also identified
General Plan land use designations within the SOI.
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/0085883b11ae41f1ad69eef360444df
9
Question 3: Do you have any record plans that you can share as part of this pursuit (as-
builts, substructure/utilities maps, GIS info, topo/boundary survey, etc.)?
Answer: The City does not have any as-built record drawings for improvements or
utilities in the area. Currently, Riverside County is responsible for maintaining
roads in the SOI area and is the current regulatory authority for land-use,
grading, and building. The Coachella Valley Water District manages the public
water and sewer utilities. The electric utility system is operated by the Imperial
Irrigation District.
Question 4: Is the project team expected to provide a Survey of the entire Master Plan
area (showing Boundary, Topographic and Utility information)?
It is anticipated that the Master Plan will incorporate an assessment of the
current level of service of existing public utilities. The Master Plan document
and land use maps should consider future demand for services, boundary, and
topographic information.
Question 5: Due to the holidays, is it possible to extend the due date of the proposal? With
the due date being on a Monday we would have to ship on the 31 st or 2nd and
we are concerned there will be delays due to the holidays and weather.
Answer: The Submittal deadline is January 5, 2026.
No hard/paper copies are required to be shipped. Please do not submit hard
copies. You may submit proposals electronically via email to:
Scott Nespor, Senior Planner
SNespor@LaQuintaCA.gov
Email Subject: RFP Vista Santa Rosa Master Plan
**Please CC TFlores@LaQuintaCA.gov
Question 6: Are there any page specifications or limitations on our proposal? I did not see
any in the RFP but it's a question I always ask just to be sure we submit a
compliant proposal.
Answer: The RFP did not provide a specification on the number of pages for proposals.
The City desires that each proposal be limited to 25 pages. Supporting
documentation (such as project team member resumes) may be included as a
separate addendum.
When considering the proposal layout, the City recommends a standard page
size (Letter size -
and the ability to reproduce the proposal as the City may require. The
proposal can be formatted using the portrait or landscape formats.
Question 7: Legal Counsel Please confirm whether the consultant team is expected to
provide legal counsel, or if the City will handle legal review and direction
through internal staff or existing resources.
Answer:
legal counsel will advise
staff and the City Council on items under their consideration, including
contracts and adoption of any legislative items, such as the General Plan
Amendments, Zoning changes, and/or Master Plans.
Question 8: Resumes Required Does the proposal require resumes for all personnel who
may contribute to the project, or only for key team members assigned to lead
and manage the work?
Answer: The proposal is required to provide resumes of the project management team
and all members providing expert or professional direction of the project.
These should be included as an addendum, see question 6 above.
Question 9: Review Team Process Will the Vista Santa Rosa Community Council
participate in the review panel or otherwise provide feedback during the
evaluation process? If so, will the City assist in coordinating with them?
Answer: The Vista Santa Rosa Community Council is a separate entity from the City
and will not participate in the review panel or in the evaluation of the proposals
submitted in response to this RFP.
It is expected, however, that the input of the Vista Santa Rosa Community
Council will be included in the development of the Master Plan and Land Use
maps.
Question 10: Rate Submittal Format Please confirm whether the City will accept a
breakdown of hours and hourly rates in lieu of providing direct and indirect
rates.
Answer: Please see Item 6
the RFP. For purposes of rating each proposal, the City
direct and indirect rate (with overhead). Personnel hours and extended billing
rates per classification of personnel must be indicated for each task and/or
subtask defined.
Question 11: Complementary Services
-added
services within the current scope, or potential additional services outside the
current scope that could be considered at a later phase?
Answer: The complimentary services are additional services that the proposer may
include in their proposal that the City may consider that are outside of the
tasks listed in the RFP. These services may supplement the activities
described in each phase.
Question 12: Can we review the findings of the 2024 Vista Santa Rosa Market Study?
Answer: There is not a 2024 Vista Sant Rosa Market Study. A Fiscal Impact Study was
prepared and included in a staff report at the April 4, 2023, City Council
Meeting.
The agenda packet for the meeting can be found here:
https://laqlaserweb.laquintaca.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=591150&dbid=1
&repo=CityofLaQuinta&cr=1
Question 13: The RFP says
shall be prepared." Typically, a market analysis evaluates demand,
competition, and economic viability for proposed uses, while buildout feasibility
assesses physical, regulatory, and financial capacity to fully develop the
Master Plan's vision, such as infrastructure limits or zoning constraints. Please
clarify whether the required market analysis should focus solely on demand
and economic viability for the Master Plan's proposed uses, or also
encompass physical, regulatory, and infrastructure feasibility for full buildout,
and if separate deliverables or integrated reports are desired?
Answer: The market analysis should evaluate the demand and economic viability for
buildout feasibility of the Master Plan which can be incorporated into an
integrated report with the market analysis.
Question 14: Should the market analysis assess long-term viability of existing agricultural
operations, ranches, event venues, and equestrian uses in Vista Santa Rosa?
Does the City want evaluation of agritourism or expanded event/venue
potential for economic development in the Master Plan?
Answer: The Market Analysis should assess long-term viability of the proposed Master
Plan, which, at this point, has not been drafted. The City has not identified any
specific land uses that should be considered as part of the Master Plan.
Question 15: Does the City expect a full fiscal impact analysis (comparing service costs vs.
revenues) for each land-use scenario, or a high-level fiscal comparison among
alternatives? Will the City provide capital cost estimates for infrastructure
(roads, utilities, drainage), or must they be developed for the analysis?
Answer: Yes a fiscal impact analysis of each land-use scenario should be included in
the master plan and will be used as a tool for the City to assess each scenario.
Typically, infrastructure costs associated with new development are the
responsibility of the developer.
Question 16: The introduction on page 6 highlights the City's commitment to sound planning
with the RFP's goals for environmental stewardship and preservation of the
unique rural character.
Answer:
preservation of unique rural character, while limiting urban sprawl, in an area
currently experiencing development pressure through the creation of a Master
Plan, which would become effective once adopted and if the area is annexed
into the City of La Quinta. Given the development pressure within the area, it
is not anticipated that urban sprawl can be completely avoided.
Question 17: How many public hearings should we scope for the adoption of the Master
Plan?
Answer: A minimum of two noticed public hearing (one each for the Planning
Commission and the City) should be included in the scope for the adoption of
the Master Plan.
For the preparation of the Environmental Document, additional outreach
meeting may be required.
Question 18: Please confirm whether emailing a PDF electronic copy of the proposal
satisfies the submission requirements, eliminating the need to mail the five
paper copies?
No hard/paper copies are required. Please submit proposals electronically via
email to:
Scott Nespor, Senior Planner
SNespor@LaQuintaCA.gov
Email Subject: RFP Vista Santa Rosa Master Plan
**Please CC TFlores@LaQuintaCA.gov
Question 19: Can you please clarify Item No. 7 for the Proposal Format (List of
Complementary Services Offered by Proposer along with Corresponding
Prices)? Are you looking for hourly fee charts to be included in the proposal?
Answer: The complimentary services are additional services that the proposer may
include in their proposal that the City may consider that are outside of the
tasks listed in the RFP that may supplement the activities described in the
phase. Hourly fee charts should be included with the direct and indirect rate
(with overhead). Personnel hours and extended billing rates per classification
of personnel must be indicated for each complimentary service.
Question 20: Can you please clarify Item No. 8 for the Proposal Format (Subcontracting
Services)? A team that includes subconsultants is typical for a project of this
type. Does the use of subconsultants for key analysis (economics,
transportation) place a proposer at a disadvantage?
Answer: Specialized consultants for specific activities is allowed. Please include a list
of all subcontracts or consultants that will be utilized in the proposal and their
qualifications and what tasks they will be engaged in.
Question 21: Has the City established a budget for this project and/or its individual phases?
Answer: The City Council allocated $600,000 towards the Master Plan effort.
Question 22: What is the anticipated schedule for this project and/or its individual phases?
Answer: The City is anticipating the award of the contract in March 2026. The
community engagement phase could begin shortly after that. Community
engagement should be fully active starting Fall 2026.
Question 23: In providing for online engagement, will you need the consultant to develop a
project specific website or is it sufficient for the consultant to provide materials
Answer: This will depend on the system compatibility of the proposed online materials
with City website programming. A link to a separate site
site is an alternate possibility. The City may prefer the consultant host the web
site for maintenance purposes/
Question 24: Is the City open to outreach options that deviate from the sample scope
Answer: The City is open to outreach options that deviate from the sample scope
provided in the RFP. The City will consider multiple approaches to community
engagement and their expected scope and associated costs should be
included in the proposal.
Question 25: Is the City interested in alternative phasing approaches?
Answer: The City may consider alternate phases, however, the phases should be
distinct from another phase. The City will reserve the ability to proceed from
one phase to another as it sees fit. The City may complete one, a select
number, or all of the phases.
Question 26: Is the City pursing a Master Plan for Vista Santa Rosa because the focus is on
visioning rather than land use changes (e.g., General Plan Land Use Update,
Specific Plan and associated CEQA)?
Answer:
annexation in that area.
Influence, the initial phases of community engagement and Master Plan
creation are primarily visioning stages. Later stages of Master Plan adoption
and CEQA evaluation would be legislative.
Question 27: There is necessary scope of work that typically accompanies preparation of an
area plan that is not addressed under the phased approach requested by the
City. Please provide clarification on the following items:
Part 1: Project management activities are part of every project and extend for the
length of the project. Should we assign a separate project management task
to each phase?
Answer: As the City desires a phased approach and reserves the ability to conclude the
project or proceed to another phase of the project at the end of a phase, the
project management task should be included or assigned within each phase.
Part 2: Does the City envision overlap between the phases in terms of timing and
shared tasks (e.g., project management, online engagement, etc.)? If so, an
approach that incorporates shared tasks does not seem entirely feasible given
or multiple phases.
Answer: At this point, the City does not envision overlap between phases, especially at
the beginning of the project. The City reserves the ability to proceed with
overlapping phases. However, the tasks should be allocated to each phase as
if there were no overlap.
Part 3:
process? Is the consultant required to participate in Planning Commission
and/or City Council public hearings? Should this work be integrated into
Phase 2 or should we establish an entirely new Phase?
Answer: Please see item 17 above. It should be included in Phase 2.
Question 28: Community engagement typically occurs throughout the planning process
rather than just as an initial phase; such an approach allows the community to
input on proposed concepts and strategies. Please provide clarification on the
following items:
Part 1: Is Phase 1: Community Outreach Strategy intended to just cover preparation
of the Strategy, or is it to integrate community engagement activities as well?
Answer: The Community Outreach Strategy will outline the Community engagement to
the Vista Santa Rosa community that the proposal will cover. The City
anticipates community outreach to be an important phase of the project.
Program LU
Vista Santa Rosa will include an active and aggressive community
participation program to ensure that community character is reflected in the
In addition to the community engagement activities of Phase 1, the proposers
should include community engagement within other phases, also.
Part 2: If Phase 1 is to incorporate community engagement activities, are we to
assume that these would be an initial series of engagement events to establish
a baseline understanding of community needs and desires, and that additional
engagement activities would then be integrated into Phases 2 and 4?
Answer: Yes, community engagement activities will need to be included in later phases,
also.
The Consultant is hereby notified; Addendum No. 1 must be acknowledged as required under
Section 6, Addenda, and submitted as part of the RFP. Failure to acknowledge and incorporate
addenda will not relieve the proposer from the responsibility to meet all terms and conditions of
the RFP and any subsequent addenda.
APPROVED:
___________________________________________
Scott Nespor, Senior Planner
City of La Quinta, California
END OF ADDENDUM NUMBER 1