SR 02-27-2018 3E
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: February 27, 2018
Agenda Item: 3.E
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Susan Cline, Director, Public Works, Civil Engineering
Susan Cline, Director, Public Works Department
Subject: Award Construction Contract for Access Path Replacement at Palisades Park
and Virginia Avenue Park Project
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award Bid #SP2467 to STL Landscape, Inc., a California-based company, for the
Access Path Replacement at Palisades Park and Virginia Avenue Park Project;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with STL
Landscape, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $786,500 (including a $71,500
contingency);
3. Authorize the Director of Public Works to issue any necessary change orders to
complete additional work within contract authority.
Executive Summary
The Access Path Replacement at Palisades Park and Virginia Avenue Park Project
would replace approximately 115,000 square feet of the existing decomposed granite
(DG) that has worn down over time from use by pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists. This
substantial use in conjunction with the impacts of the environment and weather over the
years have created uneven surfaces along the pathways that degrade the experience of
the users. Staff recommends STL Landscape, Inc. to replace the access paths in both
parks for an amount not to exceed $786,500 (including a 10% contingency).
Discussion
To improve the condition of the DG pathways and enhance pedestrian safety, staff
recommends replacing the worn down pathway material with new stabilized DG. The
product selected for this project would be a natural, organic, permeable and non-
eroding material.
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Contractor Selection – Construction
On November 29, 2017, the City published Notices Inviting Bids for the Access Path
Replacement at Palisades Park and Virginia Avenue Park in accordance with City
specifications. The bid was posted on the City’s on-line bidding site, and notices were
advertised in the Santa Monica Daily Press in accordance with City Charter and
Municipal Code provisions. Forty-nine vendors downloaded the bid. Six bids were
received and publicly opened on December 21, 2017:
Bidder Bid Amount
STL Landscape, Inc. $ 715,000.00
GMZ Engineering Inc. $ 727,250.00
Environmental Construction Inc. $ 766,500.00
C.S. Legacy Construction, Inc. $ 856,096.00
PCN3, Inc. $ 877,950.00
Excel Paving $1,099,747.00
Engineer’s Estimate: $800,000.00
Bids were evaluated based on the criteria in SMMC 2.24.072, including price, previous
experience, capacity and skill, ability to deliver and provide future maintenance or
service, and compliance with City specifications. STL Landscape, Inc. has completed
similar projects for Caltrans, Los Angeles County, Montebello Unified School District
and the cities of Santa Ana, Claremont, Rolling Hills Estate and Santa Monica. Staff
contacted references listed in the bid package, and all respondents reported that work
performed by STL Landscape, Inc. was completed within the project requirements. Staff
also verified with the Contractors State License Board that STL Landscape, Inc.’s
license is current, active, and in good standing. Based on these criteria, STL
Landscape, Inc., the lowest bidder, is recommended as the best bidder for the Access
Path Replacement at Palisades Park and Virginia Avenue Park Project.
Construction Schedule and Management
Construction work is anticipated to begin in May 2018 and last for approximately four
months. Staff is coordinating with Community and Cultural Services to phase construction at
the two locations and ensure that impacts to park use are minimized to the extent possible
during peak summer dates. Further delaying the project would fail to address community
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complaints and accessibility concerns related to the poor conditions of the parks’ pathways.
City staff would provide construction management for this project, to include inspecting
the contractor’s work during construction, verifying and documenting field changes and
unforeseen conditions, monitoring and mitigating impacts as a result of the construction
activities, attending the contractor’s safety meetings, attending periodic progress
meetings, and maintaining all necessary inspection documentation relevant to the work
conducted during construction. Construction management staff would coordinate with
the Community and Cultural Services Department regarding park activities, and with the
Public Landscape Division regarding maintenance activities on a daily basis.
Public Outreach
Due to the nature of this project, staff anticipates access interruptions to specific park
areas. To mitigate these temporary public impacts, staff will conduct comprehensive
outreach, including weekly updates on the City’s “Know Before You Go” (KBUG) web
page and in the Santa Monica Daily Press. For work requiring temporary closures of
park trails or facilities, highly visible signs would be placed at the parks to notify the
public. Staff also plan to provide mailed notices, post information on social media, and
the City’s webpage to help inform the community.
California Coastal Commission De Minimis Waiver
On November 27, 2017, the California Coastal Commission issued a Notice of “Permit
Exemption/No Permit Required” allowing for the development of the project as
described. Commission Reference Number: 5-17-0410-X. The Virginia Avenue Park
portion of the project is not located within the California Coastal Zone and therefore no
permit exemption is required.
Environmental Analysis
The project is categorically exempt from the provisions of California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301(c) and Section 15302 of the CEQA
Guidelines. Class 1 exempt projects include the "operation, repair, maintenance,
permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures,
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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."
Class 2 exempt projects include the “replacement or reconstruction of existing
structures and facilities where the new structure would be located on the same site as
the structure replaced and would have substantially the same purpose and capacity as
the structure replaced.” The project's replacement of decomposed granite for an existing
bicycle/pedestrian pathway qualifies as a Class 1 and Class 2 project exempt from
CEQA. In addition, none of the exceptions specified in Section 15300.2 of CEQA
Guidelines would apply that would preclude the use of this CEQA exemption: the project
site is not located in a sensitive environment, the project would not have a significant
effect on the environment, 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 from
CEQA.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The contract to be awarded to STL Landscape, Inc. is for an amount not to exceed
$786,500. Funds are available in the FY 2017-18 Capital Improvement Program budget
in the following accounts:
Account No. Description FY 2017-18
C019166.589000 Access Path Replacement–Palisades Park $650,000
C019169.589000 Access Path Replacement–Virginia Avenue Park $136,500
Total Funds Available $786,500
Prepared By: Tom Shahbazi, Civil Engineer
Approved
Forwarded to Council
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Attachments:
A. STL Landscape Inc - Oaks Form
REFERENCE:
Agreement No. 10632
(CCS)