Title
Report regarding a resolution to accept grant awards from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and from the California State Office of Housing and Community Development for planning studies and community engagement to prepare a Lindenville Specific Plan and associated environmental analysis; approve the appropriation of funding from the General Plan Reserve Fund; authorize a consulting services agreement with Raimi + Associates for preparation of the Lindenville Specific Plan Project and with Good City Company for project management; authorize a City administrative budget; and approve Budget Amendment #22.064. (Tony Rozzi, Chief Planner/Acting ECD Diretor and Billy Gross, Principal Planner)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution to do the following:
1. Accept grant awards from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in an amount up to $500,000 and from the California State Office of Housing and Community Development in an amount up to $310,000 for planning studies and community engagement to prepare a Lindenville Specific Plan and associated environmental analysis;
2. Approve a total appropriation of $1,455,999 from the General Plan Reserve Fund to prefund the project;
3. Authorize a consulting services agreement with Raimi + Associates in an amount not to exceed $1,405,999 for the preparation of the Lindenville Specific Plan Project and associated environmental analysis;
4. Authorize an amendment to the consultant services agreement with Good City Company to expand scope and term dates to assist with project management of the Lindenville Specific Plan Project;
5. Authorize a City administrative budget in an amount of $50,000 for City support of the project, including translation services, meeting mailers, community meeting amenities and similar services; and
6. Approve budget amendment #22.064
Body
BACKGROUND
A General Plan is the local government’s long-term blueprint for the community’s vision of future growth. Each city is required by California law to have a General Plan to guide its future land use decisions. The City embarked on a comprehensive update of the General Plan, Zoning Code and Climate Action Plan in 2018 that is nearly complete. The Draft General Plan identifies the Lindenville sub-area as an important opportunity to add housing adjacent to the downtown transit-rich core and support a creative arts and maker community. To ensure the new development proceeds in an organized and well-planned manner and includes new housing opportunities, staff recommends preparation of a Specific Plan for the area.
While the General Plan is a required document for each city in California, a Specific Plan is an optional planning document that implements the goals and policies of the General Plan in a particular geographic area. Typically, the plan addresses areas of change that need special attention and integrated/holistic planning. A specific plan covers a 10-15 year timeline, and includes land use guidance, design and development standards, necessary infrastructure investment, financing tools and implementation schedules. The City has adopted several Specific Plans in the past including the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan, El Camino Real/Chestnut Avenue Area Plan, South El Camino Real Plan, BART Transit Village Plan and private development plans such as the Genentech Master Plan and Oyster Point Specific Plan.
In order to fund the Specific Plan, staff applied for and was awarded a Priority Development Area (PDA) Planning Grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in the amount of $500,000 and a SB2 Grant from the State office of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in the amount of $310,000. The combined grant amount is $810,000 towards total costs and will need to be expended by the end of 2023.
Request for Proposals and Recommendation
The Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Specific Plan consultant was released on January 10, 2022 with direct distribution to 15 firms from the PDA grant list and posted on the City’s website. Staff conducted a well-attended pre-bidders conference on January 24, 2022. The City received four proposals in response to the RFP and interviewed three firms with responsive, well-qualified and reasonably priced proposals. The remaining firm that was not interviewed proposed a much higher cost project compared to the other proposals.
Staff recommends Raimi + Associates for the Specific Plan project, whom the Council may recognize for their ongoing work with the General Plan Update. Staff felt the firm was the most qualified and provided the most relevant experience in preparing Specific Plans in other communities that are introducing housing into formerly industrial lands similar to Lindenville. Staff was impressed with the firm’s approach to creative design solutions, public outreach, technical analysis and holistic thinking. The team also has developed extensive knowledge of the City and earned community trust with the General Plan outreach process currently underway.
Raimi + Associates is a mission-driven planning, urban design and research firm based in Berkeley. The firm has extensive experience preparing General Plans, Precise and Specific Plans, urban design studies, vision plans, form-based codes, design guidelines and zoning codes and other ordinances. For the Specific Plan update process, Raimi + Associates has assembled a team that includes SERA Architects for urban design, BASE Landscape Architecture, Plan to Place for community engagement, Fehr & Peers for traffic, Strategic Economics for economic analysis, Sherwood Design Engineers for civil endangering and infrastructure, and FirstCarbon Solutions for preparation of the CEQA Analysis.
Raimi + Associate’s scope of work, with adjustments by staff, includes the following highlights:
1. Community engagement plan with development of a project website, stakeholder and focus group interviews, technical working group meetings, community workshops, pop-up meetings at popular locations and meetings with the Planning Commission and City Council.
2. Preparation of an existing conditions report, expanding on the information gathered as part of the General Plan update process.
3. Land use alternatives and urban design options for the area that match the expected growth capacity and vision established by the ShapeSSF 2040 Update.
4. Akin to the General Plan process, the alternatives will be presented to the community, Planning Commission and City Council for selection of a preferred land use and urban design plan.
5. Detailed technical analysis of the preferred land use plan and development of the Draft Specific Plan.
6. Environmental analysis required under CEQA based on the scope and extent of changes proposed in the Specific Plan.
Consistent with the grantor requirements, the Specific Plan will be completed by September 2023 so that reimbursements can be processed before the State’s December 31, 2023 deadline.
Specific Plan Development and Administration Proposed Budget
The proposed Raimi + Associates cost to prepare the Specific Plan and associated environmental analysis is $1,277,999, exceeding the current grant amount of $810,000, which was anticipated. Additionally, staff recommends authorizing a contingency amount of $128,000 for unforeseen items that may arise during the process for a period of two years.
Previously, the City retained the planning consulting firm, Good City Company, to assist Planning Division staff with the management of the General Plan update process. Staff recommends continuing this approach with the Lindenville Specific Plan process. Good City Company will augment Planning Division staff with the management of the grants and the Lindenville Specific Plan development including; coordination with HCD and MTC, preparation of reports, coordination between the Specific Plan consultant and other City departments as well as regional agencies, and assist with community outreach. Based on this, staff recommends that the existing Consulting Services Agreement with Good City Company, which has sufficient financial capacity, be amended to include project management on the Lindenville Specific Plan process for a period of two years.
FISCAL IMPACT
The PDA Planning Grant from MTC in the amount of $500,000 and the SB2 Grant from HCD in the amount of $310,000 results in a combined grant amount of $810,000 for development of the Lindenville Specific Plan. The remaining cost differential would be funded from the General Plan Fund 270, which his regularly augmented via new development permitting fees.
Staff recommends the Council accept the grant funds in the amount of $810,000 by resolution and appropriate $1,455,999 from the General Plan reserve fund to prefund the project as follows:
• Authorize an Agreement with Raimi + Associates for the preparation of the Specific Plan and Environmental Analysis in an amount not to exceed $1,405,999 (including the $128,000 contingency).
• Authorize an administrative budget of $50,000 for City support of the project, including translation services, meeting mailers, and community meeting amenities.
There is $1,000,900 available in the General Plan Reserve Fund currently and staff will work with Finance to authorize the full amount in stages as funds are replenished for this authorization via quarterly reimbursements - a Budget Amendment request has been completed (Budget Amendment #22.064).
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
The proposed Lindenville Specific Plan Project helps achieve the following goals/objectives of the City’s Strategic Plan by developing a clear course for new development, environmental protection, and sensitive land use siting consistent with the following priorities: Priority #2: Quality of Life and Priority #5: Financial Stability
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the Resolution to Accept grant awards from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and from the California State Office of Housing and Community Development for planning studies and community engagement to prepare a Lindenville Specific Plan and associated environmental analysis; Approve the appropriation of funding from the General Plan Reserve Fund; Authorize a consulting services agreement with Raimi + Associates for preparation of the Lindenville Specific Plan Project and with Good City Company for project management; Authorize a City administrative budget; and Approve Budget Amendment #22.064.
Exhibits to Associated Resolution:
A. Raimi + Associates Agreement, Scope of Work and Cost
B. Good City Company Agreement Amendment