sr-042809-1ec7®
~;,Y of City Council Report
Santa Monica
City Council Meeting: April 28, 2009
Agenda Item: ~~
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Eileen Fogarty, Director, Planning & Community Development Department
Subject: Develop Neighborhood Conservation Tools, Integrate Policy into Draft
Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) Plan and Assist with
Development Review Services
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council authorize the. City Manager to negotiate and
execute contracts with The Phipps Group for:
(1)a professional services agreement in an amount not to exceed $120,000 for
development of measures to be incorporated into a Neighborhood Conservation
Program; and
(2) a contract amendment in an amount not to exceed $50,000 for integration of new
concepts into the Draft LUCE Plan and for development review customer service
improvements.
Executive Summary
New Neighborhood Conservation Program Development Services: As part of .the City
Council's direction regarding next steps for the LUCE Strategy Framework,
neighborhood conservation was identified as a high priority. Specifically, the LUCE
recommended strengthening the City's neighborhoods by:
• Providing development of compatible scale and character with the existing
neighborhood;
• Requiring respectful transitions between new and existing structures;
• Recognizing that the streets and sidewalks are significant elements of Santa
Monica's open space and are part of the landscaped environment of the
neighborhoods; and
• Encouraging the preservation of older apartment buildings that are vital aspects
of neighborhood life and character.
The Phipps Group will assist staff in implementing these guiding principles with the
research, analysis, outreach and recommendations necessary to identify appropriate
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tools for preserving and enhancing the neighborhoods. Three pilot neighborhoods will
be selected for investigation and analysis. The end product will be a report
recommending neighborhood specific strategies and tools, developed in partnership
with residents, property owners, and the preservation community. The outcome of the
report will act as a model for addressing the remaining neighborhoods within the City.
After a Request for Proposals process, The Phipps Group was selected to develop tools
and measures for a Neighborhood Conservation program. The contract amount of not-
to-exceed $120,000 is funded from PCD's current budget. These funds were anticipated
for this purpose as part of the adopted FY 08-09 Budget.
Amendment to LUCE-and Development Review Services: The Phipps Group provides a
broad breadth of professional services related planning and community development.
The Phipps Group will continue to play a key role assisting with the integration of new
concepts and analysis into the Land Use and Circulation Element. (LUCE) documents.
The Phipps Group will also continue to assist staff with development review and other
departmental service improvements.
The Phipps Group amendment is for an amount not-to-exceed $50,000, bringing the
total not-to-exceed contract amount to $154,000. The total Phipps Group contracts for
professional services amount to $274,000.
Background
Development of a Neighborhood Conservation Program
On July 24, 2008, Council endorsed the LUCE Strategy Framework and gave direction
to staff to place the highest priority on the protection of neighborhoods. In order to
ensure the timely integration of neighborhood protection policies into the Final LUCE, it
is critical to ensure that input be gathered from not only City officials but also the
community to ensure that residents have a significant role in influencing the future
direction of their neighborhood.
The near completion of the Citywide Historic Resources Inventory will provide an
abundance of information that will be useful to the development of neighborhood
conservation approaches and tools. However, while historic preservation primarily
encompasses the preservation of individual structures or resources, the focus of the
neighborhood conservation effort will be the overall, unique context of neighborhoods
and their distinctive contributing characteristics. These characteristics are not
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necessarily architectural in nature but are commonalities that survive over time and are
recognized by neighborhood residents and the larger community. Examples of such
characteristics include: scale, massing, natural/streetscape features, land use patterns,
and established setback areas. Neighborhood conservation districts provide more
flexibility with respect to exterior alterations because the focus is not on specific
architectural features, but rather, on character and how the neighborhood environment
is experienced. The conservation district allows for normal evolution of neighborhoods
over time while protecting those characteristics valued by the community.
Contract Amendment for Current Work Efforts
On March 25, 2008, the City Council approved a contract with The Phipps Group for
preparation of an Executive Summary, a Strategy Framework chapter and outreach
materials for the LUCE Strategy Framework document, development of guidelines and
assistance in the implementation of proposed changes to the development review
process, and development of process improvements for the Transportation
Management Division. The consultant's amended scope of services is a continuation of
ongoing work efforts through assisting with the integration of new concepts and analysis
into the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) draft plan and continued
departmental service improvements.
Discussion
Development of a Neighborhood- Conservation Program
As the protection of neighborhoods is one of the highest priorities of the LUCE Strategy
Framework, The Phipps Group will provide technical assistance in developing
neighborhood conservation strategies and approaches. The integration of the
neighborhoods conservation recommendations into the Final LUCE includes evaluating
policies relating to building height, FAR, and commercial/residential transition zones and
their impact on neighborhoods. It is critical that the goals for individual neighborhoods
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are identified while studies for development standards are being conducted. The
primary tasks to develop the neighborhood conservation recommendations include:
• Researching City policies related to neighborhood conservation and evaluate
how existing policies may be applied to the new conservation approach.
• Interviewing City staff and appointed/elected officials/boards and commissions in
order to gather a background understanding of existing policies.
• Conducting a public outreach program including but not limited to interviews of
representatives of selected neighborhood organizations in preparation for
broader community meetings.
• Identification of pilot neighborhoods including proposed boundaries, draft
overview of history and evolution selected neighborhoods, and identification of
distinctive contributing characteristics.
• Ihdividual work sessions within each pilot neighborhood to present initial findings,
providing an opportunity for residents of each neighborhood to identify and
modify principal issues of concern, proposed boundaries, and distinctive
contributing characteristics. Discussion will also be focused around appropriate
tools and techhiques for development control such as conservation overlay
zones and design guidelines.
• Preparation of neighborhood conservation approaches and tools for each pilot
neighborhood based upon prior work sessions and analysis. These tools may
include: potential design guidelines for building envelopes, structures and
streetscape, standards for transition zones along neighborhood boundaries, and
potential revisions to development standards.
Staff issued an RFP on March 31, 2009 for technical assistance in developing
neighborhood conservation approaches and tools for integration into the Final LUCE.
Five firms that were sent the RFP were pre-screened for having capabilities in
neighborhood planning and conservation. Two excellent firms responded, The Phipps
Group and the Architectural Resources Group, Inc., and both of them have been put on
the Departments list of pre-qualified consultants for preservation and conservation
services. Architectural Resources Group, Inc. has worked with a number of
municipalities in the region to assist in the development of neighborhood design
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guidelines. The Department intends to develop a separate scope of work and contract
to assist the City in the development of design guidelines and zoning code.
The Phipps Group brings a balance of neighborhood conservation knowledge and
award winning experience advancing the art of conservation planning in nationally
recognized historic cities. The firm also has, through its historic preservation arm, over
20 years of practical construction experience in the historic preservation of nationally
and locally significant structures. The Phipps Group's strength is working closely with
community and business representatives in the development of highly practical
recommendations. The Phipps Group recently was awarded the Montgomery County
Preservation Award and the State of Maryland House of Delegates Citation for Historic
Restoration of the Cady Lee Mansion built in 1887.
Contract Amendment for Current Work Efforts
The consultant's scope of services is a continuation of ongoing work efforts in two
areas:
(1) Through review of the LUCE Strategy Framework last summer, City Council
provided direction on a number of areas that require further investigation, outreach and
then incorporation into the evolving LUCE plan. The consultant will add sections to the
document to incorporate work in several areas, including:
• Preservation -including tools such as transfer of development rights;
• Conservation of Neighborhoods -the development of specific tools and
programs;
• The Beach Area - An expanded section on this area of the City;
• Affordable and Workforce Housing -.Integration of more recent analysis into the
document; and
• District Analysis -More in-depth analysis of the Bergamot, Memorial Park and
Downtown Districts and the future light rail stations.
This will require some restructuring and reorganizing of the existing LUCE Strategy
Framework documents to incorporate these new sections and any additional direction
by City Council after Council's review of the Draft and in preparation for the Final plan.
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(2) The consultant will work with staff to create clearly written outreach materials that
will assist the community with the requirements and phases of the development review
process and other services provided by the Department. The department is currently
short two key staff positions in the area of development review services and the
consultant will help to ensure that the Department continues to develop, implement and
communicate service improvements.
The LUCE and Development Review services were initially procured through the
Department's development of 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), over
fifty firms have been invited to respond. Twenty-two firms have responded and were
placed on a qualified list. To date, a total of nine firms have been utilized for various
work scopes.
The Phipps Group was selected for the LUCE and Development Review work as they
have exemplary credentials and extensive experience in planning, the development
review process and the development of informative, well-written documents and
outreach brochures for the public and planning community. It is the recipient of the
State of California "Award of Excellence in Comprehensive Planning" and of the State of
Maryland "Award for Professional Excellence".
Budget/Financial Impact
Tasks related to development of the Neighborhood Conservation Program were
identified in the LUCE and this program was anticipated as part of the adopted FY 08-
09 Budget. Funds of $120,000 are available in account 01267.555060 Professional
Services after aone-time transfer of $80,000 from Salaries and Wages in account
01266.511680 Salary Savings due to vacancies.
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The Phipps Group contract for $50,000 will be paid out of the Department's Professional
Services account # 01267.555060 budgeted for this purpose.
Prepared by:
Ellen Gelbard, Assistant Director, Planning & Community Development Department
to Council:
Director, Planning & Co"~funity
Development Department
~ ~ i i~~,,
t~a~'rr}ont Ewell
City anager
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