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SR 11-14-2017 3F City Council Report City Council Meeting: November 14, 2017 Agenda Item: 3.F 1 of 8 To: Mayor and City Council From: Susan Cline, Director, Public Works, Civil Engineering Subject: Award a Professional Services Agreement for Final Design of Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor Streetscape Project (LiNC) Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council: 1. Award RFP# 2331 to Kimley-Horn and Associates, a California-based company, to provide engineering design services, including the preparation of construction contract documents, for the Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor Streetscape Project (LiNC); 2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Kimley- Horn and Associates, in an amount not to exceed $582,472 (including a 10% contingency) over a three-year period. Executive Summary Since taking over responsibility for Lincoln Boulevard from Caltrans in 2012, the City of Santa Monica has worked with local residents and businesses to improve this vital transportation and business corridor. The Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor Streetscape Project (LiNC) consists of enhancing the physical environment and pedestrian safety through streetscape and transportation improvements and supporting the aesthetic transformation of the corridor through the implementation of new street lighting, gateway banners, landscaped medians, parkways and street trees. LiNC will implement these numerous streetscape and safety enhancements along Lincoln Boulevard and various intersecting streets spanning from Interstate 10 in the north to Ozone Avenue at the southern city limit. Staff recommends awarding an agreement to Kimley-Horn and Associates to provide engineering design services, develop construction plans and documents, and provide engineering support during the construction phase in an amount not to exceed $582,472 (including a 10% contingency). 2 of 8 Background Caltrans relinquished Lincoln Boulevard to the City of Santa Monica in 2012, which stimulated public and private interests in addressing deferred maintenance issues and in fulfilling the vision of the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) for a more walkable and aesthetically pleasing corridor. In 2013, the Public Works Department and Traffic Engineering Division conducted a street resurfacing and striping project that improved vehicular operations and laid the groundwork for future transit improvements by modifying right-of-way striping to accommodate a new dedicated, peak-hour bus lane, which is scheduled for completion during the last quarter of 2017. The resurfacing project improved the pavement condition of Lincoln Boulevard but left more substantive streetscape modifications (such as medians and crosswalks) and other enhancements to be resolved by LiNC. On June 10, 2014, the City Council authorized the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract (CCS #9651) with Community Design and Architecture (CD+A) to prepare a detailed streetscape and transportation conceptual design for Lincoln Boulevard between Interstate 10 and the city’s southerly limits at Ozone Avenue (Attachment A). The project area for the Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor Streetscape Project spans 17 blocks and 1.25 miles along Lincoln Boulevard between the Interstate 10 overpass and Ozone Avenue and runs through three neighborhoods: Pico, Ocean Park and Sunset Park. The project boundaries include the vehicular right-of-way, as well as the public sidewalk and the ground floor of the buildings that front Lincoln Boulevard. Streetscape Plan Development Beginning in August 2014, an interdepartmental team led by the Planning and Community Development Department began work on LiNC to develop streetscape, transportation and business improvement concepts. Leveraging relationships with neighborhood leaders and members of the Lincoln Boulevard Taskforce, the planning 3 of 8 team conducted extensive outreach to address key concerns and develop consensus on a preferred streetscape alternative. Outreach activities included two community workshops, dozens of one-on-one and group stakeholder meetings, focus groups with local businesses, and an online presence that included social media and civic engagement platforms. On April 25, 2017, after nearly three years of conceptual streetscape and transportation design development, the City Council approved the final streetscape and transportation concept for the LiNC (Attachment B). Discussion The final conceptual streetscape and transportation design for the LiNC Project has spanned several years and incorporates elements that the community identified as important for connectivity and livability which includes opportunities to implement new and enhanced crosswalks, landscaped medians and pedestrian refuges, modernized, new and improved street, pedestrian, and gateway lighting, gateway banners and poles, bicycle connectors, new street trees, curb ramp improvements, curb extensions, stormwater rain gardens and bioswales. Additional design criteria have been established by various City departments, which provide emergency response and maintenance services. Concepts have also been aligned with federal and state guidance on roadway design, and the landscaping proposal acknowledges California’s historic drought. During the conceptual design process, each of the 17 blocks within the project area was individually analyzed for opportunities to accommodate the features desired by the community and support the goals of the project. The final conceptual streetscape and transportation design plan incorporates a balanced mix of new features that result in a better performing, enhanced streetscape and transportation environment for vehicles, transit, pedestrians and bicycles. All of the streetscape elements are being proposed without the loss of a travel lane for vehicles. The improvements are intended to make movement for all users and modes more predictable by providing safe places for pedestrians to cross the street, identifying areas for bicycles to maneuver, 4 of 8 accommodating transit and organizing vehicle flow. The following two sections are brief descriptions of the design features that will be incorporated into the final construction design plans and how they will be phased throughout construction of the LiNC. Construction Phasing The LiNC construction is slated to be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 is estimated to be between $3-3.5 million. Phase 2 is estimated to exceed $6 million. Below are the anticipated construction phases for the proposed design features: Lincoln Boulevard Streetscape and Transportation Design Features:  New landscaped center medians (10-foot average width, various lengths) (Phase 1 and 2)  Three new crosswalks with pedestrian-activated safety signals across Lincoln Boulevard located at Grant, Pine and Wilson/Pier streets (Phase 1)  Four enhanced crosswalks that integrate new pedestrian refuges at Olympic, Pearl, Hill and Ashland (Phase 1)  New crosswalk striping at 20 locations on side streets (Phase 1)  ADA compliant dual-directional curb ramps at 90 locations along the boulevard (Phase 1 and 2)  117 new LED pedestrian lights spaced at 75-foot average intervals (Phase 2)  Eight new LED “Pedestrian Safety Streetlights” at selected intersection crossings along the corridor. (Phase 1)  Streetlight modernization and retrofit of existing roadway street lighting to contemporary, aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient LED lighting. (Phase 2)  13 new curb-extensions and bulb-outs at strategically located side streets and in certain areas on Lincoln Boulevard north of Pico Boulevard (Phase 1)  Two new bicycle connection improvements at Ashland and Pearl  32 bioswales and infiltration facilities for stormwater runoff (Phase 1 and 2)  Gateway elements including a new gateway banner, poles and lighting at each end of the LiNC corridor (Phase 1) 5 of 8 In addition, there is an opportunity to plant 48 new street trees (Phase 1 and 2) along the project area in sidewalk locations along Lincoln Boulevard, and in select medians north of Pico Boulevard. Tree planting would be performed separately and is not a part of the consultant’s overall final design scope. However, tree planting would be coordinated and incorporated with other LiNC design elements. Twenty-four new trees are scheduled to be planted by the Public Landscape Division within the next year either in existing vacant tree wells or in new parkway areas that are incorporated into the design. Environmental Analysis The LiNC Project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15301, 15303, and 15304 of the CEQA Guidelines.  Section 15301 of CEQA Guidelines provides (Class 1) exemption for the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination. Projects that fall into this class of exemption include alterations to existing streets, sidewalks, gutters, bicycle facilities, and other similar facilities and additions of safety or health protection for use in conjunction with existing facilities. The project consists of alterations to existing Lincoln Boulevard and no expansion of roadway capacity is proposed. Therefore, the project falls into the Class 1 exemption.  Section 15303 of CEQA Guidelines provides (Class 3) exemption for the construction and location of limited numbers of new small facilities or structures. Projects that fall into this class of exemption include street improvements of reasonable length. The proposed LiNC would construct new small facilities and structures including landscaped medians, curb extensions, curb ramps, crosswalk striping, pavement striping, pedestrian lighting, bike racks, benches and wayfinding markings on existing Lincoln Boulevard. Therefore, the project falls into the Class 3 exemption. 6 of 8  Section 15304 of CEQA Guidelines provides (Class 4) exemption for minor public or private alterations in the condition of land, water, and or vegetation, which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees. The proposed LiNC project would install new paving, pavement/crosswalk markings, and refreshed landscaping that would include new street trees, mulch, ground cover, or low water use plantings on Lincoln Boulevard. Therefore, the project falls into the Class 4 exemption. In addition, none of the exceptions specified in Section 15300.2 of CEQA Guidelines would apply that would preclude the use of these CEQA exemptions. The project site is not located in a sensitive environment, the project will not have a significant impact on the environment due to unusual circumstances, the project would not damage scenic resources, the project would not be located on a hazardous waste site and the project would not cause a change to a historical resource. Therefore, this project is categorically exempt per Sections 15301, 15303, and 15304 of the CEQA Guidelines. Consultant Selection On June 2, 2017, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Engineering Design Services for the Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor Streetscape Project (LiNC). The RFP was posted on the City’s online bidding site, and notices were advertised in the Santa Monica Daily Press in accordance with City Charter and SMMC Section 2.24.075(a). A total of 87 bidders downloaded the RFP, and the following seven firms responded:  CSG Consultants  California Watershed Engineering  Fuscoe Engineering  Kabbara Engineering  Kimley-Horn and Associates  KOA Corporation  KPFF Consulting Engineers 7 of 8 Proposals were reviewed by a selection committee consisting of staff from the Civil Engineering and City Planning divisions. The committee shortlisted the following four firms and conducted interviews with the shortlisted firms on August 22 and 24, 2017:  Kabbara Engineering  Kimley-Horn and Associates  KOA Corporation  KPFF Consulting Engineers Evaluation was based on the criteria set forth in SMMC Section 2.24.073(b), including experience, references, proposed project work plan and timelines, proposed project team, quality work products, creativity, demonstrated technical competence and understanding of the project scope, value added services and cost. Based on these criteria staff recommends Kimley-Horn and Associates as the best qualified firm to provide engineering design services, in an amount not to exceed $582,472 (including a 10% contingency). Kimley-Horn and Associates demonstrated extensive knowledge and experience with similar projects in the cities of Glendale, Agoura Hills, Culver City, Oceanside, Anaheim, Seal Beach and Calabasas. Kimley-Horn and Associates also demonstrated through past projects its ability to provide experienced design teams that can complete high quality project designs in an expeditious manner and at competitive hourly rates. Next Step The anticipated timeline for the design phase of the project is approximately eight months, from January 2018 to September 2018. After the design work is completed, City staff would prepare the bidding documents, advertise the project on the City’s on- line bidding site, and return to the City Council for award of the construction contract. Financial Impacts and Budget Actions The agreement to be awarded to Kimley-Horn and Associates is for an amount not to exceed $582,472. Funds are available in the FY 2017-18 Capital Improvement Program 8 of 8 budget in account C047076.589000 - Lincoln Boulevard Streetscape Improvements. Prepared By: Joshua Carvalho, Civil Engineer Approved Forwarded to Council Attachments: A. June 10, 2014 Staff Report (CD+A Contract) B. April 25, 2017 Staff Report (Final Concept Design Approval) C. Oaks Initiative Form REFERENCE – AGREEMENT NO. 10577 (CCS)