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SR 09-27-2011 3R (2)City Council Meeting: September 27, 2011 Agenda Item: 3— ~V, To: Mayor and City Council From: David Martin, Planning & Community Development Director Subject: Contract for Planning Services related to the Bergamot Area Plan Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a professional services agreement with The Planning CenterlDC &E, a California -based company, in an amount not to exceed $546,485 (includes a 7% contingency) from the HUD Community Challenge Planning Grant fund to provide project management, urban design, planning, transportation planning, shared parking strategies, economic analysis, infrastructure and utilities analysis, phasing and implementation services related to the Bergamot Area Plan. Executive Summary The Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) calls for detailed planning – Area and Specific Plans – to achieve the coordination of land uses and circulation in significant areas of the City. With the Expo Light Rail project coming soon, a priority was put on planning efforts around the future light rail stations in Downtown, Bergamot and Memorial Park. In these areas, the coordination of commercial and residential land uses, pedestrian and bicycle connections, transit, and pedestrian- oriented urban design will make meaningful strides toward community goals for sustainability, access to local needs, and walkability. To this end, staff has initiated the Bergamot Area Plan, and is requesting Council authorization to hire a consultant team to provide professional expertise for the development and completion of the plan. Funding for the Bergamot Area Plan project was awarded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2010 in its first cycle of Community Challenge grants aimed at promoting sustainable and integrated land use, transportation and cultural planning. Staff recommends contracting with The Planning CenterJDC &E to lead a consultant team and work with staff to develop and produce the plan for an amount not to exceed $546,485 (includes a 7% contingency). The Planning CenterJDC &E were selected following a competitive process including a Request for Qualifications, Request for Proposals and interview process. 1 Background The Bergamot Area Plan is a high priority project to implement the LUCE, which the Council adopted in July 2010. The integrated land use and transportation policy of the LUCE highlighted the need for the Bergamot Area Plan to craft detailed standards and guidelines to give shape to urban design, transportation, .balanced land uses, open space, infrastructure and economic policies, with a particular focus on retaining the arts and creative industries and making the Art Center at Bergamot Station a permanent, economically - sustainable entity adjacent to the new light rail station. Based on this citywide vision, the Bergamot Area Plan will provide a comprehensive framework for this area's transformation as it becomes an accessible, transit - oriented, pedestrian- and bike - friendly, and visually attractive complete neighborhood. The policies and recommendations of the Bergamot Area Plan will form the basis for the Zoning Ordinance standards in the Bergamot Transit Village and Mixed -Use Creative District against which future projects will be evaluated. Based on the LUCE vision and the opportunity to create a replicable model of sustainability, the City of Santa Monica was awarded a $652,500 grant by HUD to complete the Bergamot Area Plan, some of which has already been utilized for updated software, outreach workshops, development of initial concepts, and required grant expenses. To date, staff has held two well- attended workshops, and has completed preliminary analysis of several key plan components, which were discussed at the June 14, 2011 Council meeting. With key framework concepts being identified and analysis underway, the next step is to augment staff resources with a consultant team that will perform land use and transportation planning, urban design analysis, shared parking analysis, economic and market studies and infrastructure analysis, ultimately compiling draft and final plans. 2 Staff has developed a detailed timeline to move this project forward to prepare effectively for the arrival of the Expo to create a strong framework to integrate other proposed investments. With the consultant team assembled, staff can quickly initiate the next phase of work to inform the elaboration of plan alternatives, which will ultimately result in a draft plan for public review and comment. Discussion Consultant Selection An,RFQ was issued on April 15, 2011 in order to identify potential firms with the skills and experience necessary to succeed in creating strategic plans to implement the LUCE community vision. The RFQ was advertised widely and posted on Planet Bids, Planetizen and the Planning and Community Development Department's webpage. Staff received 72 qualifications submittals prior to the May 11 deadline from firms throughout California and the western United States. The qualifications were reviewed for relevant experience and expertise that match the project needs, and eleven finalists were interviewed. For the Bergamot Area Plan project, two interviewed firms demonstrated the most complete understanding of the project through a discussion of related experience. These firms were rated against criteria that included technical competence and experience, staff quality, quality of sub - consultant team, project approach and planning, and customer service. The two selected firms were issued a Request for Proposal, which invited the firms to propose a scope of work and planning methodology within the project budget. Following receipt of proposals, a clarification memo with request for a revised scope and budget was sent to both teams. Based on the revised submittals a decision was made by a team of five Strategic & Transportation Planning Division staff members following consultation with the project inter- departmental team. Staff recommends that the Bergamot Area Plan contract be awarded to The Planning CenterJDC &E based on their experience, project approach, comprehensive scope of services and competitive cost. Some of the key sub - consultants to supplement The t<3 Planning CenterlDC &E's in -house team include Strategic Economics, Community Design + Architecture (CD +A) and Michael Kadoma (Shared Parking). The City has already contracted with Tom Nordyke for the Arts Integration component of the project, and Nordyke will be brought into the project team under the management of The Planning CenterlDC &E. Altogether, the selected design team has the appropriate mix of skills and experience to deliver the Bergamot Area Plan on schedule and at the high level that the community expects. The Planning CenterJDC &E has extensive experience in developing numerous general and specific plans, including the transit - oriented award - winning Downtown Santa Rosa Station Area Specific Plan and Bayfair BART Station Area Improvement Plan. The team brings expertise in conducting charrettes and multi- faceted community outreach programs and familiarity with the HUD Sustainable Communities grant program and its requirements. Urban design and streetscape team members from CD +A enrich the team's capabilities with their experience leading the San Francisco Citywide Streetscape Master Plan /Better Streets Plan, which proposes new standards that are pedestrian- and transit - oriented, ecologically high - performance and balance the needs of all the City's users. Key team members are based in both Southern and Northern California. The contract includes a cost guarantee for the agreed -upon scope. The contingency requested is within the HUD grant amount. Public Outreach The public outreach program is already underway for the Bergamot Area Plan. Staff has hosted two well attended workshops, has met with property owners and key stakeholders, interviewed artists and gallery owners, and has held a focus group with the City's Art Commission. With the addition of the selected consultant team, staff anticipates expanding the public outreach process to include additional public meetings, community workshops, multi - disciplinary working groups and one -on -one interviews with stakeholders, neighborhood residents. Financial Impacts & Budget Actions The professional services agreement to be awarded to The Planning CenterjDC &E will be for an amount not to exceed $546,485 (includes a 7% contingency). Funds in the amount of $521,485 are available in Account P206028.589000 (HUD Community Challenge grant) and $25,000 is available in P016028.589000 (City Match). Prepared by: Peter D. James, Senior Planner Approved: W UCL, David Ma Martin, Planning and Community Development Department 5 Forwarded to Council: h / Rod Gould City Manager Reference Contract No. 9480 (CCS).