sr-032409-1iCity Council Meeting: March 24, 2009
Agenda Item: ~ -" Z
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Eileen Fogarty, Director, Planning & Community Development Department
Subject: Contract Amendments for Services Related to the Exposition Light Rail
Planning and Design Coordination; Land Use & Circulation Element
(LUCE) Analysis and Implementation; and Design Review
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council authorize the City Manager to execute contract
amendments with:
1) The Odermatt Group (Contract #8729) for an amount not-to-exceed $235,000 to
provide planning and design services in conjunction with station area planning for
the Exposition Light Rail project; refinement of urban design components in the Land
Used and Circulation Element (LUCE); focused master planning analysis for several
critical areas in the City; and. design review of major projects; and
2) Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates (Contract # 8866) for. an amount not to
exceed $210,000 to provide transportation planning services for station access and
route refinement in conjunction with preliminary engineering for the Exposition Light
Rail project; development and implementation of transportation policies, programs
and projects identified in the LUCE; community workshops; and supplemental
analysis for the LUCE environmental review process.
Executive Summary
It is essential that the City maintain a leadership role in defining the project elements of
the Expo Light Rail (Expo LR) project within Santa Monica. The consultants will support
the City through the station-area planning and community outreach processes, route
refinement as it relates to parking and access, and other elements of the project to
inform coordinated planning with the Expo Authority. The Odermatt Group will-assist
the City with station area master planning, including consideration of parking needs and
pedestrian access, to ensure a light rail line that will meet the City's urban design goals
and objectives. Nelson\Nygaard will work with the City, the community and the Expo
Authority to address circulation at the three light. rail stations, including consideration of
transit interface and bicycle access. They will also work with the City to refine the
street-running section on Colorado to address parking and operational needs.
Additionally, both firms will continue to provide significant contributions towards refining
and implementing LUCE: The Odermatt Group will perform the analysis reflecting City
Council's direction, including exploration of a lower range of heights and massing, and
will address the broader urban design components in LUCE. Mr. Odermatt will also
focus on area planning for several critical areas, including the coordination betweeh
Downtown and the Civic Center area and the evaluation of alternatives for the Bergamot
Transit Village/ Mixed Use Creative District area. The Odermatt Group will also
continue to provide a design review services for major projects.
Nelson\Nygaard will assist staff with development and implementation of Circulation
Element components identified in the LUCE Strategy Framework, including parking
management policies, transportation demand management programs and project
development such as 20th and Cloverfield. Nelson\Nygaard will also facilitate the
development of performance measures, significance thresholds and analysis of trip
reduction impacts in support of the LUCE EIR analysis.
The contracts will be paid from the current year. (FY 08-09) LUCE implementation
professional services budget approved for these purposes and the Expo LR CIP Rail
Reserve account created for station area planning and community outreach. The
Odermatt Group amendment is for an amount not-to-exceed $235,000, bringing the
total not-to-exceed contract amount to $640,000. The Nelson\Nygaard Consulting
Associates amendment is for an amount not-to-exceed $210,000, bringing the total not-
to-exceed contract amount to $524,785.
Background
Most recently, on March 3, 2009, the City Council adopted policy recommendations to
the Expo Authority and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in
support of the Expo LR line in Santa Monica. To incorporate City Council direction the
City needs to become involved in the detailed area planning to ensure the project is
thoughtfully integrated into the City fabric, as the specifics of the line and stations are
worked out. This process will require the City to become highly interactive with the
Expo Authority as it finalizes the planning for the line through Santa Monica. During the
next six to nine months, the Expo Authority will perform preliminary engineering and
complete the Final Environmental Impact Review (FEIR) for the Expo LR Phase 2. By
2010, the Expo Authority intends to enter into adesign-build contract for the project.
2
The three stations in Downtown, Mid-City and at Bergamot Station will require careful
attention to address: access issues generated by transit, private vehicles, bicycles and
pedestrian; provision of station amenities; and establishment of a desirable footprint in
relation to any future development or open space on .the station site or adjacent to the
site. The same level of scrutiny will be needed to address the trackway as it proceeds
through Santa Monica, both crossing streets and proceeding within the street and other
rail-related facilities, with the goal of working the Expositions Construction Authority
(Expo Authority) to ensure the design best facilitates access, circulation, parking; public
safety and aesthetics. This next stage will include extensive community outreach to
ensure opportunities for input as the planning evolves.
Preparation of the LUCE has been a high priority for Council. The consultants will
provide support for major components of the work involving refinement and analysis of
concepts, and concurrent implementation of transportation and land use measures.
There is a critical lihk between the planning process leading to the adoption of the
LUCE and the detailed design and engineering for the light rail. The conceptual
planning/design completed as the basis for the Expo LR Draft Environmental Impact
Report (DEIR) included many concepts or "place holders" that were not fully resolved. It
is important that the LUCE land use. and circulation planning for the areas around the
stations and along the right-of-way be completed and approved quickly to ensure that
the City's plan drives or guides the preliminary and final engineering of the LR: The
City should be defining the context for the LR design. Specifically, the primary tasks
linking the LUCE refinement and adoption process with the LR design include:
• Identifying the appropriate interface with the Big Blue Bus and other forms of transit.
or shuttle that serve the LR.
• Designing and engineering the appropriate vehicular circulation around the stations.
Generally, Expo made assumptions on vehicle lanes and turning movements with
little consultation with the City. The City will develop recommended circulation and
traffic modification to facilitate movement through the City in concert with the LR.
The location and functional elements of the LR stations must be coordinated with
3
policy for new circulation routes within Bergamot Transit Village, as well as the
potential to close streets as proposed for 16th Street to expand Memorial Park
• ,Accommodating pedestrians and bicyclists. The Expo conceptual design generally
did not address the pedestrian/bike access to the stations. It is important for the
LUCE to address pedestrian circulation .recommendations knowing the full impact of
the LR operations.
• Integrating the parking into the overall city parking strategy. Expo generally used
surplus. lands -lands acquired for transit use, but not needed for ROW, stations and
operations - as parking lots adjacent to stations. A rationale program must be
established that coordinates the parking at the stations, if any, with an overall
parking strategy for the area around the station.
• Integrating the LR stations with surrounding land use concept. The LUCE Strategy
Framework identified a series of land use opportunities associated with the three
Santa Monica stations. The City should lead in establishing criteria and guidelines
within the LUCE to ensure that potential opportunities for the City and the community
are incorporated.
Attachment A is a timeline of the major tasks associated with completion and adoption
of the LUCE, LUCE area planning projects, and Expo station area and access planning
tasks. It is clear from the timeline that an incredible amount of concurrent work will be
occurring over the next year. The continued support of both The Odermatt Group and
Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates is critical to these efforts.
The Odermatt Group
Robert Odermatt of The Odermatt Group has functioned as rail planning advisor to the
City throughout the conceptual planning stage of the Expo. LR. He will continue to play
a key role in working with the City and the Expo Authority on aspects of the light rail
design as they relate to the principles developed by the City Council. The light rail
planning is very much tied to refinement and implementation of LUCE and .requires a
careful focus on the urban design context and access for areas adjacent to transit
stations. Specific areas of focus will include:
• Downtown/Civic Center: Concurrent planning is proceeding fora combined
Downtown/Civic Center implementation plan that addresses connections, grid
considerations and open space as they relate to the rail station. Detailed analysis of
4
the station area will include assessment of future joint uses for the site and
implications for parking, pedestrian, transit and vehicular access.
• Memorial Park Station: Determining the relationship of the station to the adjacent
site(s) acquired to serve the station and the access in relation to potential uses for
the larger Memorial Park site, including the future use of 16th Street.
• Bergamot Station: Determining location and access to the station in coordination
with the Bergamot art center and future opportunities on the site, including potential
shared parking .opportunities. Addressing access and circulation to the station
to/from the surrounding areas, including optimum pedestrian routes from existing
commercial use, Bergamot Transit Village and the Creative Arts District to the
station.
The Odermatt Group-scope of work will also include refinement of LUCE urban design
components to reflect the City Council's direction, including the identification and
quantification of community serving benefits to be incorporated ihto the LUCE.
Secondly, they will analyze scenarios to evaluate lowering the Strategy Framework
outer range of heights while reducing massing and increasing ground level open space.
Lastly, they will develop appropriate models, methodologies and procedures to preserve
the City's residential neighborhoods
The Odermatt Group will continue to provide ongoing design review services on major
development proposals and work with staff to enhance their tools with respect to
planning and urban design principals. Mr. Odermatt has .been hugely successful in
helping the City to reshape and provide guidance on a number of the larger projects
submitted for development review, including Bloomingdales and the Civic Center
Village.
Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates
Jeffrey Tumlin of Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates will be working with the City
and the Expo Authority to address access and circulation at the light rail three stations,
including consideration of transit interface, bicycle and vehicle access. He will also
5
work with the City to refine the street-running section on Colorado Avenue. In
particular, Nelson/Nygaard will provide the City analytical. support in approaching the
California Public Utilities Commission to seek a narrower track width configuration on
Colorado Avenue to accommodate on-street parking on both sides of the street. Mr.
Tumlin will also assist the City in developing community workshops to refine Circulation
Element components.
Mr. Tumlin will continue to work with staff, the community, Planning Commission and
City Council to implement. a wide array of the circulation components in the LUCE
Strategy Framework, including parking management and transportation demand
management measures.. Nelson\Nygaard will also facilitate the development of
performance measures, significance thresholds and analysis of trip reduction impacts in
support of the LUCE EIR analysis. Finally, Nelson/Nygaard will review and generate
possible additional street configuration options to accommodate bike lanes and medians
on 20th Street as part of LUCE implementation and a City Peer Review process.
Discussion
Contractor/Consultant Selection
The Department has developed a list of qualified firms in the areas of urban design,
planning, architecture, community facilitation, process implementation and project
management through distribution of several Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) to over
fifty firms. Twenty-two firms responded and have been put on a qualified list. To date,
a total of nine firms have been utilized for various work scopes.
City Council approved an amendment to the Odermatt Group professional services
agreement on May 15, 2008.. The consultant has been a tremendous resource for the
City of Santa Monica. The Odermatt Group has successfully developed and
implemented plans and strategies that are recognized nationally for their innovative
design, environmental responsibility, responsivehess to community needs and viable
6
economics. Mr. Odermatt has assisted jurisdictions such as San Jose in designing and
incorporating a light rail system in a way that is sensitive to the City's urban context.
Other examples of projects include the Seattle Central Waterfront Plan, the Palo Alto
Downtown Plan, and comprehensive planning for Yosemite National Park, the Golden
Gate Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. Mr. Odermatt is a recipient of
the Kemper lifetime achievement award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA),
which is awarded to one member per year (out of the 80,000 members) and is the
highest award an architect can receive.
In December 2006, a Request for Qualifications (RFO) was widely distributed to
develop a list of qualified urban design, planning, transportation planning, architecture
and community facilitation firms for specific work efforts related to LUCE and other
planning .needs. Nine firms responded. The firm of Nelson/Nygaard Consulting
Associates was selected as an outstanding leader in the field of transportation planning.
Jeffrey Tumlin, the project lead, is known throughout the country as an extremely.
knowledgeable and creative leader in the field of transportation planning. Mr. Tumlin,
with Nelson/Nygaard, has successfully developed and implemented innovative plans
and strategies in many progressive spots, including the Cities of Seattle, Portland and
Boulder. The Nelson/Nygaard contract was approved by City Council on December 11,
2007.
Budget/Financial Impact
These tasks related to completion and implementation of the LUCE and light rail station
area planning were anticipated for these purposes as part of the City's FY 08-09 Budget
process and specific funds were authorized for these purposes.
The Odermatt Group contract amendment will be paid with: $100,000 from Account No.
0200224.589060 (Rail Reserve Station Area Planning); $44,000 from Account No.
01267.555060 (LUCE Implementation Studies; Neighborhood Plans and Outreach); and
$91,000 from Account No. 01265.555060 (LUCE Completion and Implementation).
7
The Nelson/Nygaard Contract amount will be paid by: $30,000 from Account No.
0200224.589020 (Rail Reserve Expo Light Rail outreach), $170,000 from Account No.
01265.555060 (LUCE completion and implementation professional services), and
$10,000 from Account No. 0010522.589000 (Cloverfield and 20th Streetscape
Improvements).
Prepared by:
Ellen Gelbard, Assistant Director, Planning & Community Development Department
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
Eileen Fogarty '
Director, Planning & Community
Development Department
~fnont Ewell
Manager
Attachment A: Timeline of Major Tasks Associated with LUCE and Expo Light Rail
8
/ntegrated
P/anninq
Process
~,~~ ~~~~'~~~nni~~", y~„r
~Ir~~tr~r~,~, 4, ~`;
Special Studies
Special Studies
LUCE-Environmental '
Impact Report
Community Meetings
Planning ~ Community
4ww - ..... rvrceuny
Zoos ATTACHMENT A
ze,e
March Apnl May June July August September October November December January February. March
Reference amended
Contract Nos. 8729 (CCS)
& 8866 (CCS).