Work Style. As part of this effort, we will be working closely with City staff, the community, Planning Commission, and City Council. To have an effective, stress free, and enjoyable process, you need a team that is great to work with. The Mintier Harnish team has a very approachable, collegial, and comfortable work style with our clients. We bring a great process experience and tailor it to the needs and personality of each community. We develop close, collaborative working relationships with each of our clients that last well beyond the completion of a project.
As owner of Mintier Harnish, I confirm if awarded the contract, Mintier Harnish assumes full responsibility for the entire contract, including payment of any and all charges resulting from the contract. I also agree to comply with the contract provisions outlined in the City’s sample Agreement for Consultant Services and Insurance Requirements (Attachment 1) as stated in the Request for Proposals. Neither Mintier Harnish nor our teaming partners have any past, ongoing, or potential personal, financial, and/or organizational conflicts of interest which could impede performing the work on this project as proposed.
I am authorized to bind the firm contractually on this project. Please contact me if you have any questions or need additional information at 916-446-0522 or [email protected].
I look forward to the opportunity to present this proposal and our team to you in person.
Sincerely,
Jim Harnish, JD
Principal/Owner
Experienced Project Management. I will be the Project Advisor for the General Plan Update.
I have been a planner since 1970 and have participated in the preparation of over 20 general plans. Brent Gibbons, AICP, will be the Project Director. Brent brings over a decade of planning experience and has prepared and managed multiple general plan updates.
Michael Gibbons will be the Project Manager. Michael has prepared and managed a variety of planning projects throughout California, including general plans, development codes, and design standards. He will be intimately involved in every aspect of the project.
An Excellent Team. Our teaming partners have been selected to bring the perfect mix of expertise and experience needed for this project. This team is comprised of teaming partners that we have continuously teamed with over the last 20 years. We know they are a great match for this project based on our years of experience working with each firm and their key staff members.
1. Rincon Consultants will develop the EIR and assist with analysis and policy development on a range of issues, including greenhouse gas emissions and climate change adaptation. Rincon brings extensive experience preparing general plans and related environmental impact reports (e.g., Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and Lompoc) and environmental analysis (e.g., acoustic studies, safety element analysis).
2. GHD will provide all required transportation and mobility services for the project. GHD is recognized as a local, regional, and national expert in multimodal transportation planning and in addressing SB 743 implementation (vehicle miles traveled threshold).
GHD has extensive knowledge of the City of Arroyo Grande having worked on a multitude of City projects, including the Systemic Safety Analysis Report, 2022 Pedestrian Crossing Improvements, and the 2022 General Plan Circulation Element Update.
3. The Natelson Dale Group will provide expertise in preparing the demographic, economic, and fiscal analysis needed to support the General Plan Update, including analysis of industry, retail, and housing market trends; demographic projections and jobs/housing balance; and fiscal impact analysis of land use alternatives. TNDG is currently working on a Tax-Sharing Analysis for Arroyo Grande and other cities in San Luis Obispo County.
4. Verbatim Solutions will work with our team on translation of major documents, newsletters, and public engagement materials. We have successfully teamed with them for a variety of planning projects, including general plans and housing elements. 1415 20TH STREET
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95811
(916) 446-0522
FAX (916) 446-7520
[email protected]
WWW.MINTIERHARNISH.COM
1415 20TH STREET
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95811
(916) 446-0522
FAX (916) 446-7520
[email protected]
WWW.MINTIERHARNISH.COM
2 3
Contents
1. Transmittal Letter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. Introduction and Project Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3. Technical Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4. Project Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5. Consultant Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6. Qualifications and References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7. Project Scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Two-Year Work Scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Two-Year Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Three-Year Work Scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Three-Year Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Optional Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
8. Cost Proposal (submitted under sepeate cover)
Appendix A: Detailed Resumes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 T H I S PAG E I S I NT E NT I O N A L LY L E F T B L A N K. 4 5
CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE 5
T H I S PAG E I S I NT E NT I O N A L LY L E F T B L A N K. 2 INTRODUCTION & PROJECT TEAM
INTRODUCTION
& PROJECT TEAM
INTRODUCTION
The City of Arroyo Grande is soliciting proposals from qualified consultant firms to provide professional services for the preparation of a comprehensive General Plan update, accompanying Development Code and Climate Action Plan (CAP) update, and associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Based on our review of the Request for Proposals (RFP) and years of experience, we believe Mintier Harnish is adequately suited to assist the city in this momentous effort.
We will bring the following key qualities to the City of Arroyo Grande:
GENERAL PLAN EXPERIENCE AND
INNOVATION.
Mintier Harnish, a Limited Partnership, is a small business comprised of professional planners focused on California general plan practice.
As part of this work, we constantly stay abreast of the latest State laws and planning trends and have developed tools designed to help communities update existing general plans to meet current regulations, contemporary planning practice, and incorporating appropriate technologies into our plans (e.g., interactive websites, engaging public events and pop-ups, interactive planning documents).
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
Our active, transparent, and comprehensive
engagement will produce a product that provides a
valuable guide to achieve the community’s vision for
the future.
It is this accessibility, from plan development through plan implementation, that makes our plans unique
and successful.
Our knowledge and experience in the area will help
us to hit the ground running.
We develop close, collaborative working
relationships with each of our clients that often lasts well beyond the completion of a project. We strongly
urge you to confirm this with our references.
We have carefully selected our teaming partners to
bring the perfect mix of expertise and experience to
our team. Each firm, and their staff, have worked
with us successfully on many planning projects.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
A key aspect of our team is our belief in a diverse,
equitable, and inclusionary public participation
process. We acknowledge the importance of
dismantling inequities and identifying traditionally
underrepresented or marginalized groups as part of
all community outreach efforts. As our scope of work
demonstrates, we offer a broad range of opportunities
for engagement throughout each step in the Update
process which focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Whether it is attending an innovative open house,
a community popup event, community workshop, or
stakeholder interview, our outreach methods strive to
gain the broadest engagement possible with the least
barriers as possible.
ACCESSIBILITY
Developing a great plan is important but developing
a great plan that is easy to use, easy to access, easy
to maintain, and which is representative of the entire
community is critical. Our approach includes tools
designed to make the general plan an integral part
of the community’s vision for its future. Our online
public engagement tools make community input and
feedback seamless. Our newsletters provide quick
updates on the status of the General Plan Update. Our
online resources, including custom project websites
and ESRI Story Maps, tell a graphic, and geographic,
story about the community and its future. Our process
of developing realistic and trackable implementation
strategies makes implementation seamless.
AN EXCELLENT TEAM
• Rincon Consultants will develop the EIR and
assist with analysis and policy development
on a range of issues, including greenhouse
gas emissions and climate change adaptation.
Rincon brings extensive experience preparing
general plans and related environmental impact
reports (e.g., Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Lompoc)
and environmental analysis (e.g., acoustic
studies, safety element analysis).
• GHD will provide all required transportation
and mobility services for the project. GHD is
recognized as a local, regional, and national
expert in multimodal transportation planning and
in addressing SB 743 implementation (vehicle
miles traveled threshold). GHD has extensive
knowledge of the City of Arroyo Grande having
worked on a multitude of City projects, including
the Systemic Safety Analysis Report, 2022
Pedestrian Crossing Improvements. And the
2022 General Plan circulation Element.
• The Natelson and Dale Group (TNDG) will
provide expertise in preparing the demographic,
economic, and fiscal analysis needed to support
the General Plan Update, including analysis
of industry, retail, and housing market trends;
demographic projections and jobs/housing
balance; and fiscal impact analysis of land use
alternatives. TNDG is currently working on a
Tax-Sharing Analysis for Arroyo Grande and
other cities in San Luis Obispo County.
• Verbatim Solutions will work with our team
on translation of major documents, newsletters,
and public engagement materials. We have
successfully teamed with them for a variety of
planning projects, including general plans and
housing elements.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND
EXPERIENCE
The Mintier Harnish team comes ready to start this
project, bringing an understanding of the area from
our experience in working on planning programs for
communities in the region (Lompoc, Morro Bay, Pismo
Beach, San Louis Obispo, Santa Maria, San Miguel,
and Solvang) as well as San Luis Obispo and Santa
Barbara Counties. Through this local experience, we
learned a great deal about growth and development
trends that will influence the city’s future.
EFFECTIVE WORK STYLE
As part of this Update effort, we will be working
closely with City staff, the community, Planning
Commission, and City Council. To have an effective,
stress free, and enjoyable process, you need a team
that is great to work with. The Mintier Harnish team
has a very approachable, collegial, and comfortable
work style with our clients. We bring a great process
experience and tailor it to the needs and personality of each community.
STRONG PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Mintier Harnish will lead the Update effort and will
be responsible for overall project management and
coordination:
• Jim Harnish, JD, Principal and Owner of Mintier
Harnish, will be the Project Advisor for the
City of Arroyo Grande General Plan Update.
Jim has been a planner since 1970 and has
participated in the preparation of over 20
general plans.
• Brent Gibbons, AICP, Principal Planner with
Mintier Harnish, will be the Project Director.
Brent brings over a decade of planning
experience and has prepared and managed
multiple general plan updates.
• Michael Gibbons, Project Manager with Mintier
Harnish, will be the day-to-day Project Manager
for the General Plan update. Michael has
prepared and managed a variety of planning
projects throughout California, including
general plans, development codes, and design
guidelines. He will be intimately involved in
every aspect of the project.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
MINTIER HARNISH
Role: General Plan preparation, public outreach, Development Code update, and project management
Mintier Harnish, is a Sacramento-based planning consulting firm specializing in the preparation of general plans, housing elements, development codes, and community engagement. Our mission as a firm is to help public agencies, residents, businesses, and other stakeholders plan their communities and improve their quality of life through solid research, community involvement, innovation, and policy leadership. Since our founding in 1985, we have prepared over 65 general plans, 80 housing elements, and 20 zoning codes across California. We take pride in having provided a broad range of planning services to more than 150 public agencies, law firms, and other organizations.
We are a leader in preparing implementable plans for the future that solve community policy issues. Our staff includes planning experts, each with their own unique mixture of education, training, and experience. We are all dedicated to providing the highest quality service to our clients. As one of California’s foremost planning experts, we pride ourselves on preparing plans that exceed the requirements of State law and serve as a practical guide for day-to-day decision-making. Mintier Harnish draws on its broad experience in preparing general plans for diverse communities across California and the Central Coast. We apply innovative policy solutions and practical experience to all the communities we have the pleasure of working with.
Local and Central Coast Experience
Mintier Harnish is highly familiar with land
use conditions in the Central Coast region,
having completed previous projects and/
or are currently working on projects in the
Counties of Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa
Barbara, and Ventura. This work has included
general plans, housing elements, zoning and
subdivision ordinances, specific plans, and
special planning studies.
PROJECT TEAM
At Mintier Harnish, we assemble our project teams based on staff expertise, relevant experience, and the unique needs of each project. We have assembled a highly experienced team of planners, designers, practitioners, technical specialists for the City of Arroyo Grande General Plan, Development Code and CAP update, and Environmental Impact Report. We have had the pleasure of working with these firms on a number of recent General Plan updates, and are confident this team will provide the excellence and performance that the City needs to complete this project on time, on budget, and with results that will surpass the City’s expectations.
RINCON CONSULTANTS
Role: Environmental Assessment, policy
development, and CAP update
Rincon Consultants, founded in 1994, is a multidisciplinary environmental science, planning, and engineering consulting firm that provides quality
professional services. Rincon Consultants is
experienced in urban, land use, and environmental
planning; regulatory compliance; biological resource
evaluation and habitat enhancement; identification,
evaluation, and management of cultural resources;
soil evaluation and remediation; and related studies
including problem-solving services in geology,
hydrology, and waste management.
Rincon has successfully completed General Plans and
Environmental Impact Reports for similar General Plan
efforts throughout California and has the local expertise in the region to provide exceptional services related to planning, policy development, and preparation of the
EIR for the City of Arroyo Grande General Plan.
Local and Central Coast Experience
Rincon Consultants has extensive experience
working for and coordinating with Central
Coast communities. With three Central
Cost offices, Rincon Consultants has recently
prepared EIRs for Morro Bay and Pismo
Beach, and worked with Santa Barbara
County to develop environmental programs to
address GHG emissions and Coastal Zone
issues.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
VERBATIM SOLUTIONS
Role: Translation Services
Founded in 2003, Verbatim Solutions has quickly
become a leading provider of translation services
to organizations worldwide. Verbatim Solutions
provides accurate and reliable translation services to
suit any translation, transcription, and interpretation needs from community engagement materials to
technical documents. With a professional network of
over 4,000 certified translators worldwide, Verbatim
Solutions can meet any translation request in a timely, accurate, and cost-effective manner. Verbatim Solutions offers over 150 translation languages, including:
Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hmong, and Punjabi.
THE NATELSON
DALE GROUP
Role: Economic Market Analysis
The Natelson Dale Group (TNDG) is a real estate
economic and financial consulting firm established
in 1974. TNDG serves public and private sector
clients throughout the United States in market forecasts, development feasibility studies, pro forma financial
analysis, economic development strategic plans,
general Plan economic studies and policies, and fiscal
impact analysis and modeling.
TNDG combines state-of-the-art analytical capacities
with the unique ability to craft an “implementable
vision.” In TNDG’s experience, land use plans
are most effective at transforming communities
when they are based on economically feasible
development concepts. To be “economically feasible”
in a comprehensive sense, a plan must reflect the
perspectives of all stakeholders affected by the
development process: residents, businesses and
consumers; developers and landowners; and City staff
and elected officials.
Local and Central Coast Experience
TNDG is highly familiar with economic
development conditions in the Central
Coast region, having completed previous
assignments in Arroyo Grande, San Luis
Obispo, Cambria, Nipomo, Santa Maria,
San Miguel, Paso Robles, Atascadero,
Buellton, Lompoc, Goleta, Santa Barbara,
Carpenteria, and Ventura. This work has
included economic development strategies,
real estate market studies, fiscal impact
analyses, and infrastructure financing plans.
Currently, TNDG is working on a Tax-Sharing
Analysis for Arroyo Grande and other cities in
San Luis Obispo County.
GHD
Role: Transportation and Circulation
Assessment
Established in 1928, GHD Inc. is an employee-owned
international engineering firm. GHD offers decades
of knowledge, as well as a deep understanding
of the challenges facing California and Central
Coast communities today. GHD specializes in the
development of performance metrics that support multimodal objectives and the notion of performance-based planning and programming. GHD is currently under
contract with Caltrans to assist in the update of the
Statewide Highway Safety Program.
GHD is at the forefront on implementation of SB 743
and VMT thresholds. Additionally, GHD has been
directly monitoring and participating in developing
the VMT alternative metrics, their potential effects to planning studies and impact analysis, and the required
modifications to standards and methodologies that
agencies must address.
Local and Central Coast Experience
GHD is a leader in engineering on the Central
Coast and has successfully worked with the
City of Arroyo Grande on a multitude of
projects. These projects include the 2021
Circulation Element update, City of Arroyo
Grande Systemic Safety Analysis Report,
and 2022 Pedestrian Crossing Improvement
project.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
3 TECHNICAL APPROACH
TECHNICAL
APPROACH
PROJECT
UNDERSTANDING
A comprehensive update of the City of Arroyo Grande General Plan is overdue to address current demographics, compliance with State law, and contemporary planning issues. The City’s last comprehensive update of the General Plan was completed in 2001. Since then, the City has updated various elements on as-needed basis (e.g., Economic Element, Housing Element, Circulation Element). However, a new visioning document is needed to define the City’s current and long-range planning goals for the next 20 years and beyond.
To this end, the City of Arroyo Grande is seeking a qualified consultant to assist the City with the preparation of a comprehensive update to the Arroyo Grande General Plan, and accompanying update to the Development Code and Climate Action Plan (CAP).
The consultant must also prepare the environmental analysis of the update and amendments in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and incorporate principals from the City’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Policy.
Based on our reading of the Request for Proposals (RFP), staff responses to questions about the RFP, and review of the existing City General Plan and Development Code, we understand that to be successful, the Project must address the following considerations:
14 15
CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
Highly Qualified Consultant Team
The City is seeking a consultant team with the
necessary resources, expertise, experience, and
knowledge to prepare all necessary documents and
services to comprehensively update the City of Arroyo
Grande General Plan. The City also expects the
consultant to be a technical leader in the field with
strong analytical expertise; sufficient knowledge and
experience to meet the complex set of California’s
general plan requirements with a focus on Arroyo
Grande’s needs and circumstances; and a strong
track record of delivering plans that are ready for
implementation. As part of this update Project, the
City expects the consultant to technically update the
Development Code and CAP in compliance with the
updated General Plan; analyze current and future
trends, including changes in consumer and workplace
behaviors, and other local and regional trends that
impact local land use and the economy (e.g., Diablo
Canyon Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning).
Finally, the City expects the consultant to have strong project management and communication skills.
Facilitate Robust Public Outreach
The City expects the consultant to develop and
implement a well-defined, inclusive, and robust public
outreach strategy. A robust public outreach program
based on the City’s DEIJ Policy will be a key element
to the engagement strategy and overall General
Plan update. The consultant should prepare and
implement an engagement effort that is inclusive of
all voices and that generates community investment in
the process. A successful engagement strategy will
make considerations to accommodate residents with
non-traditional work schedules, language barriers, and
accessibility barriers to obtain comments and input that represent all community members.
Prepare a Contemporary General Plan that
Complies with State Planning Law
The City expects the consultant to prepare a General
Plan that responds to current community needs and
is consistent with State law. While the City recently
updated the Circulation Element and Housing Element,
the General Plan has not been comprehensively
updated in 20 years. During that time, there have
been significant changes in general plan requirements
and State law, particularly related to safety elements
and environmental justice. In response, the City
anticipates the preparation of a new Environmental
Justice Element and update to the existing Safety
Element. The City also expects the Economic
Development Element to be updated to reflect new
economic considerations, including the status of the
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning.
The Agriculture, Conservation, and Open Space
Element should be updated, and a review of the
Housing Element will be necessary to ensure internal
document consistency.
*
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Establish a Vision
As part of the General Plan update process, the City
expects the consultant to solicit public input to develop a vision statement. The vision statement will guide
the update, identify community strengths, recognize
priorities for future development, and address areas
for improvement. Using the tenants of the City’s DEIJ
Policy, the visioning process should be inclusive for all members of the community and should educate the
community about the principles of land use planning.
Prepare an Environmental Impact Report
and Climate Action Plan
The City expects the consultant to prepare an
Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR should
include comprehensive analysis of areas where
significant projects are likely to be in the future and make considerations for these projects to streamline
the future environmental review process. This includes
the preparation and distribution of all required
technical elements such as a Notice of Preparation,
Scoping Meetings, the Draft EIR and public comment
period, preparing responses to comments, Statement
of Facts and Findings, and potentially a Statement
of Overriding Considerations, Final EIR, and Notice
of Determination. The City also expects the EIR to
identify major points of intersection with the General
Plan so that the CEQA process is integrated into the
planning process and inform development of the
General Plan itself. Additionally, the EIR must facilitate implementation of the General Plan, by streamlining
and tiering of subsequent environmental review of
projects where feasible that are consistent with the
General Plan. Finally, the City expects the consultant
to provide an update of the Climate Action Plan (CAP)
to assure ongoing compliance with CEQA and allow
streamlining of future development projects.
Update the Development Code
Following approval of the General Plan and
certification of the EIR, the City expects the consultant to prepare amendments to the City Development Code
necessary to provide consistency between the Land
Use and Housing Elements of the General Plan and the
zoning ordinance. This update will also address any
potential expansions of the City’s Sphere of Influence
(SOI), the development of objective design standards,
and creation of a East Grand Avenue Corridor overlay
district.
Prepare an Implementation Monitoring Plan
The City expects the consultant to develop a General
Plan implementation monitoring plan to ensure
compliance and progress towards the Plan goals and
objectives. The monitoring plan must identify methods
for implementation of policies and programs and
staffing required to carry out the implementation plan. 16 17
CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
TECHNICAL
APPROACH
Updating a General Plan represents a unique
opportunity for communities to define or refine their
vision for the future, consider the implications of certain policies, and create a framework that will help achieve the desired vision. In Arroyo Grande, this process
will be driven by its diverse and informed citizens,
the Planning Commission, and the City Council. City
staff will support the process through a broad range
of actions, including technical and policy advice, and
managing and directing the work of the Consultant
Team.
The role and responsibility of the Consultant Team is to assist the City with making their important decisions. It is not the Consultant’s place to tell the City what is best for their future but to help provide the information to allow informed choices to be made. Our success, as
your General Plan consultant, should be measured by
how effective we are in facilitating a comprehensive
discussion of the important issues facing the community and how we help the community reach an educated
consensus on its vision for the future. Along the way,
our broad experience, technical knowledge of what
various futures might hold, and understanding about
what ideas other communities have found effective can
help the City make the best decisions to meet Arroyo
Grande’s projected needs and desired vision.
The Minter Harnish Team will help the City create an
innovative, inclusive, compelling plan – a road map to
greater prosperity and quality of life in Arroyo Grande.
We will help the City develop a Plan that capitalizes
on its assets, addresses its challenges, and address its desires for the future. There are 11 important elements of our approach that will help achieve that objective:
01 - Assemble a Highly Qualified General
Plan Team
Mintier Harnish, the team leader, specializes in
general plan updates, having prepared over 65
general plan updates in our 37 years of public service.
In order to provide all the services required by the
City in its General Plan update RFP, we assembled a
highly qualified General Plan Team for this momentous
project. Our Team includes:
Rincon Consultants is a leading environmental firm
specializing in climate change, GHG emission
reduction, air quality, and hazards and safety. They
have been active at the State and regional levels in
developing analytical standards and guidelines for
addressing GHG emissions and the effects of climate
change. Rincon is teaming or has teamed with Mintier
Harnish on over 10 general plan updates.
GHD specializes in transportation planning and
engineering services since 1985. GHD will provide
all required transportation and mobility services for the project. GHD is recognized as a local, regional, and
national expert in multimodal transportation planning
and in addressing SB 743 implementation (vehicle
miles traveled threshold).
The Natelson Dale Group (TNDG), our economist, has
been assisting local government with economic and
fiscal analysis for 40 years. They have teamed and
are teaming with Mintier Harnish on several general
plan updates. TNDG has worked with cities and
counties throughout California to address economic,
employment, and fiscal issues unique to each
jurisdiction.
Verbatim Solutions will provide translation services.
They are leaders in translation, transcription, and
interpretation services. We have teamed with
Verbatim Solutions on planning projects throughout
California, including general plans, housing elements,
development codes, and special land use studies.
02 - Establish Effective Communication and
Strong Working Relationships
Close collaboration with City staff is an essential part of our approach. While our team has unparalleled
experience with general plan updates in California,
City staff possess the detailed knowledge of the City’s social and political environment, day-to-day operations, and decision-making process. Throughout the Update,
we will maintain close communication through regularly
scheduled calls and meetings and form an integrated
staff/consultant project team. In addition, the Planning Commission, and City Council will be fully involved
in critical milestones of the Update project, providing direction or affirmation at key decision points.
03 - Provide Options and Choices
The City indicated it has budgeted approximately
$500,000 for the General Plan update. Additionally,
the City requested that each proposal for services for
the General Plan update include a two-year and threeyear project schedule. To assist the City in meeting both the budgetary and schedule considerations, we
will work with City staff to identify and select essential tasks as well as optional tasks (or expanded tasks).
We have included these optional tasks throughout our
proposed work scope and have included cost estimates
for each in the separately attached cost proposals.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
05. Identify
Needed
Changes
06. Gather
and Analyze
City Data 01. Assemble a Highly
Qualified General Plan Team
02. Establish Effective Communication
and Strong Working Relationships
04. Design and Implement a Robust
Community Engagement Program
09. Develop
an Innovative
General Plan 07. Visioning
08. Analyze Land Use and
Policy Alternatives
10. Prepare the Environmental
Impact Report
11. Formulate a
Feasible Implementation
and Monitoring
Program
04 - Design and Implement a Robust Public
Outreach Strategy
Throughout the Update, we will facilitate an effective
public outreach strategy based on the City’s DEIJ
Policy that has three key components: education
and information; engagement and interaction; and
validation and direction. Education and information
include a Project website, project logo/branding,
e-blasts, social media posts, press releases, newsletters, and informational handouts. Engagement and
interaction may include community workshops, online
opinion surveys, pop-up events, and “town hall” style
events. Validation and direction will include Planning
Commission and City Council study sessions and
public hearings. With assistance from City staff, we
will create a public outreach strategy that dismantles
inequities; identifies traditionally underrepresented
groups in the city; addresses community engagement
barriers; and that equitably address the opinions and
desires of all community members. We will also
actively engage with local and regional community
groups throughout the Update, such as Chamber of
Commerce, Diversity Coalition of SLO County, and
R.A.C.E. Matters.
05 - Identify Needed Changes
Using our proprietary General Plan Audit Tool, we will
work with City staff early on to evaluate every General Plan goal, policy, and implementation program. City
Staff will determine what aspects of the General Plan to retain, which to remove, and what to improve. Based
on that evaluation, we will strip out or modify Plan
contents and then facilitate a series of work sessions
with staff to identify new Plan content.
06 - Gather and Analyze City Data
We will conduct research and analyze data and
trends on a range of topics relevant to the General
Plan update. These topics include, but are not limited
to, land use, population, employment and housing,
circulation and transportation, biological and cultural resources, economics, infrastructure and public
services, hazards and safety, and social justice. This
step will represent the first opportunity for widespread community engagement and participation. From our
research and the information received during the initial public outreach efforts, we will produce an Existing
Conditions and Trends Workbook. The Workbook
will also identify the significant community assets,
opportunities, issues, and concerns. The Workbook
will serve as the Existing Setting section for the General Plan EIR.
07 - Visioning
Early in the General Plan update process, we will
spend time with the community and decision-makers
understanding their issues, hopes, and expectations
and work with City staff to translate that understanding into a vision for the future. The vision statement
will guide the overall General Plan update, identify
community strengths, recognize priorities for future
development, and address areas for improvement.
Using the tenants of the City’s DEIJ Policy, the visioning process will be inclusive for all citizens and will
educate the community about the principles of land use
planning.
08 - Analyze Land Use and Policy
Alternatives
We could facilitate a robust analysis of land use and
policy alternatives to help the community and decisionmakers understand the range of possibilities and make informed choices about future growth, land use, and
appropriate policies to implement those choices. The
alternatives analysis is one of the optional tasks we will outline in greater detail.
09 - Develop an Innovative General Plan
We will prepare a long-lasting, flexible General
Plan that can respond to the changing world. The
General Plan will include the State-mandated elements
(excluding the Housing Element), the optional
elements adopted by the City (e.g., Parks and
Recreation Element), as well as a new Environmental
Justice Element. If selected for the General Plan
Update project, we can work with City staff to
identify additional optional elements that could be
incorporated. All documents will be user-friendly
through clear writing and strategic use of graphics and photos to illustrate concepts and policies. We will
prepare executive summaries of key information when
more detail is required for legal or technical purposes and a user guide to clearly explain how to use the
General Plan.
10 - Prepare the Environmental Impact
Report
We will prepare an EIR that evaluates the potential
physical impacts of the General Plan goals, policies,
and programs. While we always strive to prepare
a self-mitigating general plan, the environmental
analysis may identify policy or program modifications
or additions necessary to mitigate potential impacts to a less-than-significant level. It is during this step where we could assist the City in updating the City’s Climate Action Plan.
11 - Formulate a Feasible Implementation
and Monitoring Program
One of the hallmarks of our general plans is an
emphasis on implementation. Preparing a general
plan is nothing more than an academic exercise if
it sits on the shelf. Consequently, a key focus of our
approach to preparing general plans is ensuring that
the final product is implementable. The General Plan
will provide clear direction regarding how programs or
policies will be implemented, who will be responsible
for the implementation, and what the time frame is for
implementation. We will work with staff to develop
measurable indicators of successful implementation, as
well as an annual progress monitoring program.
03. Provide Options
and Choices
See Section 7 – Project Scope for an itemized
description (by phase and task) of the final work
products to be produced.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
T H I S PAG E I S I NT E NT I O N A L LY L E F T B L A N K. 4 PROJECT MANAGEMENT
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
We take project management seriously. Effective project management can make the difference in the success of a general plan update.
Ineffective project management can doom a project. While project management may not be as creative or rewarding as public outreach or policy development, it is every bit as essential to the success of a planning project. The same holds true for the Arroyo Grande General Plan update.
We prioritize effective project management in every project we have the pleasure of working on. We do this because we know that most general plan updates are complex projects involving a large consultant team, City staff, elected and appointed officials, and hundreds of residents, business owners, and special interest groups.
To be effective managers, we establish key objectives, approaches, tools, and procedures for every general plan update we lead.
Here is our basic guidebook:
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE 23
PROJECT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES:
Stay on Schedule. It is very easy for a general plan update that includes extensive community engagement, dozens of meetings, broad community involvement, numerous staff, and a large consultant team to quickly fall behind schedule.
Manage the Budget. Again, a multitude of participants, unanticipated demands, and additional meetings all can contribute to budget creep.
Frequent Client Communication. Perhaps the single most important component of effective project management is regular communication between the Consultant and staff.
Quality Control. We strive to produce results that are of the highest quality, internally consistent, and completely satisfy our clients.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH:
Facilitate a kick-off meeting with County staff and the consultant team to discuss the project work scope, schedule, budget, and communication protocols.
Identify the roles and responsibilities of key staff and consultants.
Identify the core project management team and establish a schedule for recurring check-in conference calls and face-to-face meetings.
Weekly or bi-weekly project management meetings to discuss deliverables and upcoming tasks.
Provide monthly project status reports.
OBJECTIVES TOOLS & PROCEDURES
APPROACH
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
AND PROCEDURES:
Standardized file naming protocols and consistent e-mail subject line project naming
E-mail copying protocols to assure accurate and transparent team communication
Standardized document format and style guide
Conference call agendas and action minutes
Data needs lists and document review checklists
General plan audit and community engagement guides/checklists Internal Project Management Tools
While we have many front-end tools and procedures that ensure effective project management with our clients, at Mintier Harnish we also have internal tools that assist us with day-to-day, internal project management.
One of these tools is Asana. Asana is a workplace content management system designed to help us stay organized and streamline projects. Asana is just one of the many ways we ensure that projects are completed on time and within the budget.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
5 CONSULTANT STAFF
CONSULTANT STAFF
Our core management team brings experience from the successful management of dozens of general plans in California. This team will be responsible for carrying out all of the tasks and overseeing the preparation of all major work products. This section highlights the experience of key personnel assigned to the Arroyo Grande General Plan update. A description of each firm and its role can be found in Section 2: Introduction and Project Team. We have included our detailed resumes in Appendix A: Detailed Resumes. The amount of time key personnel will be involved in the respective portions of the project is shown in the Budget Proposal (submitted under separate cover in compliance with the Request for Proposals).
CORE MANAGEMENT TEAM
27 Michael Gibbons
Project Manager
Mintier Harnish
Brent Gibbons, AICP
Project Director
Mintier Harnish
Jim Harnish, JD
Project Advisor
Mintier Harnish
Todd Tregenza, AICP
Mobility Task Lead
GHD
Matt Maddox, AICP
CEQA Task Lead
Rincon Consultants
Roger Dale
Economic Task Lead
TNDG
We have included our resumes in
Appendix A: Detailed Resumes.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
Brent Gibbons, AICP, Principal Planner
Role: Project Director
Brent Gibbons, AICP, is a Principal Planner who specializes in comprehensive planning projects including general plans, zoning codes, urban design standards and guidelines, and housing elements. Brent has a holistic view of planning having both worked for local municipalities and currently as a long-range planning consultant. Brent’s approach to planning is multi-faceted and includes a strong focus on community engagement and interaction in the planning process to ensure all voices are heard. He actively works to foster educational opportunities on all his projects to ensure communities, elected officials, and local staff have a better understanding of planning practice and how it affects them. Brent is currently one of the leading planners in the State on drafting, updating, and managing zoning codes, and is consistently on the forefront of bringing new and innovative ideas to this practice area.
Brent has managed over currently is managing planning related projects across California. Brent has or is currently managing General Plans for Solvang, Susanville, Lompoc, Los Gatos, Millbrae, Pleasant Hill, and Ukiah, as well as Zoning Code Updates for Selma, Santa Clara, Windsor, and Ukiah. Brent currently co-teaches a course at University of California at Davis on zoning and development regulations, and how to comprehensively update your zoning code.
Jim Harnish, JD, Principal/Owner
Role: Project Advisor
Jim Harnish, JD, is the Principal/Owner of Mintier Harnish and will be the Project Advisor. Jim has been a planner and project manager since 1970. He has been an attorney since 1981, with extensive experience in land use and CEQA. Jim has been Planning Director for three cities (Galt, Folsom, and South San Francisco) and understands every aspect of city and county planning and zoning.
Jim has managed or is currently managing general plan updates for the cities of Alturas, Folsom, Galt, Hayward, Healdsburg, Isleton, Millbrae, Pleasant Hill, Sacramento, San Ramon, Solvang, South San Francisco, Ukiah, Union City, Wheatland, and Windsor, and the counties of Calaveras, Fresno, Merced, Modoc, San Benito, San Joaquin, and Ventura. Jim is currently managing or recently managed zoning code updates or amendments for the cities of Santa Clara, South Lake Tahoe, Ukiah, and Windsor and the counties of Fresno, Mariposa, Merced, and Sierra. Jim has an unparalleled working knowledge of general plan updates and has prepared dozens of general plan work programs and budgets.
MINTIER HARNISH
Michael Gibbons, Project Manager
Role: Project Manager
Michael Gibbons is a Project Manager with Mintier Harnish and will serve as the Project Manager for the Arroyo Grande General Plan update. Michael manages and acts as the day-to-day project lead for a variety of long-range planning projects including general plans, zoning codes, subdivisions ordinances, and special planning studies. He specializes in land use planning, zoning regulations, community engagement, urban design, historic preservation, design standards, and working with disadvantaged communities. Michael brings a unique perspective to all his projects having worked in both the public and private sectors, as well as in law enforcement. Through this lens, Michael understands the vital role that planning has in addressing the ever-changing needs of communities and the importance of creating plans that are user-friendly and implementable.
Michael is currently managing and/or assisting with the preparation of the City of Livingston General Plan, Trinity County General Plan, Siskiyou County General Plan, City of San Ramon General Plan, City of Hayward Residential Objective Design Standards, Mariposa County Development Code, Town of Windsor Zoning Code Amendments, City of Gilroy General and Zoning Code, City of Kerman Zoning Code, and City of Reedley Zoning Code and Subdivision Ordinance.
Nikki Zanchetta, Planner
Role: Planner
Nikki Zanchetta is a Planner with Mintier Harnish. She specializes in housing policy and planning, community development, community engagement, public policy, regional planning, and land use planning. Her experience includes Sustainable Communities Strategies, interpreting housing policy and law, drafting housing and land use documents, community engagement, and creating regional programs to accelerate the production of affordable housing. Nikki has a strong background in writing both technical and public facing planning documents and emphasizes writing styles that allow complicated planning concepts to be easily understandable by various audiences. Nikki holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from San Diego State University and Bachelor’s Degree in Community & Regional Development and Minor in Professional Writing from UC Davis. 28 29
CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
Matt Maddox, AICP,
Principal
Role: Environmental
Assessment Task Manager
Matt Maddox, AICP has over
15 years of experience and
is involved in a wide range
of urban planning and land
use studies, sustainable,
resilient and adaptation policy development, air
quality and greenhouse gas analysis, CEQA/NEPA
environmental documentation, as well as community
involvement and permitting activities. Matt has a
strong background in long range planning, policy,
and environmental planning. He has contributed to
successful environmental and planning projects ranging
from general plans to focused inner city redevelopment
studies, to climate action and adaptation plans and
documentation for compliance with environmental
regulations, to greenhouse gas emissions analysis for
industrial facilities. Matt has developed a focus in
the area of urban planning, sustainable design and
resiliency policy, and greenhouse gas analysis.
Chris Bersbach, MESM
Role: Environmental
Assessment
Chris Bersbach manages
and prepares CEQA and
NEPA documentation in the
California central coast region
and technical air quality,
greenhouse gas emissions,
and noise analyses for public agencies and private
sector clients throughout California. He has 15
years of planning experience with an emphasis on
environmental planning and technical environmental
analysis. His experience includes a wide range of
technical environmental and planning studies, including land and infrastructure development projects, urban
redevelopment projects, general plans and specific
plans, solar power facilities and other energy projects, waste and wastewater management facilities, and
other long-range planning projects.
Matthew Jumamoy, Planner
Role: Planner
Matthew is a Planner with Mintier Harnish. He specializes in housing elements and designing informative municipal websites. Matthew is an advocate for affordable housing with notable experience promoting accessory dwelling unit expansion in the City of San Jose. Matthew believes in a holistic community-based approach to planning and enjoys working with and learning from community stakeholders of diverse backgrounds. Matthew graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies with a focus on Environmental Sustainability and has an interest in the interrelated nature of transit opportunity, wealth inequality, and environmental sustainability. Matthew has contributed to the general plans for the cities of Ukiah, Rohnert Park, Millbrae, and American Canyon. He has also contributed significantly to the 6th cycle housing elements of Solvang, Pleasant Hill, and St. Helena.
RINCON CONSULTANTS
Lexi Journey, MESM
Role: Environmental
Assessment
Lexi Journey is a Senior
Environmental Planner with
Rincon’s Environmental and
Land Use Planning Group.
Lexi’s experience includes
project management, planning
policy analyses, technical analyses, and outreach for
assignments such as General Plans, Community Plans,
CAPs, and Local Coastal Plans as well as CEQA
environmental assessments. She has managed various
projects including the Port Hueneme General Plan
Update, Avila Community Plan, Local Oxnard Coastal
Plan Update, and the County of Santa Barbara Climate
Action Plan. Her passions and specialties are climate
vulnerability and adaptation, community engagement,
and environmental justice. She uses her wide breadth
of planning expertise to teach Principles and Practice
of Environmental Planning at the Bren School of
Environmental Science & Management during the fall
quarter.
Ryan Russell
Role: Environmental
Assessment
Ryan Russell is a Senior Planner
within Rincon’s Environmental
and Land Use Planning
group. Ryan’s experience
includes project management,
environmental analysis,
stakeholder and community outreach, planning and
policy development for long range plans, entitlement
processing, and public presentations. Ryan has
experience with all aspects of the environmental review process including preparing CEQA documents such as
Initial Studies, IS-MNDs, complex programmatic and
project-level EIRs. Ryan has managed and supported
environmental analysis of numerous long-range
planning documents such as Port Hueneme General
Plan and Housing Element and EIR, City of Lompoc
Housing Element and associated CEQA analysis, and
Paso Robles Olson South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan
EIR.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
Todd Tregenza, AICP
Role: Mobility Task Manager
Todd Tregenza has 15 years
of professional experience in
various areas of transportation
consulting with an emphasis
on transportation planning
projects. He has assisted
dozens of agencies on
short and long-range planning efforts, including the
development of travel demand models, general plan
circulation elements, specific plans and master plans,
corridor studies, capital improvement programs, nexus
and fee studies, transportation operational analysis,
and impact analyses. His experience spans public and
private sector work for a broad range of projects that
require circulation, safety, and operational analysis
from a transportation perspective. Todd also has
extensive experience as an On-Call transportation
planner for local agencies, assisting in the preparation of transportation studies and grant applications,
performing peer reviews of impact studies, and
developing CEQA impact analyses for development
projects of all sizes.
Colin Burgett
Role: Mobility Assessment
Colin has over two decades
of professional experience
with expertise in multimodal
transportation and integrated
transportation/land use
planning. He specializes in
strategic planning for largescale projects, including citywide transportation plans, large area plans, campus plans, bicycle and
pedestrian master plans, EIR transportation studies,
vehicle miles traveled (VMT) policy development and
assessments, bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor studies,
and transit station area plans.
Colin has extensive experience with projects that
emphasize corridor revitalization, transit-oriented
development, and complete streets planning. He
manages projects that place a strong emphasis on
facilitating the interactions between transportation
systems, land use patterns and urban design
components.
GHD
Rosanna Southern, EIT
Role: Mobility Assessment
Rosanna Southern is a transportation engineer with 10 years of experience who specializes in traffic engineering and transportation planning, assisting dozens of agencies on short and long-range planning efforts, including the development of travel demand models, general plan circulation elements, traffic impact fee studies, corridor studies, and complete street plans. Rosanna provides multi-modal operational analysis and traffic impact studies for a variety of projects aimed at analyzing traffic operations. The support she provides includes utilizing various software, such as VISSIM, Synchro, SimTraffic, Sidra, HCS, TransCAD, and Cube.
Roger A. Dale, Managing
Principal
Role: Economic Development
and Assessment Task Manager
Roger Dale has been
affiliated with TNDG for
32 years (since 1988) and
currently serves as the firm’s
managing principal. His
background encompasses the fields of real estate
development, economic development, regional
economic analysis, environmental and land use policy,
financial forecasting, and renewable energy. His
project experience with TNDG includes real estate
market forecasting, pro forma financial analysis,
affordable housing strategies, demographic research
and modeling, fiscal impact analysis, cost/benefit
assessment, redevelopment/ revitalization strategies,
business retention/attraction, workforce development
program assessments, and preparation of regionalscale economic development strategic plans.
THE NATELSON DALE GROUP
Joseph E. McClure, Senior Associate
Role: Economic Development and Assessment
Joseph McClure has served as principal or manager of land economics research and advisory-services organizations for over 35 years. Joe’s multidisciplinary background incorporates many phases of the community and real estate development process:
economic analysis and strategy development, market and financial feasibility assessment, and planning and design. He completed additional post‑graduate work in economic geography at UA. He is a registered architect in Arizona. Joe’s organizational affiliations include the Western Regional Science Association, the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED). He helps coordinate the firm’s technical focus on regional/land economic services and creative activities within the firm that include promoting innovation in community development strategic planning and fiscal and economic impact assessments. He has served both private developers and public agencies at all levels of government, for projects in small and large cities, undeveloped and heavily developed regions, and regions with special demographic and cultural characteristics.
Alan Levenson, Senior
Associate
Role: Economic Development
and Assessment
Alan Levenson has been
affiliated with TNDG for 20
years. His areas of expertise
include economic development
strategic planning, regional
economic analysis, fiscal impact analysis, retail market evaluation, and real estate development feasibility
assessment. He has completed over 80 economic
impact studies as part of CEQA/NEPA processes,
and has been involved in range of complex fiscal and
economic impact studies for residential and mixed-use
development projects. He has also been a principal
participant in the preparation of a number of economic
development strategic plans, many of which have
featured tourism as a targeted economic activity.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
PROJECT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
City of Arroyo Grande
Mintier Harnish
General Plan
Community Outreach
Development Code
Brent Gibbons
Michael Gibbons
Nikki Zanchetta
Matthew Jumamoy
DKS Associates
General Plan
Mobility
Todd Tregenza
Colin Burget
Rosanna Southern
Verbatim Solutions
Translation Services
Project Management &
Team Lead
Jim Harnish, Project Advisor
Brent Gibbons, Project Director
Michael Gibbons, Project Manager
Rincon Consultants
General Plan
Environmental
Matt Maddox
Chris Bersbach
Lexi Journey
Ryan Russell
The Natelson Dale
Group
General Plan
Economics
Roger Dale
Joseph E. McClure
Alan Levenson
PROVEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Our team regularly initiates proven engagement
methods that are innovative, interactive, inclusive,
and that solicit feedback from a broad spectrum of
individuals. We collectively have over 70 years of
experience implementing engagement in both inperson and virtual platforms. We also specialize in outreach to underserved populations with tools and
outreach programs dedicated to reaching members
with limited access to computers and language
barriers. Our team has tried and true community
engagement methods including speakers’ series
(TED-Style Talks), visioning workshop exercises,
interactive multi-day planning charettes, and engaging
approaches to identifying issues and opportunities.
IMMERSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR
COMMUNITIES
When we come to the city for meetings, our entire
time and focus is dedicated to this project. From
early morning until late at night, we are living
and working in the city. We experience the area
in ways that other firms miss. These multiple day
trips give us the flexibility to easily add meetings,
staff Pop-up events, update stakeholders and City
leadership, and visit key issue areas. This approach
has proven a great way to become part of the
community and to gain the community’s trust. It makes
our plans insightful. It makes our plans reflect the
vision of the City. It makes our plans successful!
EXPERIENCE WITH MULTI-LINGUAL
COMMUNITIES
California is a cornucopia, a melting pot of sorts,
having the most diverse population within in the
U.S. With this comes challenges regarding proper
outreach and engagement channels to ensure all
are included in predominately non-English speaking
areas. Our team has experience collaborating
with jurisdictions across California implementing
plans in multi-lingual communities and providing
materials, notices, and deliverables in a multitude
of languages. In some cases, we have partnered
with local community groups to provide in-person
translation as well. Some of the languages we have
folded into our plans include Spanish, Mandarin,
Tagalog, Hmong, Japanese, and Punjabi.
CREATION OF CONCISE, READABLE,
AND USER-FRIENDLY DOCUMENTS
Planning documents tend to collect dust on a shelf
and over time in some communities are never fully
implemented. It is our mission as a team to create
concise, readable, and user-friendly documents
that are regularly referred to and implemented. We
ensure our plans are highly-graphical, approachable,
and accessible in a multitude of languages and
platforms. For Arroyo Grande we have included
streamlined efficient documents including the
Existing Conditions and Trends Workbook.
35 MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
34 CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE WHY SELECT THE MINTIER HARNISH TEAM?
We feel there are several features of our team that make us the right choice for the Arroyo Grande Plan Update. Based on the City’s request for proposals and our knowledge of the community, we have assembled a team of firms and individuals that is tailored specifically for this project and the City of Arroyo Grande. Our team is uniquely positioned for this effort based on specialized areas of knowledge and expertise. Below highlights some of the specialized areas of knowledge that we have developed through our 37 years of experience with the close relationships of our teaming partners.
6 QUALIFICATIONS & REFERENCES
QUALIFICATIONS
& REFERENCES
We recognize that general plans greatly impact the lives of those who live, work, and own property in a community. Today, more than ever, city policies and regulations have a profound influence on housing supply and affordability. We pride ourselves on preparing general plans, housing elements, and zoning codes that exceed the requirements of State law and serve as a practical guide for day-today decision-making. Mintier Harnish and our team for this project draw on our years of broad experience in preparing general plans for diverse communities across California. We are able to apply innovative policy solutions and practical experience to the communities we work in.
The following projects are relevant examples of the proposed update to the Arroyo Grande General Plan as outlined in this proposal. All projects noted below include a multi-disciplinary team and are multifaceted, with most including a development code update and EIR in conjunction with the general plan.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Mintier Harnish and the firms included on our team do not have any actual, apparent, or potential conflicts of interest related to the performance of this work.
Mintier Harnish and the firms included on our team do not have any financial, business, or other relationship with the City of Arroyo Grande that would impact the outcome of this contract. Furthermore, Mintier Harnish and the firms included on our team do not currently have any clients who have a financial interest in the outcome of the Arroyo Grande General Plan Update or projects that may follow its completion, nor do we have any financial interest or relationship with any owner or developer that has future improvements within the city or surrounding area.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
The City of San Luis Obispo is located in the Central Coast region of California and has been ranked as the “Happiest City” in the U.S. by a number of publications. This ranking is based on the excellent planning that continues to shape the community.
Known for its Downtown and historic beauty, the city is a bicyclefriendly town and provides opportunities for cultural, business, and recreational use. The development of the updated Land Use and Circulation Elements (LUCE) and reformatting and integreation of the remaining General Plan was developed using a planning process that included an extensive public participation program. This program included six community workshops, 34 citizen task force meetings, an extensive project website, media outreach, community organization briefings, and an email eBlast list of over 1,500 community members. The project also included the conduct of a citywide opinion survey and use of the MindMixer platform to engage the community in an interactive online “townhall” where ideas on opportunities and challenges, and alternatives development were discussed.
SAN LUIS OBISPO LAND USE AND
CIRCULATION ELEMENT (LUCE) UPDATE
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2012 to 2014
• Contract Agency:
City of San Luis Obispo
919 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA
• Agency Contact:
Derek Johnson
City Manager
805.781.7112
[email protected]
TOWN OF WINDSOR
Mintier Harnish successfully led a multi-disciplinary consulting team to prepare the Town of Windsor General Plan. The Update focused on engaging the community, revitalizing infill areas, implementing a vision for the Civic Center, and managing projected growth within the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). Key issues included: balancing increased tourism with the family-oriented community character; accommodating much-needed new housing while preserving the unique, small-town character and feel; and introducing nodes of mixed-use development along the Old Redwood Highway Corridor.
The General Plan and Program EIR were adopted in April 2018.
Prior to preparing the General Plan, Mintier Harnish prepared the Town of Windsor 5th cycle Housing Element.
Mintier Harnish is currently assisting the Town of Windsor with the research, analysis, and development of objective multifamily residential design and development standards that will streamline multi-family housing and production in the Town. We are developing new standards and permit processing provisions to incentivize missing middle housing production in new development projects.
Mintier Harnish recently started a technical Zoning Code update for the Town focusing on housing increases and incentivizing housing production.
GENERAL PLAN, HOUSING ELEMENT, OBJECTIVE DESIGN
STANDARDS, AND ZONING CODE UPDATE
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2014 to 2015: Housing Element
2014 to 2018: General Plan
2017 to present: Zoning Code
• Contract Agency:
Town of Windsor
9291 Old Redwood Highway
Windsor, CA
• Agency Contact:
Kimberly Jordan
Planner III
707.838.7349
[email protected]
Personnel: Jim Harnish, Brent Gibbons
Personnel: Jim Harnish, Brent Gibbons,
Michael Gibbons
38 39
CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
CITY OF FOLSOM
Mintier Harnish worked with the City of Folsom on an update to the Folsom General Plan. The City’s General Plan was last comprehensively updated in 1988. The city has changed
dramatically since then, not only in total population but in the nature of the community. Folsom has transformed from a small suburban community into a vibrant, urbanizing mid-sized city. The 2035 General Plan incorporates a new vision for the City of Folsom. It encourages the development of mixed-use districts along East Bidwell Street and transit-oriented development at the City’s light rail stations.
The Plan promotes complete streets and changes to the City’s level of service policy. The General Plan was adopted August 30, 2018.
As a follow-up on the Project, Mintier Harnish was retained in 2019 to lead the comprehensive update of the City’s Zoning Code. Key features of the update include implementing new mixed-use land use designations, developing objective multifamily residential design standards, preparing ADU provisions consistent with State law, streamlining development approvals, and overhauling the historic district design and development standards, The project includes four days of stakeholder interviews, community workshops, and multiple study sessions with the Historic District Commission, Planning Commission, and City Council.
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, EIR, AND COMPREHENSIVE
ZONING CODE UPDATE
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2012 to 2018: General Plan
2019 to present: Zoning Code
• Contract Agency:
City of Folsom
50 Natoma Street
Folsom, CA
• Agency Contact:
Scott Johnson, AICP
Planning Manager
916.355.7223
[email protected]
CITY OF PLEASANT HILL
Mintier Harnish began the Pleasant Hill General Plan Update in April 2019. The project is still (as of December 2022) in progress. The project includes the development of several documents, including an existing conditions and trends workbook, issues and opportunities summary, vision and guiding principles, alternatives analysis and report, policy document (which includes goals, policies, and implementation programs). Community engagement is also a large part of the project. Engagement activities include regular newsletter releases, the use of project branding through developing a logo and style, facilitation of GPAC meetings, joint study sessions with the Planning Commission and City Council, community workshops, and pop-up booths at community events and festivals.
Mintier Harnish has facilitated multi-day Planning and Design Workshops that included nightly presentations, an urban design charrette, and community walking tours. Mintier Harnish is also partnering with enCodePlus to provide the City with a web-based General Plan and Zoning Code on the enCodePlus platform.
Based on the ongoing success of the Update, the City of Pleasant Hill contracted with Mintier Harnish to prepare the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element, Objective Design Standards, and Zoning Code Update as part of the General Plan Update. The overall General Plan Update is scheduled for completion in February 2023.
GENERAL PLAN, HOUSING ELEMENT, OBJECTIVE DESIGN
STANDARDS, AND ZONING CODE UPDATE
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2019 to present: General Plan
2019 to present: Zoning Code
• Contract Agency:
City of Pleasant Hill
100 Gregory Lane
Pleasant Hill, CA
• Agency Contact:
Troy Fujimoto
City Planner
925.671.5224
[email protected]
Personnel: Jim Harnish, Brent Gibbons,
Michael Gibbons, Nikki Zanchetta,
Matthew Jumamoy,
Personnel: Jim Harnish, Brent Gibbons,
Michael Gibbons
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
CITY OF MORRO BAY
Rincon was part of a multidisciplinary consultant team leading the City’s General Plan, Local Coastal Program, and Zoning Ordinance Updates and associated Environmental Impact Report as an extension of City staff. Rincon prepared the Community Baseline Assessment reports to identify the current environmental conditions in the City to inform the analysis of the General Plan, Local Coastal Program, and Zoning Ordinance Updates in the EIR. Rincon also assisted with preparation of various General Plan element updates, including the updated Noise Element, and analyzed the potential future effects to Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas resulting from climate change and associated sea level rise. The analysis included a projection of future effects of sea level rise and associated coastal flooding and erosion events on ESHAs within the Morro Bay coastal zone, based on previously completed hazard analysis and sea level rise analysis, existing sea level rise models for the region, and the current location and extent of ESHAs in the City. Under direct contract to the City of Morro Bay, Rincon has prepared the Environmental Impact Report for the proposed General Plan, Local Coastal Program, and Zoning Ordinance Updates.
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, EIR, LOCAL
COASTAL PLAN UPDATE, AND EIR
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2017 to 2021
• Contract Agency:
City of Morro Bay
595 Harbor Street
Morro Bay, CA
• Agency Contact:
Cindy Jacinth
Senior Planner
805.772.6577
[email protected]
CITY OF PISMO BEACH
Rincon is preparing the General Plan/Local Coastal Plan (LCP) Programmatic EIR (PEIR) for the City of Pismo Beach, which analyzes the potential impacts of the Draft General Plan/LCP. The GP/LCP Update is an update of the City’s 1992 General Plan and LCP and presents the community’s vision for Pismo Beach through the GP/LCP horizon (year 2040). The PEIR provides a clear, concise overview of the programmatic nature of impacts associated with implementation of the General Plan. This document will inform decision-makers and the community about future decisions regarding General Plan policies and implementation programs.
The PEIR is structured to meet the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and to streamline future City consideration of development and public works projects consistent with the General Plan, when possible.
Rincon is closely coordinating with City staff throughout the preparation of the General Plan Update to develop policies that “self-mitigate” potential environmental impacts to the maximum extent feasible. This self-mitigating, proactive approach will minimize reliance on external mitigation measures, streamline future CEQA coverage for future projects, and allow the City to monitor the effectiveness.
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, EIR, AND
LOCAL COASTAL PLAN UPDATE
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2020 to present
• Contract Agency:
City of Pismo Beach
760 Mattie Road
Pismo Beach, CA
• Agency Contact:
Matthew Downing
Community Development Director
805.773.4658
[email protected]
Personnel: Chris Bersbach Personnel: Chris Bersbach, Ryan Russell 42 43
CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
CITY OF SANTA MARIA
GHD developed an update to the City of Santa Maria Active Transportation Plan using a performance-based approach. An active transportation infrastructure inventory, including high-priority ADA accessibility review and a detailed Level of Traffic Stress analysis was performed to identify the relative connectivity of the low stress bicycle network within the City. A complete pedestrian and bicycle collision analysis was also performed to highlight areas with higher needs for improvement.
Given the diversity of the Santa Maria community, GHD used both traditional in-person workshops, online workshops, and pop-up events with a particular focus on the Spanish-speaking community of Santa Maria. A community survey was distributed by Promotores (health advocates) at primarily-Spanish-speaking community events, and an informational flyer was sent home with all 17,000 students in Santa Maria schools. A website also provided access to the survey as well as an interactive map to collect comments. Based on the technical analyses and public input, GHD developed improvement recommendations, which were prioritized with stakeholder feedback.
GHD also completed an Active Transportation Program Cycle 5 grant application for a package of high-priority projects. The ATP was adopted by the City Council in January 2021.
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2019 to 2021
• Contract Agency:
City of Santa Maria
110 S Pine Street, Suite 221
Santa Maria, CA
• Agency Contact:
Eric Riddiough, PE
Senior Civil Engineer
805.925.0951, Ext. 2476
[email protected]
CITY OF PISMO BEACH
GHD was critical in assisting the City of Pismo Beach in updating the Circulation Element to include multimodal policies and improvements related to active transportation, consistent with SB 743 and AB 1358, the “Complete Streets Act”, while also retaining the sensitivity of the City’s historical character and seasonal beachgoer travel patterns. GHD assisted the City in creating policies and plans that would promote active transportation modes and connectivity throughout the City, and implementation measures that include innovative and emerging transportation technology. GHD worked with the City to develop the Circulation Plan, Bicycle Facilities Plan, and Pedestrian Facilities Plan. As part of these plans, GHD assessed alternatives of new roadway(s) crossing a railroad and a creek, to provide continuous multimodal access across town and frontage to the US 101 freeway.
Additionally, GHD assessed one-way couplet alternatives within the Downtown urban environment, adjacent to a complex freewayramp system, while also incorporating connectivity for Class IV separated bikeways.
GHD alsoassisted in preparing the technical analyses and reports used to prepare the transportation and alternatives section of the CEQA document, including performance measures such as LOS and VMT.
CIRCULATION ELEMENT UPDATE
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2017 to 2018
• Contract Agency:
City of Pismo Beach
760 Mattie Road
Pismo Beach, CA
• Agency Contact:
Matthew Downing
Community Development Director
805.773.4658
[email protected]
Personnel: Todd Tregenza, Colin Burgett
Rosanna Southern
Personnel: Todd Tregenza, Colin Burgett
Rosanna Southern
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
COUNTY OF VENTURA
The County of Ventura’s 2040 General Plan includes 126
implementation programs involving ten different County departments.
In order to ensure the real-world viability of carrying out the General Plan initiatives (especially proposed new programs), the County retained TNDG to prepare an independent analysis of potential implementation costs. The estimated costs covered a five-year implementation horizon, with one-time (i.e., program startup) and ongoing costs summarized separately. To provide a complete assessment of the feasibility of program implementation, the cost estimates considered both gross costs and net costs (after deducting potential program revenues associated with individual initiatives).
GENERAL PLAN COST (FISCAL IMPACT) ANALYSIS
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2018 to 2019
• Contract Agency:
Ventura County
800 S. Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA
• Agency Contact:
James Importante
Management Analyst II
805.654.5088
[email protected]
CITY OF COSTA MESA
TNDG prepared a comprehensive fiscal impact analysis as part of the City of Costa Mesa’s General Plan update. This process involved development of a user-friendly Fiscal Impact Model (FIM) that is designed to be updated annually based on inputs from the City’s budget. In order to develop in the FIM, TNDG interacted extensively with City department heads to establish cost forecasting methodologies specific to each department’s operations.
The FIM was utilized by TNDG to evaluate the potential fiscal impacts of various General Plan alternatives/scenarios and to respond to specific questions raised by City Council members during the course of the General Plan adoption process. The model is now utilized by the City as a tool to evaluate the fiscal impacts of proposed development projects and General Plan amendments.
As part of this contract, TNDG also prepared real estate demand forecasts to ensure that the land use assumptions used in the FIM were realistic from a market perspective.
FISCAL IMPACT MODEL AND REAL ESTATE MARKET
FORECASTS FOR GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
Project Details:
• Project Duration:
2015 to 2017
• Contract Agency:
City of Costa Mesa
77 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA
• Agency Contact:
Daniel Inloes, AICP
Economic Development
Administrator
714.754.5088
[email protected]
Personnel: Roger Dale, Joseph McClure,
Alan Levenson
Personnel: Roger Dale, Joseph McClure,
Alan Levenson
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
7 PROJECT SCOPE
PROJECT SCOPE
The Request for Proposals (RFP) indicates the need to provide both two- and three-year schedules, as well as separate two- and three-year budgets (submitted under separate cover). To better assist City staff in their review of this proposal, we have also prepared two separate two-year and three-year work scopes. These two work scopes and their corresponding schedules are included in this section.
These proposed work scopes directly correspond to the separately attached two- and three-year budgets. Given the limited timeline and budget for this General Plan update, we feel it is important for Arroyo Grande staff to understand the limitations, trade-offs, and implications of each schedule, specifically regarding a two-year General Plan update.
Our two proposed work scopes outline a series of logical phases and tasks, with information from each step creating the foundation for the next step. Our approach allows City staff, the Planning Commission, City Council, and the public opportunity to provide input and direction on the information developed in the subsequent phase/task.
It also helps to keep the community informed and intimately involved in the development of the General Plan, which leads to a higher level of acceptance, support, and successful implementation.
This section is divided into the following sections:
• Two-Year Work Scope
• Three-Year Work Scope
• Optional Tasks
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
TWO-YEAR WORK SCOPE
A two-year General Plan update schedule will be particularly challenging. Given the minimum 10-month requirement for the CEQA analysis, the rest of the General Plan update must be completed in 14 months. This includes project initiation, existing conditions analysis, visioning, policy document preparation, and adoption.
Each of these steps includes consultant preparation, City staff review, community engagement, document revisions, and decision-maker feedback and decisions. This is a very tight schedule. As a result, the two-year work scope and schedule includes limited public outreach and no alternatives analysis. Additionally, the two-year schedule and work scope does not include Development Code or Climate Action Plan updates. While these tasks can certainly be added as options (see Optional Tasks Section), they have significant cost and timing implications that the two-year schedule would not accommodate fully or adequately. If selected for the General Plan update, we will discuss with City staff the specific costs and time implications and include additional tasks as appropriate.
Phase 1 - Project Initiation
Task 1.1: Kick-Off Meeting and City
Tour
We will facilitate a kick-off meeting with City staff at the outset of the General Plan update. This meeting
will provide an opportunity to discuss ideas and
expectations for the project, confirm roles and
responsibilities, refine the work program and schedule, establish communication protocols, review, and discuss
overall format and organization of products, and meet
with key City department staff. We also initially discuss the public outreach strategy with City staff to ensure that a diverse group of community members, stakeholders,
and organizations participate in the General Plan
update process. This conversation will also include
identifying underrepresented or marginalized groups
in the city. Following this meeting, we will tour the city with City staff to examine key issue and opportunity
sites that will be addressed in the General Plan update program.
Task 1.2: Joint Study Session
Given the significance of the General Plan update,
it will be important for the City Council and Planning
Commission to meet our team early in the process.
We will facilitate an all-hands study session with
key City staff, City Council members, and Planning
Commissioners. This study session will provide a
common understanding of the need for and purpose
of the General Plan update, the key steps in the
process, public outreach, legislative mandates, and
contemporary planning issues. We will facilitate a
discussion on the major issues facing Arroyo Grande
and then solicit feedback on the several topical areas
that will be carried thematically through the General
Plan. The study session will be widely publicized and
open to interested community members. We will post
the session presentation, support materials, and results on the City’s and project website.
Task 1.3: Develop Final Work Program
Based on information exchanged during Tasks 1.1
and 1.2, we will refine the scope of work and project
schedule to address City input. The schedule will be
detailed to show:
• Proposed time frames for each phase;
• The timing for all major documents;
• Time frame for each joint Planning Commission
and City Council workshop; and
• Timing of various community engagement
activities.
The project schedule will include coordination and
community outreach components that will occur in
association with major milestones in the development of the General Plan update.
Phase 1 Deliverables
• Kick-Off meeting agenda and materials
• Joint Study Session presentation
• Joint Study Session materials
• Project schedule
• Final work program
Phase 2 - Public Outreach
Strategy
Task 2.1: Public Outreach Strategy
We will work with City staff to organize a
comprehensive Public Outreach Strategy that we will
use throughout the General Plan update. The intent is to implement robust, meaningful, and inclusive outreach
methods and events that transcend traditional public
outreach barriers. The Public Outreach Strategy will
detail outreach responsibilities and describe how the
engagement will be structured to ensure residents,
businesses, property owners, non-English speakers,
and underrepresented groups are aware of and
engaged in the project. The Strategy will adhere to
the tenants of City’s DEIJ Policy. As part of this strategy, we will develop and use the following engagement
components:
Business Cards. Business cards with the project
logo and website link are an easy way to get the
word out about the project. Agency staff, decisionmakers, and others can hand out the business cards to interested community members. This is an
effective way of creating interest in the project and
getting people to visit the website.
Press Releases. Prior to every community workshop
and document release, we will prepare and
distribute news releases to inform media outlets
serving the community about upcoming meetings.
Press releases describing the project meetings and
milestone documents can help educate and inform
community members about the planning process.
They also help ensure accurate project coverage
and eliminate confusion.
Online Engagement. As part of the project
website, we will set up an online engagement
platform to provide the community with an easy
method to provide input on the project. The online
engagement tool provides a suite of listening,
information, analysis, reporting, and relationship
management features that enables us to mix and
match precisely the right online tools for effective
community engagement. we will regularly update
the engagement site with new questions, surveys,
and opinion polls. These platforms have been used
successfully on several general plan projects to
engage the community.
Email Blasts. Within the first month of the project,
we will develop a template for email blasts that is
consistent with the overall project brand. We will
work with the City to develop a project-specific
email contact list and/or use the City’s existing
e-notifier to send regular email announcements.
General Plan Business Cards
For our General Plan projects, we develop a “business
card” for the project that includes the Update logo and the address for the project website.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
In-Person and Virtual Community Workshops.
In-person workshops are a traditional, time-tested
community engagement activity. They should
be held at convenient places where people feel
comfortable gathering. Workshop sponsors should
offer food, translation services, and childcare to
make the meetings more accessible to families
and non-English speakers. Typically, we use one of
two workshop formats: open house or interactive.
The open house format is most useful to provide
information and getting high-level feedback. The
interactive workshops may include some or all
the open house components but will emphasize
participant interaction in either facilitated
discussion groups or exercises designed to gain
information about topics, such as the community
vision; issues, opportunities, and assets; and
alternatives and options. We will work with City
staff to determine the best location and time of
these events to ensure those with non-traditional
work schedules can provide their feedback.
Translation Services. Translation services are
essential to ensure effective, inclusive, and
accurate communication to all community
members. There are two basic types of translation
services for the project: verbal translation and
translation of written materials. Presentations,
posters, handouts, and all other written materials
should be produced in all languages that are
prominent in the community. Verbal translation
services should be provided at all public meetings
and workshops and advertised as such. Sometimes
individuals are more comfortable participating
in the planning process when a local community
group or organization is involved. If appropriate,
agency staff should work closely with local
organizations and individuals to reach out to nonEnglish speaking communities and ensure they are engaged in the process.
Task 2.2: General Plan Website and
Branding
We will create and host a project specific website and
project branding unique to this General Plan update
and Arroyo Grande:
Project Branding. We will develop an overall
brand for the General Plan update with input from
City staff. This brand will be carried through all
materials, the project website, and presentations
to build enthusiasm about the project and ensure
that this effort is distinct in the minds of the public and other stakeholders. As part of this effort, we
will develop three branding options for the City’s
selection.
Project Website. We will design, develop, and
maintain a project website during the project.
The website will be fully translatable to over 50
languages for the benefit of all in the community
and will include the following:
• Project information and overview and
purpose of the General Plan Process
• Listing of all meetings
• All presentations and materials produced for
public meetings and workshops
• Fact sheets regarding the planning process
• All materials produced for the Plan
• Library with all relevant documents
• Online surveys
• Social pinpoint (interactive online comment
capture and community conversation board)
• Email sign-ups
Click or visit the following links to view examples:
• Los Gatos General Plan
www.losgatos2040.com
• Pleasant Hill General Plan
www.pleasanthill2040.com
• Solvang General Plan
www.plansolvang.com
• San Ramon General Plan
www.plansanramon.com
Task 2.3: Stakeholder Interviews
We team will conduct up to 12 one-on-one and group
meetings with key stakeholders and community groups
to solicit input on issues and expectations for the
General Plan update. The purpose of these interviews
is to identify areas of concern and opportunity for
the city and ensure that we are incorporating broad
community support. We will develop the list of
stakeholders in consultation with City staff, but could include the Mayor, City Council members, and key
stakeholders that should include the representatives
from the school district, Bike Coalition, Chamber
of Commerce, Diversity Coalition of SLO County,
R.A.C.E. Matters, local developers, and others as
Logos and Branding
For our General Plan projects, we create unique, distinct logos and branding that will be carried through all
materials, the Update website, and presentations.
suggested by the city. This will also include specific
outreach to non-English speakers, seniors, and youth
within the community. These interviews will be virtual
via Zoom.
Phase 2 Deliverables
• Public Outreach Strategy
• Project branding style guide
• Project logo
• Project business cards
• Project website
• Stakeholder interview materials
• Stakeholder Interview Summary
Phase 3 - Gather and Analyze
Data
Task 3.1: Existing Data Collection and
Compilation
Knowledge of existing conditions within Arroyo
Grande will provide us and the community with a more
thorough understanding of what has changed since
the last General Plan was prepared and the trends
that will be shaping the community’s future. At the
beginning of the project, we will prepare a Request for Information (RFI), which will list the data items needed to understand the city on data level. Our team will
initially collect as much of this information as possible from online and external resources. The items requested (including native format files whenever possible)
typically include the following:
• Current City planning and development efforts
• Municipal Code and Development code
• Any other pertinent information, documents, plans, and other items identified by City staff • Infrastructure and utilities plans
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
Task 3.2: Assemble GIS Data and
Prepare the Base Map
We will work with City staff to obtain existing City
and County GIS data and review City mapping
protocol and requirements. We will prepare base
maps for reports and display presentation, including
establishing a uniform legend and title block for use
on all maps prepared. We will then develop all GIS
data and mapping prepared for the General Plan
Update consistent with City protocols and data formats
to ensure easy integration into the City’s information
system. At the conclusion of the General Plan update
project, we will provide to the City all original data as well as project specific data layers modified or created by our team.
Task 3.3: General Plan Audit
We will work with City staff to evaluate the existing
General Plan to determine what works, what does not
work, and where the plan is not providing adequate
or current guidance. This will be done using our
proprietary General Plan Audit Tool. This tool will help City staff gain insights on the existing General Plan
clarity, linkages to other plans, progress in achieving desired outcomes, and whether goals, policies, and
programs should be carried forward, modified, or
removed. The Audit will also consider the General Plan
additions needed to address changes in State law,
the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR)
General Plan Guidelines, and contemporary planning
practice. The results of this review will be documented in a General Plan Audit Report. At a minimum, the
Audit Report will address the following questions:
Completion. Has a policy or program been
achieved or carried out?
Clarity. Is the policy or program language clear
and easily interpreted?
Progress. Can policy or program implementation
be easily monitored?
Outcome. Did the policy or program result in the
desired outcome and achieve the vision or goals
of the General Plan.
Continuation. Is the goal, policy, or program
still relevant and can be carried forward into the
updated General Plan?
Current. Does the goal, policy, or program
adequately address current issues?
Modification. How should the goal, policy, or
program be modified to provide better direction or
address current issues and trends?
Task 3.4: Existing Conditions Evaluation
We will collect, research, and assess existing
conditions and trends for the following topics. A
summary of key information from this evaluation will
be presented in the Existing Conditions and Trends
Workbook (Task 3.7) while the full data assessment will be included in the EIR.
Land Use. We will analyze the existing General
Plan land uses and adopted plans that affect
development in Arroyo Grande. We will map and
analyze existing land uses based on available City
GIS data and identify opportunities and constraints
for future development and reuse. We will also
describe regional planning efforts affecting the
city. This section will also summarize the community
character of Arroyo Grande neighborhoods and
districts.
Population, Employment, and Housing. We
will collect and assess historical, current, and
projected population, employment, and housing
characteristics in the Planning Area. We will work
with the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments
(SLOCOG) to obtain the most current demographic
and housing data, including US Census data, and
data available from the California Department of
Finance.
Circulation and Transportation. Our team will
compile data and information on roadway
segments, transit services, and bicycle and
pedestrian facilities. This evaluation will build
on work performed during the 2021 Circulation
Element update that included updates to the City’s
Transportation Impact Fee (TIF), nexus study and
Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) guidelines,
as well as the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP).
We will prepare a concise summary of existing
mobility conditions, including updating available
background data where relevant, U.S. Census
travel mode data, and summarizing collision data
and safety recommendations from the LRFP. Our
evaluation analyzes multi-modal travel, vehicle
miles traveled (VMT) reductions and the provision
of complete streets, including opportunities and
constraints for bicycle, pedestrian, motor vehicle,
and transit travel. We will summarize key data and
information on roadway segments, transit services,
and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. We will
prepare a detailed description accompanied with
maps and graphics illustrating the roadway system,
bicycle and pedestrian facilities, peak hour traffic
counts, and transit routes and stops.
Biological Resources. Our team will compile data
on sensitive habitats, principal vegetation cover
types, and special-status and endangered species.
This will include primary source material from the
local and regional habitat plans, supplemented
with limited windshield surveys and review of
existing biology studies completed for the city.
Cultural Resources. Our team willl compile
data on historic structures and locations and
conduct an archaeological sensitivity analysis for
both prehistoric and historic sites using records
maintained at the regional information center and
published in research papers. We will ensure
that appropriate individuals are contacted with
the surrounding Native American Tribes to ensure
sensitive cultural resources are documented
appropriately consistent with recent State mandates
(SB 18).
Economics. Our team will update the City’s
economic and market data. The update will
cover key demographic, economic, and real
estate factors affecting the city and its role in the
broader region. We will identify the strengths of
the local economy, key competitive attributes and
positioning, and challenges and opportunities
related to an economy heavily reliant on tourism.
Additionally, we will summarize retail trends by
major business category, existing commercial and
industrial vacancies, fiscal revenue sources, and
City General Fund expenditures (broken down by
major budget category).
Public Facilities, Services, and Infrastructure. Our
team will compile data on infrastructure, resources,
services, and facilities related to water supply
and delivery, wastewater collection and disposal,
stormwater drainage, solid waste and recycling,
energy and telecommunications, law enforcement,
fire protection, health care, schools, and
education, and government services. We will also
assess if the General Plan must include information
related to recent State mandates that require
cities to identify service needs for unincorporated
disadvantaged communities (SB 244).
Noise. Our team will review existing noise data,
including recent EIRs and studies, and summarizes
the existing noise environment in Arroyo Grande
resulting from major roadways and highways, and
stationary noise sources and activities. We will
also document existing noise-sensitive areas and
sites. We will also summarize current information
on ground vibration.
Air Quality. Our team will compile data on
existing air quality conditions within Arroyo Grande
and the nearby vicinity. This will specifically
include the location of existing sensitive receptors
and emission sources, existing mass emissions,
ambient air quality concentration data from the
most applicable monitoring station(s), attainment
designations and natural factors that relate to the
transport and dispersion of air pollutants.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
Climate Change. Our team will prepare a
climate change section that includes a discussion
of climate change and how the General Plan
Update will address this issue, including both the
reduction of GHG emissions and climate change
vulnerability and adaptation. The report will
briefly summarize relevant background information
regarding these topics and lay out a framework
for the General Plan Update to address climate
change.
Hazards and Safety (including geology). Our
team will compile data on existing natural and
manmade hazards. As part of this evaluation,
we will summarize the geological environment
and associated hazards. This section will
address Seismic Hazard Zones (and soil strength
properties. We will summarize the latest FEMA
floodplain mapping to illustrate potential safety and
development constraints. We will summarize urban
and wildland fire risks, fire hazard risk areas,
and fire protection resources. Our team will also
describe major users and producers of hazardous
materials within or adjacent to the city.
Hydrology and Water Quality. Our team will
summarize sources of groundwater and surface
water, water consumption rates, measures used
to conserve water, and renewable water facilities
and resources. This section will document potential
pollution sources, areas susceptible to water quality
degradation, and source issues and capacity
constraints.
Social and Environmental Justice. Our team will
prepare a section that provides background on
social and environmental Justice. The discussion
will focus on exposure to environmental hazards,
healthy and affordable housing, access to job
markets, access to health care and healthy foods,
community equality, and community empowerment.
The information gathered will be used to draft the
new Environmental Justice Element (see Task 5.9).
Task 3.5: Community Workshop #1:
Assets, Issues, and Opportunities
Identification
We will facilitate a community workshop to address
assets, issues, and opportunities facing the community.
The community workshop will be a two-part event.
During the first part of the event, our team will provide the community with an overview of the information
developed for Existing Conditions and Trends
Workbook (Task 3.7). This component will highlight
the existing conditions and trends that will influence
the future of the community. The second part of the
event will involve interactive exercises designed to gain input on the assets, issues, and opportunities that the public would like to see addressed in the General Plan
update. We will use a combination of informational
boards, group and individual engaging exercises,
breakout sessions, surveys, and online. The intent
of this workshop is to get community input on what
they think about Arroyo Grande, what they want to
preserve, and what they want to change. Workshop
materials can be provided in both English and nonEnglish languages.
Task 3.6: Assets, Issues, and
Opportunities Workshop Summary
Report
Based on input collected from City staff and the Assets, Issues, and Opportunities Community Workshop, we
will prepare a summary report that categorizes, and
reports all input received. This input will be further
synthesized and reported in the Existing Conditions and Trends Workbook (Task 3.7).
Task 3.7: Existing Conditions and
Trends Workbook
We will prepare an Existing Conditions and Trends
Workbook. The Workbook will be written in an
engaging way to tell a thought-provoking story of
Arroyo Grande – where it has been, where it is today,
and the trends that will shape its future. The Workbook will also identify the significant problems, issues, and concerns facing the community that were identified in
Community Workshop #1 (Task 3.5). The Workbook
will be highly graphical and will use infographics,
charts, maps, and photographs combined with
storytelling techniques. While the content will largely depend on the direction provided by City staff,
decision-makers, and the community during the initial
outreach efforts, we assume the workbook, at a
minimum, will cover the following topics:
• Purpose of the General Plan Update
• All topics analyzed in the Existing Conditions
and Trends Evaluation (see Task 3.4)
• Location and geographic boundary
description, including the regional setting,
Sphere of Influence, and City limits
• A description of the city’s history, including a
graphic timeline of significant events, places,
and people in Arroyo Grande’s past
• A description of what has changed since
Arroyo Grande last updated its General
Plan, including local trends as well as national
and global trends that have shaped our lives
and will continue to shape the future (e.g., the
internet, social networking, online shopping,
car sharing, self-driving cars, sustainable
communities initiatives)
• A snapshot of current conditions and trends,
including a demographic profile, housing
characteristics, economic and market
conditions, transportation infrastructure and
travel patterns, health and environmental justice,
climate change and adaptation, community design
and character description, and population and
development trends
• A description of quality-of-life characteristics,
including parks and open space, arts and
culture, and public realm improvements that
have made Arroyo Grande an exceptional
place to live
This task includes preparation of an initial outline, an administrative draft for staff review, and a final draft that incorporates edits following one round of review
by City staff. The final Existing Conditions and Trends Workbook could be fully translated into non-English
languages.
Phase 3 Deliverables
• Request for Information (RFI)
• GIS Base Maps
• General Plan Audit Report
• Community Workshop #1 Guide
• Community Workshop #1 Materials
• Assets, Issues, and Opportunities Summary Report
• Administrative Draft Existing Conditions and
Trends Workbook
• Final Existing Conditions and Trends Workbook
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Phase 4 - Visioning and
Guiding Principles
A General Plan vision statement and guiding principles
are designed to reflect what community members value
most about their community and the shared aspirations
of what they envision their community being in the
future. The vision statement should be inspirational
and set the key values and aspirations for the General
Plan guiding principles. The guiding principles
should provide more specific guidance that provides
the fundamental doctrine that will be used to guide
development of the General Plan goals and policies.
During this phase, we will work with community
members and leaders, the Planning Commission, and
the City Council to form Arroyo Grande’s vision for the future and guiding principles.
Task 4.1: Community Workshop #2:
Community Visioning Workshop
Our team will facilitate an in-person community
visioning and guiding principles workshop. This
workshop will have three parts. First, as participants
arrive, they can visit a variety of informational
stations, based on the Existing Conditions and Trends
Workbook. These stations will inform participants on
the key planning issues in the Update. Second, we
will present status reports on our progress to date and answer questions about the General Plan Update.
Third, we will have a series of interactive exercise that will solicit feedback from the community on a collective vision and set of guiding principles. These activities
could include the following:
Postcards from the Future. In this exercise,
participants would be asked to pretend they are
sending a postcard from Arroyo Grande from the
future. Participants draw a picture to illustrate their vision and write a message to someone describing
their experience in Arroyo Grande.
Opportunities and Enhancements. The goal of this
station is to help participants identify the places or
features of Arroyo Grande that offer opportunities
for improvement or enhancement. It will help
identify participant’s priorities. This exercise would
include a large wall map of the city with generic
images that represent things that participants would
like to see in the city. Participants would then
participate in a series of mini-exercises to identify
which features they feel would reflect the kind of
improvements that would benefit Arroyo Grande
over the next 25 years.
“Mad Libs” Vision Game. In this exercise,
participants would be asked to develop their
ideal vision for the city. Participants would be
encouraged to brainstorm words, phrases, and
ideas with other participants to come up with the
most creative and inspirational vision. From this
exercise, we obtain the key descriptors that are
used to describe people’s aspirations for the future
of the community. These inputs help identify what
aspects are the most important and are used to
frame the vision statement.
Task 4.2: Draft Vision Statement and
Guiding Principals
Our team will prepare the Administrative Draft Vision
Statement and Guiding Principles that represent the
ideal future for the city. We will create the draft Vision Statement and Guiding Principles based on input
gathered at the Community Visioning Workshop and
input from City staff. Following review by City staff,
we will revise the Administrative Draft and prepare
Draft Vision and Guiding Principles for review by the
Planning Commission and City Council.
Task 4.3: Planning Commission and
City Council Joint Study Session
We will facilitate a joint study session with the Planning Commission and City Council to present the Draft
Vision Statement and Guiding Principles. The joint
study session will include a discussion of comments
received from the Community Visioning workshop and
presentation of the Draft Vision Statement and Guiding
Principles. Comments received during the study session
will be considered in preparation of the Final Vision
Statement and Guiding Principles.
Task 4.4: Final Vision Statement and
Guiding Principles
Following review by the Planning Commission and
City Council, we will revise and prepare a Final Vision Statement and Guiding Principles that we will use to
guide development of the General Plan Update.
Phase 4 Deliverables
• Community Workshop #2 Guide
• Community Workshop #2 materials
• Community Workshop #2 presentation
• Administrative Draft Vision Statement and
Guiding Principles
• Planning Commission and City Council Joint
Visioning Study Session presentation
• Planning Commission and City Council Joint
Visioning Study Session materials
• Final Vision Statement and Guiding Principles
Phase 5 - General Plan
Preparing the General Plan is the most enduring part
of the Update process. The goals, policies, and
implementation strategies will serve as the City’s
blueprint for growth and development for the next
20 plus years. It memorializes all the decisions and
directions made to this point in the update process and acts as the guide for how the City and community can
achieve the vision for the future. The updated General
Plan will be crafted as an effective tool for staff
implementation and will be a highly-graphic, engaging
plan that is easy for everyone in the community to use
and understand.
We will prepare an Administrative Review Draft
General Plan. Our team will format the General Plan
to be attractive, contemporary, and user-friendly, using extensive photos, illustrations, and maps. As part of
this coordination, we will propose solutions for the
organization and layout of the General Plan elements.
This will be based on a review of the current element
structure and the need to cover a wide range of new
State requirements enacted since the General Plan was
last updated. As part of the design, the separation or
combination of topics into various elements will be
discussed.
As part of the Update, we will ensure that all the
requirements of State law, such as complete streets,
flood risk reduction, adaptation, resiliency, safety,
noise, and environmental justice are covered. We
will also ensure full compliance with the State’s
General Plan Guidelines. Our team will prepare
a comprehensive implementation strategy that
includes tangible actions the City will undertake to
implement the goals, policies, and objectives. The
implementation strategy will include an updated
economic development strategy. As part of developing
this strategy, a key task will be ensuring that the City understands the implications, resource needs, and fiscal impacts of the implementation strategy. This ensures that the City makes an informed decision about the work it
is signing up to complete.
Postcards from the Future
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Task 5.1: General Plan Design, Format,
and Organization Options
In close consultation with City staff, we will prepare
optional approaches for the General Plan design,
format, and organization. We will provide for the
overall look and presentation of the Plan, including
font size and style, page layout, maps, graphics, and
illustrations. Our team will prepare sample table of
contents to accompany the organizational options.
Following City staff review, we will refine the options as necessary.
Task 5.2: Land Use Element
Subtask 5.2-1:Land Use Density and
Intensity Evaluation
As part of preparing the Draft Land Use Element,
we will evaluate existing residential density and
intensity requirements in the City’s mixed-use zoning
districts. From this evaluation, our team will strategize with City staff on possible solutions to adjust these
densities and intensities to better achieve the desired community vision.
Subtask 5.2-2: Administrative Draft Land
Use Element
We will update the Land Use Element to integrate
the feedback provided by the community, Planning
Commission, City Council, and City staff. Our team
and City staff will collaborate to develop land use
designations and prepare a draft Land Use Diagram
(Task 5.10). We will review existing citywide land
use designations and determine a concise set of land
use designations that fit the needs of all areas of
the city. The designations and Diagram will indicate
the distribution, location, and standards for the use
of land for housing, commerce, industry, public
facilities, waste disposal, recreation, agriculture,
natural resources, and open space. The land use
designations will broadly define the purpose of
each land use category as well as allowed uses.
Land use designations will also include standards
of population density and building intensity. These
designations will promote public health, reduce
infrastructure costs, enhance the local economy, and
address environmental issues.
Task 5.3: Circulation Element
The Circulation Element describes the existing
and future transportation network, articulates the
City’s mobility vision, addresses State and regional
requirements, and anticipates future mobility needs.
While the existing Circulation Element was recently
updated in 2021, our team will review the Element
to determine areas that may need to be updated.
Updates to the Circulation Element may include those
resulting from:
• Findings form AB 747 Analysis (see Task 5.5)
• Updates to the planned mobility network at
buildout to accommodate changes to the Land
Use Element
• Increased prioritization of non-vehicular travel
and complete streets improvements, including
incorporation recommendations from the
upcoming Active Transportation Plan that will
be conducted concurrently
• Mobility and access recommendations to
support the optional East Grand Avenue
Overlay District
• Provision of a reformatted Circulation Element
that converts the current stand-alone Circulation
Element to serve as one chapter of the larger
General Plan document, to match the updated
format of the other (chapter) elements
• Refinements to goal, policy, and
implementation program language to be
consistent with the overall General Plan update
and priorities of other updated elements
• Changes in land use patterns and policies
established in the Land Use and Safety
Elements
• Potential changes resulting for the City’s update
to the Active Transportation Plan
Task 5.4: Noise Element
Based on the findings from the Existing Conditions and
Trends Workbook, will identify major stationary and
mobile sources of noise in the City and visually identify traffic noise contours based on data from the traffic
report. For this analysis, we will prepare noise contour maps and descriptions of existing noise conditions.
At City staff discretion, we may conduct up to four
noise measurements at key locations in the city for the purpose of validating the noise models.
Our team will also identify goals, policies, and
implementation programs to address noise consistent
with legislative requirements and changing conditions
since the last update to the City’s General Plan. Goals and policies will consider type, location, and extent of noise incompatibility in the community.
Task 5.5: Safety Element
Subtask 5.5-1: Vulnerability Assessment
In accordance with California Government Code
65302(g) and SB 379, our team will complete a
Climate Vulnerability Assessment which will detail
the anticipated climate impacts on the city of Arroyo
Grande, such as increases in temperature, more
intense and frequent extreme heat events, more
intense and frequent drought, higher frequency of
catastrophic floods, and more severe and frequent
wildfires. At a qualitative level, we will evaluate
the locations of the city’s critical facilities and
services (such as fire stations and evacuation routes)
in relation to potential climate change impacts
based on readily available geospatial data. We
will prepare the Climate Change Vulnerability
Assessment consistent with the latest (2020)
California Adaptation Planning Guide, as described
in California Government Code 65302(g) and the
Office of Planning and Research’s General Plan
Guidelines. We will produce maps using data from
existing plans and available geospatial data sources,
including:
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• Internet-based Cal-Adapt tool
• Internet-based Healthy Places Index tool to
identify vulnerable populations
• San Luis Obispo County Multi-Jurisdictional
Hazard Mitigation Plan (October 2019), of
which Arroyo Grande is a participating
jurisdiction
• California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment,
Regional Report
• Existing development in identified at-risk areas,
including structures, roads, utilities, and
essential public facilities
• Arroyo Grande local land use plans and
implementing documents
A key component of the Climate Change
Vulnerability Assessment will be an evaluation of the
potential for climate change to disproportionately
impact vulnerable population groups (e.g., seniors,
children, low-income communities, outdoor workers).
The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
will rely on modeling scenarios per the California
Adaptation Planning Guide and the Office of
Planning and Research’s General Plan Guidelines.
The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment will be
a qualitative analysis and will not include quantitative asset analysis by hazard area.
Subtask 5.5-2: SB 99 Analysis
SB 99 requires all cities and counties, upon the next
revision of the Housing Element on or after January
1, 2020, to update the Safety Element to include
information identifying residential development in
any hazard areas identified in the Safety Element
that do not have at least two emergency evacuation
routes. We will coordinate with City staff to identify
residential developments in any hazard area
identified in the Safety Element that do not have at
least two emergency evacuation routes. Our team
will coordinate with City staff to develop a citywide
map using ESRI that identifies communities with fewer
than two ingress/egress and provide a narrative
description of the implications for evacuation
planning. We will use the analysis to determine if
the City should consider specific goals or policies
to address any identified access limitations or and
incorporate these into the Safety Element.
Subtask 5.5-3: AB 747 Evacuation Capacity
Analysis
We will conduct an emergency evacuation
analysis, consistent with AB 747, that will evaluate
the capacity of evacuation routes under the City’s
identified evacuation scenarios. Our team will
confer with City staff to confirm the City’s key
evacuation scenarios. We will assess the capacity
of evacuation routes, taking into account population
and employment in specific zones of the city using
the SLOCOG model, under several emergency
evacuation scenarios. Based on this assessment, we
will provide recommendations for strategic measures
to be implemented during evacuation where relevant.
We will then summarize the results in a memorandum
with accompanying maps for City review.
Subtask 5.5-4: Administrative Draft Safety
Element
Our team will identify goals, policies, and
implementation programs to address climate change
risks and identified evacuation risks. The Safety
Element will be updated with additional background
descriptions and maps and the constrained parcel
group analysis and the evacuation capacity
assessment. Goals and policies will aim to minimize
risk associated with climate change and evacuation
capacity constraints and build capacity to respond
to the projected impacts of climate change, working
towards creating a resilient, sustainable Arroyo
Grande community. The Safety Element will also be
updated to include a discussion of how it aligns with
other General Plan elements. As requested in the RFP,
the Countywide Local Hazard Mitigation Plan will be
incorporated into the updated Element.
Task 5.6: Agriculture, Conservation,
and Open Space Element
Our team will prepare an Administrative Draft
Agriculture, Conservation, and Open Space Element.
The updated Element will reflect any changes resulting
from the Land Use Element, especially if the City intends on annexing unincorporated county land or expanding
the existing Sphere of Influence. The updated Element
will identify policies for protecting and conserving open spaces, agricultural lands, and other natural resources.
Additionally, the Element will consider mitigation
measures when agricultural properties are proposed for
conversion to urban uses.
Task 5.7: Parks and Recreation Element
Our team will prepare an Administrative Draft Parks
and Recreation Element. The updated Element will
reflect any changes resulting from the Land Use Element and feedback received from City Council, Planning
Commission, and the community. We will establish
goals and policies to ensure the city meets the parkland and recreation needs of the community, and offer
strategies for City staff to consider.
Task 5.8: Economic Development
Element
Subtask 5.8-1: Economic Opportunities
Analysis
As background for the updated Economic
Development Element, our team will complete
an Economic Opportunities Analysis focused on
Arroyo Grande’s business growth and job creation
potentials. This analysis will ensure that the General
Plan land use alternatives are optimized from a job
creation perspective. The economic opportunities
analysis will include the following sub-tasks:
• Location quotient analysis to identify industries/
business types for which Arroyo Grande and
the larger Central Coast region have a
competitive advantage relative to national
benchmarks;
• Analysis of recent historic job growth by
industry (Arroyo Grande and Central Coast
region), including a “shift share” comparison to
national trends;
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• Review of relevant studies and strategies
prepared by regional economic development
organizations (i.e., REACH and the Economic
Vitality Corporation of San Luis Obispo
County);
• Profile of current regional initiatives focused on
targeted growth industries; and
• Profile of current initiatives focused on
addressing the potential economic impacts and
repositioning opportunities related to the
pending (but delayed) decommissioning of the
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.
Based on the above sources of information, we
will identify the industry types likely to offer the most significant growth potentials for Arroyo Grande over
the next 10-20 years. Our team will also identify
any specific land use policies that would enhance
the City’s potential for attracting and growing target
industries.
Subtask 5.8-2: Administrative Draft
Economic Development Element
We will prepare a General Plan Economic
Development Element that addresses the City’s
development, job creation, tourism, and fiscal
stability goals. The element will include the following:
• The City’s goals and policies for Economic
Development, presented in a format consistent
with other elements of the Plan
• Polices to retain local businesses and attract
head-of-household jobs
• Goals, policies, and programs aimed at
addressing the impacts from the
decommissioning of the Diablo Canyon Power
Plant
• A summary of the issues and opportunities
identified during the economic opportunities
analysis
• Policies aimed at supporting the City’s business
retention/expansion/attraction and
entrepreneurial development potentials
• Specific strategies for attracting targeted land
uses (e.g., retail, industrial, hotels)
Task 5.9: Environmental Justice Element
Subtask 5.9-1: Environmental Justice
Community Analysis
All people, regardless of race, culture, or income,
deserve the right to live, work, play, and pray in
a healthy and safe environment. Unfortunately,
across the United States, residents of low-income
communities, communities of color, and indigenous
communities are disproportionately impacted by
environmental pollution and experience higher rates
of related health problems. Conditions in these
communities can be traced to a variety of factors
including, but not limited to, a history of inequitable land use and zoning policies, underinvestment, and
lack of meaningful engagement with community
residents in planning and policy decisions. In each of
these communities, there is often a history of residents coming together to advocate for and achieve
environmental justice.
With the adoption of Senate Bill (SB) 1000,
California Government Code Section 65302(h)
requires local jurisdictions to incorporate
environmental justice in their general plans. The
statute requires local governments to develop
policies to reduce the disproportionate exposure
to pollution in neighborhoods that also experience
increased social and economic challenges.
California law refers to communities with high levels
of environmental and socioeconomic vulnerability as
“disadvantaged communities.”
Our team will use at least two geospatial screening
tools with socioeconomic, environmental, and health
information to identify potential “disadvantaged
communities” in Arroyo Grande. These tools include:
CalEnviroScreen 4.0. The California Environmental
Health and Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) 4.0
is a science-based mapping tool that ranks each
census tract in the State using a series if indicators
to identify communities most affected from multiple
pollutants and who are vulnerable to pollution’s
effects.
EJSCREEN. The US Environmental Protection
Agency’s (USEPA) Environmental Justice Screening
and Mapping Tool (EJSCREEN) similarly uses
environmental and demographic data to rank each
census block group’s environmental health risks
nationally.
Subtask 5.9-2: Environmental Justice
Working Session
From the research and findings gained during the
Environmental Justice analysis (Subtask 5.9-1), we
will facilitate a working session with City staff to
discuss potential findings. This working session will
be held virtually via Zoom (or another City preferred
platform). As part of this working session, our team
will strategize with City staff on the materials and
exercises to be presented during the Environmental
Justice Community Workshops (Subtask 5.9-3).
Subtask 5.9-3: Community Workshops:
Environmental Justice Element
Our team will work with City staff and local
community organizations to facilitate up to two
community workshops on the Environmental Justice
Element. We will work with City staff to determine
both locations and times for these workshops that
allow those with non-traditional work schedules to
attend and provide feedback. We and community
group representatives will make a presentation on
the Environmental Justice Element and facilitate an
interactive discussion.
Consistent with the City’s adopted DEIJ Policy,
all discussions could include simultaneous verbal
translation. All workshop materials and presentations
can be fully translated into whatever language City
staff feel would be beneficial. For those unable to
join the workshops in person, all materials and a
video recording of the workshops will be posted on
the project website. We will summarize the results
of the input received in the Administrative Draft
Environmental Justice Element.
Subtask 5.9-4: Administrative Draft
Environmental Justice Element
Our team will prepare an Administrative Draft
Environmental Justice Element that aligns with
the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
Guidelines. We will use CalEnviroscreen 4.0 and
EJSCREEN to determine areas of concern regarding
environmental justice issues consistent with SB 1000.
The Environmental Justice Element at a minimum will
address goals, policies, and programs pertaining
to educational attainment, pollution burden of
disadvantaged communities, and identification of
burdensome quality of life metrics including poverty,
unemployment, linguistic isolation, and health.
The Element will include an introduction describing
racial, social, and environmental injustices in
historical planning practices and how the General
Plan includes planning practices that promote
healthy, diverse, and equitable communities. We will
focus goals, policies, and implementation programs
for:
• Racial and Social Justice
• Environmental Justice
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Task 5.10: Prepare Land Use and
Circulation Diagrams
Our team will prepare an updated Land Use Diagram
as part of the Administrative Draft General Plan.
We will discuss options for streamlining the land use
designations and graphic design options for making
the land use diagram more user-friendly.
Based on the distribution of land uses on the Land
Use Diagram, we will develop and prepare a Draft
Circulation Diagram. The classifications and diagram
will indicate the distribution, location, and standards for city roadways. The classifications could also expand
upon the functional classifications to consider street
context and non-auto travel modes. This definition
ensures that street standards are not uniformly applied, but consider a street’s relation to surrounding land uses, appropriate travel speeds, and need to accommodate
multiple travel modes. Roadway standards could also
be developed to use Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
instead of or in addition to LOS standards.
Task 5.11: Preliminary Public Review
Draft General Plan
Our team will revise the Administrative Draft General
Plan based on City staff comments and prepare a
Preliminary Public Review Draft General Plan for review by the Planning Commission and City Council. The
step of reviewing the Preliminary Public Review Draft
General Plan with advisory bodies and decision-makers
is important to ensure the Draft Plan meets expectations before conducting the CEQA analysis.
Task 5.12: Planning Commission Study
Session: Preliminary Public Review Draft
General Plan
Our team will facilitate a virtual study session via Zoom with the Planning Commission to review and confirm
the Preliminary Public Review Draft General Plan. The
Planning Commission will recommend any revisions or
adjustments to the Plan to the City Council, which we
will show in Word track changes.
Task 5.13: City Council Study Session:
Preliminary Public Review Draft General
Plan
Our team will facilitate a virtual study session via
Zoom with the City Council to review and confirm
the Preliminary Public Review Draft General Plan. The
City Council will provide direction on revisions or
adjustments to the Plan prior to our team conducting the CEQA analysis.
Task 5.14: Public Review Draft General
Plan
Based on direction from the City Council, our team
will prepare the Public Review Draft General Plan for
publication and environmental review.
Phase 6 - Program
Environmental Impact Report
(PEIR)
Based on review of the RFP and our experience
preparing General Plan EIRs, we recommend the
preparation of a Program EIR pursuant to CEQA
Guidelines Section 15168. Although the legally
required contents of a Program EIR are technically
the same as those of a Project EIR, Program EIRs
are by necessity more general and may contain a
broader discussion of impacts, alternatives, and
mitigation measures than a Project EIR. A Program
EIR may be prepared on a series of actions that may
be characterized as one large project. Use of a
Program EIR provides the City with the opportunity to
consider broad policy alternatives and programwide
mitigation measures and greater flexibility to address
environmental issues and/or cumulative impacts on a
comprehensive basis. Once a Program EIR has been
certified, subsequent activities within the program may be evaluated to determine what, if any, additional
CEQA documentation needs to be prepared. If
the Program EIR addresses the program’s effects as
specifically and comprehensively as possible, many
subsequent activities could be found to be consistent
with the Program EIR mitigation parameters and
additional environmental documentation may not be
required (CEQA Guidelines Section 15168[c]). In
this case, the Program EIR serves a valuable purpose
as the first-tier environmental analysis that will assist in streamlining and possibly exempting future projects
from CEQA with the idea that the General Plan’s
Program EIR can be used for such exemptions when
projects are consistent with the General Plan.
Task 5.15: General Plan Consultation
and Referrals
State law requires consultation with a variety of
Federal, State, regional, and local agencies whenever
a jurisdiction updates or amends its general plan (e.g., Native American Tribes, Military Branches, water
agencies). These statutes are located throughout the
Government Code and have varying requirements
for when draft and final documents must be submitted
and how long agencies have to review and provide
comments. We maintain a checklist of agency
consultation requirements that we will use to ensure the City provides the Public Review Draft General Plan to
the appropriate agencies.
Phase 5 Deliverables
• General Plan organizational options
• Land Use Density and Intensity Evaluation
Memorandum
• Evacuation Analysis – Technical Memorandum
• Draft and Final Vulnerability Assessments
• Draft and Final Evacuation Maps
• Economic Opportunity Analysis
• Environmental Justice Analysis Memorandum
• Environmental Justice Working Session agenda and materials • Environmental Justice Community Workshops Guide
• Environmental Justice Community workshops
materials
• Land Use Diagram
• Circulation Diagrams
• Administrative Draft General Plan
• Preliminary Public Review Draft General Plan
• Planning Commission Study Session Presentation
and Materials
• City Council Study Session Presentation and
Materials
• Public Review Draft General Plan
• General Plan Consultation Checklist
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Task 6.1: CEQA Kick-off Meeting
Our team will facilitate a work session with City staff on preparing the Program EIR and completing the
adoption process. Because the Program EIR Phase will
follow later in the schedule than the Draft General Plan Update, the anticipated scope of work for this Phase
is based on reasonable assumptions about the scope
and scale of the General Plan update. The CEQA
kick-off meeting will provide an opportunity for the city and the project team to evaluate these initial scoping
assumptions and update the scope of work for this
phase if necessary. The kick-off meeting will also allow the City/consultant team an opportunity to discuss
the approach to the environmental evaluation and
possible project alternatives. Community concerns that
have surfaced to date will be discussed. We will also
have an opportunity to confirm the cumulative impact
analysis approach. The work session, or CEQA kick-off
meeting, will cover the following topics:
• Strategies for CEQA compliance
• Coordination of environmental document with
general plan update preparation
• Developing a reasonable range of alternatives
• Cumulative impact analysis
• Using new or revised policies as mitigation
measures
• Agency consultation
• Public notice
• Hearings
• Adoption
• Final documents
Task 6.2: Program EIR Project
Description and Notice of Preparation
Our team will work with City staff to develop a
Program EIR project description and will prepare a
draft EIR Notice of Preparation (NOP) for City staff
to review. The NOP is intended to alert other public
agencies about the undertaking, and to solicit their
input on the scope of the study. We will submit a final PDF copy of the NOP to City staff for posting on its
website, filing with the County Clerk, and distributing to public agencies. It is assumed that the City will
distribute the NOP using the City’s NOP distribution list.
We will review and make suggestions regarding the
list. Our team would be responsible for filing the NOP
with the State Clearinghouse/Office of Planning and
Research.
Task 6.3: Program EIR Scoping Meeting
Our team will facilitate a public and agency scoping
meeting associated with the release of the NOP. The
Scoping Meeting will be held during the 30-day NOP
period to introduce the community to the Program EIR
process and obtain input on the EIR scope of work. It
will include a brief presentation, followed by public
comment and input from meeting attendees. We will
prepare a summary of input gathered, which will
be included in the Draft Program EIR along with any
written public comments received by the City during the NOP comment period.
Task 6.4: Transportation and Traffic
Impact Analysis
Our team will evaluate potential transportation
impacts resulting from the proposed General Plan
consistent with CEQA requirements. We will prepare
the Transportation/Traffic section of the environmental document, to include a description of the impact
analysis, findings, and any recommended mitigations.
We will assess vehicle miles traveled (VMT) impacts
using the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments
(SLOCOG) Regional Travel Demand Model VMT
post-processor. The model’s VMT post- processor
includes residential VMT, work VMT, and retail VMT.
The SLOCOG model forecast land use data will be
modified to include updated development potential for
the General Plan horizon year.
In addition, we will provide a forecast of daily traffic volumes during the General Plan horizon year, derived
from the SLOCOG model, relevant to other EIR
chapters that analyze impacts to air quality and noise.
The daily traffic volume forecast will also be relevant to potential street modification recommendations. At the
conclusion of the CEQA public review period, we will
prepare responses to written comments received by the
city, as well as oral comments received during public
hearings, that pertain to transportation impacts.
Task 6.5: Administrative Draft Program
EIR
Our team will prepare an Administrative Draft Program
EIR (ADPEIR) in compliance with CEQA requirements
using information gathered as part of the General
Plan update effort and comments on the NOP, as well
as information from other relevant CEQA documents
completed by the City in recent years. We will be
responsible for development of a legally adequate and
appropriate Program EIR for the General Plan.
We will prepare the ADPEIR based on the project
description approved by City staff. We will base the
description of the environmental and regulatory setting for the General Plan primarily on the data available
online, Existing Conditions and Trends Workbook (see
Task 3.7), and information from other relevant CEQA
documents completed by the City in recent years, any
information received during the General Plan Update
process, as well as information from recent City plans
such as the City’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan or
Bicycle/Pedestrian Plans.
Our team will introduce each topical section in the
environmental analysis with a brief statement of its
context in the ADPEIR and the development of the
General Plan. This effort may include interpretive
information for the reader to better understand how the General Plan affects the environment, as well as the
sources of data used in the analysis.
The setting for each topical section will describe
existing conditions relevant to the topic and provide
the groundwork for impact analysis. The number of
impacts to be analyzed and the depth of analysis will
be determined based on areas of concern identified
by our team and City staff, as well as responses to
the NOP. We will clearly state thresholds used to
determine the significance of project impacts and
will include thresholds in the CEQA Guidelines,
Appendix G, as well as existing regulatory standards,
if applicable. Impacts will be identified, and mitigation measures will be prepared to reduce significant
impacts to a less-than-significant level, when feasible.
For each potentially significant impact identified in
the ADPEIR, we would identify mitigation measures or
policy statements proposed by the City as part of the
General Plan Update to avoid or reduce identified
impacts. We will construct mitigation measures as
policy statements or revised or additional programs to
facilitate incorporation into the final General Plan. In order to prepare an ADPEIR that meets the needs of
the City and regulatory requirements of the State, the
ADPEIR will comprise of the following sections:
Executive Summary
This section will provide a summary of the entire
ADPEIR and include the following:
• A discussion of the Project objectives;
• A brief description of the proposed Project;
• A summary of the environmental setting for the
Planning Area;
• A summary of impacts;
• A summary of mitigation measures (mitigating
policies);
• A discussion of alternatives considered; and
• Areas of controversy, and issues remaining to
be resolved.
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Introduction
The ADPEIR will contain an introductory chapter that
provides an overview of the project and context,
summarizes CEQA requirements and the environmental
review process, describes the legal purpose of the
ADPEIR, outlines the environmental issues being
addressed, and presents the organization of the report.
Project Description and Environmental Setting
These sections will contain the City objectives for the General Plan and a summary of the General Plan
components. It will also outline the Planning Area
boundaries and summarize existing conditions and
any new land uses proposed under the project. The
information will be described in a mix of text, tabular, and graphic form (i.e., maps and diagrams).
Analysis, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures
The environmental analysis section will include four
main components:
• Setting – description of current conditions with
respect to the issue in question, including the
existing regulatory environment
• Impact analysis – statement of significance
thresholds and discussion of potentially
significant effects of the proposed project
• Programmatic mitigation measures – methods
by which significant effects can be reduced or
eliminated, presented as General Plan policies
to be introduced back into the plan
• Level of significance after mitigation –
discussion of whether or not proposed
mitigation measures reduce impacts to below
the adopted significance threshold
Adverse impacts that meet or exceed significance
thresholds will be considered significant. Additionally, all impacts will be characterized in terms of shortor long-term effects and presented in a logical discussion that the general public can understand. Any
inconsistencies with local or regional plans will be
discussed. Issues to be analyzed in a programmatic
framework will include:
• Aesthetics
• Agriculture/Forestry Resources
• Air Quality
• Biological Resources
• Cultural Resources
• Energy
• Geology and Soils
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials
• Hydrology and Water Quality
• Land Use and Planning
• Mineral Resources
• Noise
• Population and Housing
• Public Services
• Recreation
• Transportation and Traffic
• Tribal Cultural Resources
• Utilities and Service Systems
• Wildfire
Our team will discuss approaches to the impact
analysis for the Program EIR with City staff and will
be consistent with the assumptions and methodologies
used in recent EIRs in the city of Arroyo Grande to the extent possible. In general, the impact analysis will
focus on the issues present in the Planning Area and
likely to be affected or impacted by the General Plan
Update. Some issues, such as mineral resources, may
not require a detailed analysis relative to other issues because they do not occur in Arroyo Grande or would
be unaffected by the plan updates.
Alternatives Analysis
A range of EIR alternatives will be considered in the
ADPEIR. CEQA Guidelines require consideration of the
“No Project” Alternative. For purposes of this Program
EIR, the No Project Alternative would be a continuation of the existing General Plan without any updates or
additions. In addition to the “No-Project” Alternative, we will consider other alternatives (such as alternative land use scenarios) that will be developed during the
General Plan Update. Evaluation of alternatives will be in less detail than that for the proposed plans, though the analysis will provide decision-makers and the public adequate information to decide between alternatives.
This section will also identify the “environmentally
superior alternative.” If the “No Project” Alternative is determined to be environmentally superior, the ADPEIR
will identify the environmentally superior alternative
among the remaining scenarios.
Cumulative Impacts
The document will evaluate cumulative impacts based
on planning documents for the City’s Planning Area.
The contribution of the proposed plan updates to the
overall cumulative impact will also be estimated and
discussed. It is anticipated that cumulative analyses will be included at the end of each EIR topical section.
Other CEQA Sections
The ADPEIR will provide, in addition to the sections
discussed above, all other required CEQA sections,
including areas of known controversy, growth
inducement effects, and significant unavoidable
impacts. We will provide the ADPEIR to City staff in
digital (word) format. City staff will conduct one review of the ADPEIR and provide consolidated comments and
edits.
Task 6.6: Staff Review/Screen Check
Draft Program EIR
Our team will incorporate City input into the ADPEIR
and provide City staff with digital versions of the
ADPEIR in both Word and PDF formats. City staff
will conduct one review of the ADPEIR and provide
consolidated comments and edits. We will incorporate
appropriate revisions and prepare a Screen Check
Draft Program EIR (SDPEIR). The Screen Check version
will be provided in digital format.
Task 6.7: Draft Program EIR
Once City staff approve the SDPEIR, we will prepare
the Draft Program EIR (DPEIR) for public circulation.
We would file the DPEIR with the State Clearinghouse,
including all required accompanying forms, such as
the Notice of Completion (NOC), through the digital
CEQASubmit platform. We assume that City staff will
file the Notice of Availability (NOA) of the DPEIR with the County Clerk and distribute the NOA of the DPEIR
to responsible agencies, and interested agencies,
organizations, and persons. We also assume that City
staff will be responsible for required newspaper ads
and other public noticing of the document’s availability, such as radius label mailing or on-site posting. As
required by State law, the DPEIR will require at least a 45- day public review period.
Task 6.8: Draft and Final Response to
Comments
Within four weeks of receipt of comment letters
received on the DPEIR, our team will submit a draft
Response to Comments to City staff for review. The
Response to Comments document will include a list of
commenters, comment letters, responses to comments,
and any added or revised text of the DPEIR that may
be necessary. Responses to Comments will include
reasoned analysis and, as necessary, will include
additional analysis. The final version of the Response
to Comments will be incorporated as an appendix to
the Final Program EIR. The scope and budget assume
a level of effort that would include 100 hours of
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consultant time for this task. This assumes receipt of
approximately 15-25 comment letters. If the number
of comment letters and the effort to prepare responses
is greater than anticipated, we will notify City staff
immediately and discuss options to amend our scope
of work and budget as necessary. Following receipt of
City staff comments, we will finalize the Response to
Comments.
Task 6.9: Mitigation Monitoring and
Reporting Program
Concurrent with the Response to Comments, our team
will prepare a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting
Plan (MMRP), which we will include in the Final
Program EIR. We will provide the MMRP in a format
designed for use by planners, environmental monitors,
or code enforcement officers. Essentially, this plan will take the form of a detailed table that describes:
• Persons/agencies responsible for monitoring
compliance with each condition
• Timing when monitoring must occur
• Frequency of monitoring
• Criteria to be used to determine compliance
with conditions
We will incorporate the final version of the MMRP as
an appendix to the Final Program EIR.
Task 6.10: Final Program EIR
We will complete the Final Program EIR after the review period has closed and all comments submitted during
that period have been received. The Final Program
EIR will include corrections to the Draft Program EIR (if warranted), comments received, and responses (Task
6.7) as well as the MMRP (Task 6.9). Our team will
prepare a Screencheck Final Program EIR for City staff
review and confirmation followed by a Final Program
EIR after incorporating consolidated comments received
from City staff. Within one day of Final Program EIR
certification and project approval, we will submit the
draft Notice of Determination (NOD) to City staff.
We assume that City staff will file the NOD with the
County Clerk and be responsible for payment of filing
fees. We would then file the NOD with the State
Clearinghouse.
Phase 6 Deliverables
• Draft PEIR Project Description
• Final PEIR Project Description
• NOP (digital files and filing with State
Clearinghouse)
• Scoping Meeting materials
• Administrative Draft Program EIR
• Screencheck Draft Program EIR
• Draft Program EIR
• NOC/NOA (digital files and filing with State
Clearinghouse)
• Draft Response to Comments
• Final Response to Comments
• Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting Program
• Screencheck Final Program EIR
• Final Program EIR (digital version, 10 hard
copies, and 10 CD copies to the City)
• NOD (digital files and filing with State
Clearinghouse)
Phase 7 - Public Review and
Adoption
Task 7.1: Planning Commission Hearing
Our team will attend one public hearing with the
Planning Commission to review the Draft General Plan
and Final PEIR. The Planning Commission will consider
the comments made during the public hearing and
make recommendations to the City Council.
Task 7.2: City Council Hearing
Our team will attend one public hearing with the City
Council to review the Draft General Plan and Final
PEIR. At these hearings, the City Council will consider the Planning Commission recommendations and the
comments made at the public hearings. After the
hearings, the City Council will certify the Final PEIR and direct our team to incorporate their recommendations
and prepare the Final General Plan.
Task 7.3: Final General Plan Documents
Following City Council direction, we will prepare the
Final General Plan for adoption.
Task 7.4: City Council Adoption
Hearing
Our team will attend one hearing with the City Council
for adoption of the Final General.
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Existing Conditions
and Trends Evaluation
Workshop #2
Workshops
2023 2024 2025
Phase 1: Project Initiation
Phase 2: Public Outreach
Strategy
Phase 3: Gather and Analyze
Data
Phase 5: General Plan
Phase 4: Visioning and
Guiding Principles
Phase 7: Public Review and
Adoption
City of Arroyo Grande General Plan | Two-Year Proposed Schedule Phase 6: Program
Environmental
Impact Report 45-day Public Review
Study SessionMar
Apr
Oct
Nov
Dec
Nov
Dec
Aug
Sept
Jul
Oct
Aug
Sept
Jun
Jul
May
Feb
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jan
Feb
Study Sessions
Workshop #1
Stakeholder Interviews
GIS Data/
Basemap
General
Plan Audit
Project Website, Branding, and Logo
Kick-off Meeting
VMT Analysis
Existing Conditions
and Trends Workbook
Vision and Guiding Principles
Administrative Draft
General Plan Public Review
Draft General Plan
Administrative Draft
Program EIR
Draft Program EIR Final Program EIR
Response to
Comments
Planning Commission
Hearing
City Council
Hearing
City Council
Adoption
Final
General Plan
Final Work Plan and Schedule
SB 99 Analysis
Outreach Strategy
Kick-off Meeting
AB 747 Analysis
Land Use Analysis
Study Sessions
Existing Conditions
and Trends Evaluation
Workshop #2
Workshops
2023 2024 2025
Phase 1: Project Initiation
Phase 2: Public Outreach
Strategy
Phase 3: Gather and Analyze
Data
Phase 5: General Plan
Phase 4: Visioning and
Guiding Principles
Phase 7: Public Review and
Adoption
City of Arroyo Grande General Plan | Two-Year Proposed Schedule Phase 6: Program
Environmental
Impact Report 45-day Public Review
Study SessionMar
Apr
Oct
Nov
Dec
Nov
Dec
Aug
Sept
Jul
Oct
Aug
Sept
Jun
Jul
May
Feb
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jan
Feb
Study Sessions
Workshop #1
Stakeholder Interviews
GIS Data/
Basemap
General
Plan Audit
Project Website, Branding, and Logo
Kick-off Meeting
VMT Analysis
Existing Conditions
and Trends Workbook
Vision and Guiding Principles
Administrative Draft
General Plan Public Review
Draft General Plan
Administrative Draft
Program EIR
Draft Program EIR Final Program EIR
Response to
Comments
Planning Commission
Hearing
City Council
Hearing
City Council
Adoption
Final
General Plan
Final Work Plan and Schedule
SB 99 Analysis
Outreach Strategy
Kick-off Meeting
AB 747 Analysis
Land Use Analysis
Study Sessions
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
TWO-YEAR SCHEDULE
THREE-YEAR WORK SCOPE
The following three-year work scope builds upon the two-year work scope. Given the additional flexibility in schedule, the three-year scope offers more robust community engagement opportunities, an alternatives analysis, and a technical Development Code update for General Plan consistency. Several tasks described in the RFP are listed as optional tasks (e.g., additional public outreach, Climate Action Plan Update, objective design standards, and East Grand Avenue overlay district). While these tasks can certainly be added to the project work program, they have cost and timing implications that the three-year schedule would not accommodate fully and adequately.
If selected for the General Plan update, we will discuss with City staff the specific costs and time implications and include additional tasks as appropriate.
Phase 1 - Project Initiation
Task 1.1: Kick-Off Meeting and City
Tour
We will facilitate a kick-off meeting with City staff at the outset of the General Plan update. This meeting
will provide an opportunity to discuss ideas and
expectations for the project, confirm roles and
responsibilities, refine the work program and schedule, establish communication protocols, review, and discuss
overall format and organization of products, and meet
with key City department staff. We also initially discuss the public outreach strategy with City staff to ensure that a diverse group of community members, stakeholders,
and organizations participate in the General Plan
update process. This conversation will also include
identifying underrepresented or marginalized groups
in the city. Following this meeting, we will tour the city with City staff to examine key issue and opportunity
sites that will be addressed in the General Plan update program.
Task 1.2: Joint Study Session
Given the significance of the General Plan update,
it will be important for the City Council and Planning
Commission to meet our team early in the process.
We will facilitate an all-hands study session with
key City staff, City Council members, and Planning
Commissioners. This study session will provide a
common understanding of the need for and purpose
of the General Plan update, the key steps in the
process, public outreach, legislative mandates, and
contemporary planning issues. We will facilitate a
discussion on the major issues facing Arroyo Grande
and then solicit feedback on the several topical areas
that will be carried thematically through the General
Plan. The study session will be widely publicized and
open to interested community members. We will post
the session presentation, support materials, and results on the City’s and project website.
Task 1.3: Develop Final Work Program
Based on information exchanged during Tasks 1.1
and 1.2, we will refine the scope of work and project
schedule to address City input. The schedule will be
detailed to show:
• Proposed time frames for each phase;
• The timing for all major documents;
• Time frame for each joint Planning Commission
and City Council workshop; and
• Timing of various community engagement
activities.
The project schedule will include coordination and
community outreach components that will occur in
association with major milestones in the development of the General Plan update.
Phase 1 Deliverables
• Kick-Off meeting agenda and materials
• Joint Study Session presentation
• Joint Study Session materials
• Project schedule
• Final work program
Phase 2 - Public Outreach
Strategy
Task 2.1: Public Outreach Strategy
We will work with City staff to organize a
comprehensive Public Outreach Strategy that we will
use throughout the General Plan update. The intent is to implement robust, meaningful, and inclusive outreach
methods and events that transcend traditional public
outreach barriers. The Public Outreach Strategy will
detail outreach responsibilities and describe how the
engagement will be structured to ensure residents,
businesses, property owners, non-English speakers,
and underrepresented groups are aware of and
engaged in the project. The Strategy will adhere to
the tenants of City’s DEIJ Policy. As part of this strategy, we will develop and use the following engagement
components:
Business Cards. Business cards with the project
logo and website link are an easy way to get the
word out about the project. Agency staff, decisionmakers, and others can hand out the business cards to interested community members. This is an
effective way of creating interest in the project and
getting people to visit the website.
Press Releases. Prior to every community workshop
and document release, we will prepare and
distribute news releases to inform media outlets
serving the community about upcoming meetings.
Press releases describing the project meetings and
milestone documents can help educate and inform
community members about the planning process.
They also help ensure accurate project coverage
and eliminate confusion.
Online Engagement. As part of the project
website, we will set up an online engagement
platform to provide the community with an easy
method to provide input on the project. The online
engagement tool provides a suite of listening,
information, analysis, reporting, and relationship
management features that enables us to mix and
match precisely the right online tools for effective
community engagement. we will regularly update
the engagement site with new questions, surveys,
and opinion polls. These platforms have been used
successfully on several general plan projects to
engage the community.
Email Blasts. Within the first month of the project,
we will develop a template for email blasts that is
consistent with the overall project brand. We will
work with the City to develop a project-specific
email contact list and/or use the City’s existing
e-notifier to send regular email announcements.
PLEASE NOTE:
In an effort to better differentiate between the two- and three-year work scopes, we have highlighted additional three-year phases and tasks in red. These additional items are only applicable to the three-year work scope, otherwise all remaining tasks are included in both work scopes as provided in this proposal.
NOTE:
We have included a number of additional community
engagement activities in the Optional Tasks section
for City staff consideration.
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Newsletters. We will prepare newsletters at key
milestones in the project. The newsletters will
provide easy access to information and keep the
community up-to-date on the development of the
General Plan.
City Hall Displays. We will periodically provide
materials for City staff to display at City Hall.
These displays will provide timely information on
the update process, provide posters on current
developments, and provide opportunities for
interactive displays designed to gain community
input.
Pop-Up Events. We will work with City staff to
develop interactive materials that can be used by
City staff and community volunteers at various
community events (such as the Arroyo Grande
Farmers Market), providing a great way to
educate the community about the Update and
to gain their input at key stages of the Update
project.
In-Person and Virtual Community Workshops.
In-person workshops are a traditional, time-tested
community engagement activity. They should
be held at convenient places where people feel
comfortable gathering. Workshop sponsors should
offer food, translation services, and childcare to
make the meetings more accessible to families
and non-English speakers. Typically, we use one of
two workshop formats: open house or interactive.
The open house format is most useful to provide
information and getting high-level feedback. The
interactive workshops may include some or all
the open house components but will emphasize
participant interaction in either facilitated
discussion groups or exercises designed to gain
information about topics, such as the community
vision; issues, opportunities, and assets; and
alternatives and options. We will work with City
staff to determine the best location and time of
these events to ensure those with non-traditional
work schedules can provide their feedback.
Task 2.2: General Plan Website and
Branding
We will create and host a project specific website and
project branding unique to this General Plan update
and Arroyo Grande:
Project Branding. We will develop an overall
brand for the General Plan update with input from
City staff. This brand will be carried through all
materials, the project website, and presentations
to build enthusiasm about the project and ensure
that this effort is distinct in the minds of the public and other stakeholders. As part of this effort, we
will develop three branding options for the City’s
selection.
Project Website. We will design, develop, and
maintain a project website during the project.
The website will be fully translatable to over 50
languages for the benefit of all in the community
and will include the following:
Pop-Up Events
Pop-up booths are a great way to gain community
feedback in an informal an relaxed environment.
• Project information and overview and
purpose of the General Plan Process
• Listing of all meetings
• All presentations and materials produced for
public meetings and workshops
• Fact sheets regarding the planning process
• All materials produced for the Plan
• Library with all relevant documents
• Online surveys
• Social pinpoint (interactive online comment
capture and community conversation board)
• Email sign-ups
Click or visit the following links to view examples:
• Los Gatos General Plan
www.losgatos2040.com
• Pleasant Hill General Plan
www.pleasanthill2040.com
• Solvang General Plan
www.plansolvang.com
• San Ramon General Plan
www.plansanramon.com
Translation Services. Translation services are
essential to ensure effective, inclusive, and
accurate communication to all community
members. There are two basic types of translation
services for the project: verbal translation and
translation of written materials. Presentations,
posters, handouts, and all other written materials
should be produced in all languages that are
prominent in the community. Verbal translation
services should be provided at all public meetings
and workshops and advertised as such. Sometimes
individuals are more comfortable participating
in the planning process when a local community
group or organization is involved. If appropriate,
agency staff should work closely with local
organizations and individuals to reach out to nonEnglish speaking communities and ensure they are engaged in the process.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
Task 2.3: Stakeholder Interviews
We team will conduct up to 12 one-on-one and group
meetings with key stakeholders and community groups
to solicit input on issues and expectations for the
General Plan update. The purpose of these interviews
is to identify areas of concern and opportunity for
the city and ensure that we are incorporating broad
community support. We will develop the list of
stakeholders in consultation with City staff, but could include the Mayor, City Council members, and key
stakeholders that should include the representatives
from the school district, Bike Coalition, Chamber
of Commerce, Diversity Coalition of SLO County,
R.A.C.E. Matters, local developers, and others as
suggested by the city. This will also include specific
outreach to non-English speakers, seniors, and youth
within the community. These interviews will be virtual
via Zoom.
Task 2.4: Newsletter: General Plan
Update Overview
We will prepare a newsletter that describes what a
general plan is, how and why it is being revised,
the project schedule, and how the community can
participate. We will use the newsletter to promote the
online engagement and opportunities to be involved in
the Update process.
Phase 2 Deliverables
• Public Outreach Strategy
• Project branding style guide
• Project logo
• Project business cards
• Project website
• Stakeholder interview materials
• Stakeholder Interview Summary
• Newsletter: General Plan Update Overview
Newsletters
Our newsletters are high-graphical and help keep
community members and up-to-date on project phases.
Phase 3 - Gather and Analyze
Data
Task 3.1: Existing Data Collection and
Compilation
Knowledge of existing conditions within Arroyo
Grande will provide us and the community with a more
thorough understanding of what has changed since
the last General Plan was prepared and the trends
that will be shaping the community’s future. At the
beginning of the project, we will prepare a Request for Information (RFI), which will list the data items needed to understand the city on data level. Our team will
initially collect as much of this information as possible from online and external resources. The items requested (including native format files whenever possible)
typically include the following:
• Current City planning and development efforts
• Municipal Code and Development Code
• Any other pertinent information, documents, plans, and other items identified by City staff • Infrastructure and utilities plans
Task 3.2: Assemble GIS Data and
Prepare the Base Map
We will work with City staff to obtain existing City
and County GIS data and review City mapping
protocol and requirements. We will prepare base
maps for reports and display presentation, including
establishing a uniform legend and title block for use
on all maps prepared. We will then develop all GIS
data and mapping prepared for the General Plan
Update consistent with City protocols and data formats
to ensure easy integration into the City’s information
system. At the conclusion of the General Plan update
project, we will provide to the City all original data as well as project specific data layers modified or created by our team.
Task 3.3: General Plan Audit
We will work with City staff to evaluate the existing
General Plan to determine what works, what does not
work, and where the plan is not providing adequate
or current guidance. This will be done using our
proprietary General Plan Audit Tool. This tool will help City staff gain insights on the existing General Plan
clarity, linkages to other plans, progress in achieving desired outcomes, and whether goals, policies, and
programs should be carried forward, modified, or
removed. The Audit will also consider the General Plan
additions needed to address changes in State law,
the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR)
General Plan Guidelines, and contemporary planning
practice. The results of this review will be documented in a General Plan Audit Report. At a minimum, the
Audit Report will address the following questions:
Completion. Has a policy or program been
achieved or carried out?
Clarity. Is the policy or program language clear
and easily interpreted?
Progress. Can policy or program implementation
be easily monitored?
Outcome. Did the policy or program result in the
desired outcome and achieve the vision or goals
of the General Plan.
Continuation. Is the goal, policy, or program
still relevant and can be carried forward into the
updated General Plan?
Current. Does the goal, policy, or program
adequately address current issues?
Modification. How should the goal, policy, or
program be modified to provide better direction or
address current issues and trends?
Task 3.4: Existing Conditions Evaluation
We will collect, research, and assess existing
conditions and trends for the following topics. A
summary of key information from this evaluation will
be presented in the Existing Conditions and Trends
Workbook (Task 3.8) while the full data assessment will be included in the EIR.
Land Use. We will analyze the existing General
Plan land uses and adopted plans that affect
development in Arroyo Grande. We will map and
analyze existing land uses based on available City
GIS data and identify opportunities and constraints
for future development and reuse. We will also
describe regional planning efforts affecting the
city. This section will also summarize the community
character of Arroyo Grande neighborhoods.
Population, Employment, and Housing. We
will collect and assess historical, current, and
projected population, employment, and housing
characteristics in the Planning Area. We will work
with the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments
(SLOCOG) to obtain the most current demographic
and housing data, including US Census data, and
data available from the California Department of
Finance.
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Circulation and Transportation. Our team will
compile data and information on roadway
segments, transit services, and bicycle and
pedestrian facilities. This evaluation will build
on work performed during the 2021 Circulation
Element update that included updates to the City’s
Transportation Impact Fee (TIF), nexus study and
Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) guidelines,
as well as the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP).
We will prepare a concise summary of existing
mobility conditions, including updating available
background data where relevant, U.S. Census
travel mode data, and summarizing collision data
and safety recommendations from the LRFP. Our
evaluation analyzes multi-modal travel, vehicle
miles traveled (VMT) reductions and the provision
of complete streets, including opportunities and
constraints for bicycle, pedestrian, motor vehicle,
and transit travel. We will summarize key data and
information on roadway segments, transit services,
and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. We will
prepare a detailed description accompanied with
maps and graphics illustrating the roadway system,
bicycle and pedestrian facilities, peak hour traffic
counts, and transit routes and stops.
Biological Resources. Our team will compile data
on sensitive habitats, principal vegetation cover
types, and special-status and endangered species.
This will include primary source material from the
local and regional habitat plans, supplemented
with limited windshield surveys and review of
existing biology studies completed for the city.
Cultural Resources. Our team will compile
data on historic structures and locations and
conduct an archaeological sensitivity analysis for
both prehistoric and historic sites using records
maintained at the regional information center and
published in research papers. We will ensure
that appropriate individuals are contacted with
the surrounding Native American Tribes to ensure
sensitive cultural resources are documented
appropriately consistent with recent State mandates
(SB 18).
Economics. Our team will update the City’s
economic and market data. The update will
cover key demographic, economic, and real
estate factors affecting the city and its role in the
broader region. We will identify the strengths of
the local economy, key competitive attributes and
positioning, and challenges and opportunities
related to an economy heavily reliant on tourism.
Additionally, we will summarize retail trends by
major business category, existing commercial and
industrial vacancies, fiscal revenue sources, and
City General Fund expenditures (broken down by
major budget category).
Public Facilities, Services, and Infrastructure. Our
team will compile data on infrastructure, resources,
services, and facilities related to water supply
and delivery, wastewater collection and disposal,
stormwater drainage, solid waste and recycling,
energy and telecommunications, law enforcement,
fire protection, health care, schools, and
education, and government services. We will also
assess if the General Plan must include information
related to recent State mandates that require
cities to identify service needs for unincorporated
disadvantaged communities (SB 244).
Noise. Our team will review existing noise data,
including recent EIRs and studies, and summarizes
the existing noise environment in Arroyo Grande
resulting from major roadways and highways, and
stationary noise sources and activities. We will
also document existing noise-sensitive areas and
sites. We will also summarize current information
on ground vibration.
Air Quality. Our team will compile data on
existing air quality conditions within Arroyo Grande
and the nearby vicinity. This will specifically
include the location of existing sensitive receptors
and emission sources, existing mass emissions,
ambient air quality concentration data from the
most applicable monitoring station(s), attainment
designations and natural factors that relate to the
transport and dispersion of air pollutants.
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Climate Change. Our team will prepare a
climate change section that includes a discussion
of climate change and how the General Plan
Update will address this issue, including both the
reduction of GHG emissions and climate change
vulnerability and adaptation. The report will
briefly summarize relevant background information
regarding these topics and lay out a framework
for the General Plan Update to address climate
change.
Hazards and Safety (including geology). Our
team will compile data on existing natural and
manmade hazards. As part of this evaluation,
we will summarize the geological environment
and associated hazards. This section will
address Seismic Hazard Zones (and soil strength
properties. We will summarize the latest FEMA
floodplain mapping to illustrate potential safety and
development constraints. We will summarize urban
and wildland fire risks, fire hazard risk areas,
and fire protection resources. Our team will also
describe major users and producers of hazardous
materials within or adjacent to the city.
Hydrology and Water Quality. Our team will
summarize sources of groundwater and surface
water, water consumption rates, measures used
to conserve water, and renewable water facilities
and resources. This section will document potential
pollution sources, areas susceptible to water quality
degradation, and source issues and capacity
constraints.
Social and Environmental Justice. Our team will
prepare a section that provides a background on
social and environmental Justice. The discussion
will focus on exposure to environmental hazards,
healthy and affordable housing, access to job
markets, access to health care and healthy foods,
community equality, and community empowerment.
The information gathered will be used to draft the
new Environmental Justice Element (see Task 6.9).
Task 3.5: Community Workshop #1:
Assets, Issues, and Opportunities
Identification
We will facilitate a community workshop to address
assets, issues, and opportunities facing the community.
The community workshop will be a two-part event.
During the first part of the event, our team will provide the community with an overview of the information
developed for Existing Conditions and Trends
Workbook (Task 3.8). This component will highlight
the existing conditions and trends that will influence
the future of the community. The second part of the
event will involve interactive exercises designed to gain input on the assets, issues, and opportunities that the public would like to see addressed in the General Plan
update. We will use a combination of informational
boards, group and individual engaging exercises,
breakout sessions, surveys, and online. The intent
of this workshop is to get community input on what
they think about Arroyo Grande, what they want to
preserve, and what they want to change. Workshop
materials can be provided in both English and nonEnglish languages.
Task 3.6: Assets, Issues, and
Opportunities Workshop Summary
Report
Based on input collected from City staff and Assets,
Issues, and Opportunities Community Workshop, we
will prepare a summary report that categorizes, and
reports all input received. This input will be further
synthesized and reported in the Existing Conditions and Trends Workbook (Task 3.8).
Task 3.7: Newsletter: Existing
Conditions and Trends
We will prepare a newsletter summarizing the results
of the major findings from the Existing Conditions
and Trends Workbook. We will use the newsletter to
publicize the upcoming workshop in Phase 4.
Task 3.8: Existing Conditions and
Trends Workbook
We will prepare an Existing Conditions and Trends
Workbook. The Workbook will be written in an
engaging way to tell a thought-provoking story of
Arroyo Grande – where it has been, where it is today,
and the trends that will shape its future. The Workbook will also identify the significant problems, issues, and concerns facing the community that were identified in
Community Workshop #1 (Task 3.5). The Workbook
will be highly graphical and will use infographics,
charts, maps, and photographs combined with
storytelling techniques. While the content will largely depend on the direction provided by City staff,
decision-makers, and the community during the initial
outreach efforts, we assume the workbook, at a
minimum, will cover the following topics:
• Purpose of the General Plan Update
• All topics analyzed in the Existing Conditions
and Trends Evaluation (see Task 3.4)
• Location and geographic boundary
description, including the regional setting,
Sphere of Influence, and City limits
• A description of the city’s history, including a
graphic timeline of significant events, places,
and people in Arroyo Grande’s past
• A description of what has changed since
Arroyo Grande last updated its General
Plan, including local trends as well as national
and global trends that have shaped our lives
and will continue to shape the future (e.g., the
internet, social networking, online shopping,
car sharing, self-driving cars, sustainable
communities initiatives)
• A snapshot of current conditions and trends,
including a demographic profile, housing
characteristics, economic and market
conditions, transportation infrastructure and
travel patterns, health and environmental
justice, climate change and adaptation,
community design and character description,
and population and development trends
• A description of quality-of-life characteristics,
including parks and open space, arts and
culture, and public realm improvements that
have made Arroyo Grande an exceptional
place to live
This task includes preparation of an initial outline, an administrative draft for staff review, and a final draft that incorporates edits following one round of review
by City staff. The final Existing Conditions and Trends Workbook could be fully translated into non-English
languages.
Phase 3 Deliverables
• Request for Information (RFI)
• GIS Base Maps
• General Plan Audit Report
• Community Workshop #1 Guide
• Community Workshop #1 Materials
• Newsletter: Existing Conditions and Trends
• Assets, Issues, and Opportunities Summary Report
• Administrative Draft Existing Conditions and
Trends Workbook
• Final Existing Conditions and Trends Workbook
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Phase 4 - Visioning and
Guiding Principles
A General Plan vision statement and guiding principles
are designed to reflect what community members value
most about their community and the shared aspirations
of what they envision their community being in the
future. The vision statement should be inspirational
and set the key values and aspirations for the General
Plan guiding principles. The guiding principles
should provide more specific guidance that provides
the fundamental doctrine that will be used to guide
development of the General Plan goals and policies.
During this phase, we will work with community
members and leaders, the Planning Commission, and
the City Council to form Arroyo Grande’s vision for the future and guiding principles.
Task 4.1: Community Workshop #2:
Community Visioning Workshop
Our team will facilitate an in-person community
visioning and guiding principles workshop. This
workshop will have three parts. First, as participants
arrive, they can visit a variety of informational
stations, based on the Existing Conditions and Trends
Workbook. These stations will inform participants on
the key planning issues in the Update. Second, we
will present status reports on our progress to date and answer questions about the General Plan Update.
Third, we will have a series of interactive exercise that will solicit feedback from the community on a collective vision and set of guiding principles. These activities
could include the following:
Opportunities and Enhancements. The goal of this
station is to help participants identify the places or
features of Arroyo Grande that offer opportunities
for improvement or enhancement. It will help
identify participant’s priorities. This exercise would
include a large wall map of the city with generic
images that represent things that participants would
like to see in the city. Participants would then
participate in a series of mini-exercises to identify
which features they feel would reflect the kind of
improvements that would benefit Arroyo Grande
over the next 25 years.
Postcards from the Future. In this exercise,
participants would be asked to pretend they are
sending a postcard from Arroyo Grande from the
future. Participants draw a picture to illustrate their vision and write a message to someone describing
their experience in Arroyo Grande.
“Mad Libs” Vision Game. In this exercise,
participants would be asked to develop their
ideal vision for the city. Participants would be
encouraged to brainstorm words, phrases, and
ideas with other participants to come up with the
most creative and inspirational vision. From this
exercise, we obtain the key descriptors that are
used to describe people’s aspirations for the future
of the community. These inputs help identify what
aspects are the most important and are used to
frame the vision statement.
Task 4.2: Visioning Pop-Up Event
We will provide materials for City staff to set up
a visioning “pop-up” booth at up to two events in
Arroyo Grande. The booths would feature boards and
hand-outs that provide an overview of the General
Plan update and gain feedback on a General Plan
Vision Statement and Guiding Principles. While it is
assumed that City staff will attend and run the booth,
if selected for this project, we can discuss having a
member of the our team present at these events.
Task 4.3: Public Outreach Summary
Report: Workshop #2
We will prepare an outreach summary summarizing
the feedback received during Community Visioning
Workshop (Workshop #2). The summary report
will include an overview of the visioning process, a
discussion of input received in the process, and an
outline of next steps in the update project.
Task 4.4: Draft Vision Statement and
Guiding Principals
Our team will prepare the Administrative Draft Vision
Statement and Guiding Principles that represent the
ideal future for the city. We will create the draft Vision Statement and Guiding Principles based on input
gathered at the Community Visioning Workshop and
input from City staff. Following review by City staff,
we will revise the Administrative Draft and prepare
Draft Vision and Guiding Principles for review by the
Planning Commission and City Council.
Task 4.5: Planning Commission Study
Session: Vision and Guiding Principles
We will attend a Planning Commission meeting to
present the community and Commission the Draft
Vision Statement and Guiding Principles. We will
facilitate a discussion of the results of the public
outreach activities that lead to the development of
the Statement, present the Draft Vision Statement and
Guiding Principles, and solicit feedback from the
Commission. Based on that feedback received, we will
refine the Draft Vision Statement for presentation to
the City Council.
Task 4.6: City Council Study Session:
Vision and Guiding Principles
We will attend a City Council meeting to present the
Planning Commission recommended Draft Vision
Statement and Guiding Principles. We will facilitate a
discussion of the Vision Statement and get direction
from the City Council. Based on that direction, we
will prepare the Final Vision Statement and Guiding
Principles.
Task 4.7: Final Vision Statement and
Guiding Principles
Following review by the Planning Commission and
City Council, we will revise and prepare a Final Vision Statement and Guiding Principles that we will use to
guide development of the General Plan Update.
Phase 4 Deliverables
• Community Workshop #2 Guide
• Community Workshop #2 materials
• Community Workshop #2 presentation
• Visioning Pop-Up Events Guide
• Visioning Pup-Up Events materials
• Community Workshop #2 Outreach Summary
• Administrative Draft Vision Statement and
Guiding Principles
• Planning Commission Vision and Guiding Principles Study Session Presentation • Planning Commission Vision and Guiding Principles Study Session Materials • City Council Vision and Guiding Principles Study Session Presentation • City Council Vision and Guiding Principles Study Session Materials • Final Vision Statement and Guiding Principles
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
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Phase 5 - Alternative Choices
During this phase, our team will facilitate dialogue
with the community and decision-makers to establish
community priorities for future growth and change.
We will use the results the Existing Conditions and
Trends Workbook, Community Workshops #1 and
#2, input from online exercises, the General Plan
Audit, Vision Statement, and Guiding Principles to
develop land use alternatives. These alternatives will
be reviewed by the community, Planning Commission,
and City Council. Out of this dialogue we expect
to emerge with a consensus on future growth and
change. As indicated in the RFP, this change may
include an expansion of the City’s Sphere of Influence.
Task 5.1: Initial Growth Alternatives
Based on the initial direction from the City staff, City Council, and Planning Commission, we will prepare
issue and opportunity area maps and a potential
development areas map that will form a framework for
the discussion of land use alternatives.
Task 5.2: Consultant Team/Staff Work
Session
We and City staff will have a work session to discuss
the initial alternative options developed by our team.
The outcome of this work session will be refined land
use alternatives for discussion at the Alternatives
Community Workshop #3.
To better facilitate this working session, we will use
UrbanFootprint’s intelligent geospatial analysis
platform. UrbanFootprint will allow us to develop
several realistic alternatives and explore the impacts
of each in real time. Among other things, the
UrbanFootprint platform allows our team to analyze:
• Population increase
• Housing burden
• Energy consumption
• Water consumption
• Transit accessibility
• Green house gas emissions
Task 5.3: Community Workshop #3:
Developing Growth Alternatives
We will assist City staff to organize and facilitate a
Community Workshop to present our team’s findings to
date and to present land use alternatives. Following a
presentation of the alternatives, we and City staff will facilitate breakout sessions with community members
organized around development opportunity sites.
Using maps, graphics, and three-dimensional building
blocks, community members will provide their ideas
about potential land use changes. Questions we might
ask the participants are:
• What is your big idea for the future
development of each area?
• Which types of development and uses should
be part of this area’s future?
• How should each area be connected to the rest
of the city? What’s the best way to get in, out,
and around here? Would changes need to be
made to make this area more accessible?
• Are there other areas of the city you would
like to see reimagined? How would you like to
see them change?
Our team and City staff will then use the results
of Workshop #2 to refine the Alternatives for
presentation at a joint study session of the City Council and Planning Commission.
Task 5.4: City Council/Planning
Commission Joint Study Session
Our team will assist City staff to facilitate a joint study session of the City Council and Planning Commission
to present the results of the Community Workshop #2
and discuss our recommendations to City staff for their feedback and direction. We will ask the City Council
to provide direction on their preferred alternative.
Phase 5 Deliverables
• Draft Growth Alternatives
• Consultant Team/Staff Working Session agenda
• Consultant Team/Staff Working Session materials
• Community Workshop #3 materials
• Community Workshop #3 Summary
• Study Session materials
• Preferred Growth Alternatives
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Phase 6 - General Plan
Preparing the General Plan is the most enduring part
of the Update process. The goals, policies, and
implementation strategies will serve as the City’s
blueprint for growth and development for the next
20 plus years. It memorializes all the decisions and
directions made to this point in the update process and acts as the guide for how the City and community can
achieve the vision for the future. The updated General
Plan will be crafted as an effective tool for staff
implementation and will be a highly-graphic, engaging
plan that is easy for everyone in the community to use
and understand.
We will prepare an Administrative Review Draft
General Plan. Our team will format the General Plan
to be attractive, contemporary, and user-friendly, using extensive photos, illustrations, and maps. As part of
this coordination, we will propose solutions for the
organization and layout of the General Plan elements.
This will be based on a review of the current element
structure and the need to cover a wide range of new
State requirements enacted since the General Plan was
last updated. As part of the design, the separation or
combination of topics into various elements will be
discussed.
As part of the Update, we will ensure that all the
requirements of State law, such as complete streets,
flood risk reduction, adaptation, resiliency, safety,
noise, and environmental justice are covered. We
will also ensure full compliance with the State’s
General Plan Guidelines. Our team will prepare
a comprehensive implementation strategy that
includes tangible actions the City will undertake to
implement the goals, policies, and objectives. The
implementation strategy will include an updated
economic development strategy. As part of developing
this strategy, a key task will be ensuring that the City understands the implications, resource needs, and fiscal impacts of the implementation strategy. This ensures that the City makes an informed decision about the work it
is signing up to complete.
Task 6.1: General Plan Design, Format,
and Organization Options
In close consultation with City staff, we will prepare
optional approaches for the General Plan design,
format, and organization. We will provide for the
overall look and presentation of the Plan, including
font size and style, page layout, maps, graphics, and
illustrations. Our team will prepare sample table of
contents to accompany the organizational options.
Following City staff review, we will refine the options as necessary.
Task 6.2: Land Use Element
Subtask 6.2-1:Land Use Density and
Intensity Evaluation
As part of preparing the Draft Land Use Element,
we will evaluate existing residential density and
intensity requirements in the City’s mixed-use zoning
districts. From this evaluation, our team will strategize with City staff on possible solutions to adjust these
densities and intensities to better achieve the desired community vision.
Subtask 6.2-2: Administrative Draft Land
Use Element
We will update the Land Use Element to integrate
the feedback provided by the community, Planning
Commission, City Council, and City staff. Our team
and City staff will collaborate to develop land use
designations and prepare a draft Land Use Diagram
(Task 5.10). We will review existing citywide land
use designations and determine a concise set of land
use designations that fit the needs of all areas of
the city. The designations and Diagram will indicate
the distribution, location, and standards for the use
of land for housing, commerce, industry, public
facilities, waste disposal, recreation, agriculture,
natural resources, and open space. The land use
designations will broadly define the purpose of
each land use category as well as allowed uses.
Land use designations will also include standards
of population density and building intensity. These
designations will promote public health, reduce
infrastructure costs, enhance the local economy, and
address environmental issues.
Task 6.3: Circulation Element
The Circulation Element describes the existing
and future transportation network, articulates the
City’s mobility vision, addresses State and regional
requirements, and anticipates future mobility needs.
While the existing Circulation Element was recently
updated in 2021, our team will review the Element
to determine areas that may need to be updated.
Updates to the Circulation Element may include those
resulting from:
• Findings form AB 747 Analysis (see Task 6.5)
• Updates to the planned mobility network at
buildout to accommodate changes to the Land
Use Element
• Increased prioritization of a non-vehicular travel
and complete streets improvements, including
incorporation recommendations from the
upcoming Active Transportation Plan that will
be conducted concurrently
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• Mobility and access recommendations to
support the optional East Grand Avenue
Overlay District
• Provision of a reformatted Circulation Element
that converts the current stand-alone Circulation
Element to serve as one chapter of the larger
General Plan document, to match the updated
format of the other (chapter) elements
• Refinements to goal, policy, and
implementation program language to be
consistent with the overall General Plan update
and priorities of other updated elements
• Changes in land use patterns and policies
established in the Land Use and Safety
Elements
• Potential changes resulting for the City’s update
to the Active Transportation Plan
Task 6.4: Noise Element
Based on the findings from the Existing Conditions and
Trends Workbook, will identify major stationary and
mobile sources of noise in the City and visually identify traffic noise contours based on data from the traffic
report. For this analysis, we will prepare noise contour maps and descriptions of existing noise conditions.
At City staff discretion, we may conduct up to four
noise measurements at key locations in the city for the purpose of validating the noise models.
Our team will also identify goals, policies, and
implementation programs to address noise consistent
with legislative requirements and changing conditions
since the last update to the City’s General Plan. Goals and policies will consider type, location, and extent of noise incompatibility in the community.
Task 6.5: Safety Element
Subtask 6.5-1: Vulnerability Assessment
In accordance with California Government Code
65302(g) and SB 379, our team will complete a
Climate Vulnerability Assessment which will detail
the anticipated climate impacts on the city of Arroyo
Grande, such as increases in temperature, more
intense and frequent extreme heat events, more
intense and frequent drought, higher frequency of
catastrophic floods, and more severe and frequent
wildfires. At a qualitative level, we will evaluate
the locations of the city’s critical facilities and
services (such as fire stations and evacuation routes)
in relation to potential climate change impacts
based on readily available geospatial data. We
will prepare the Climate Change Vulnerability
Assessment consistent with the latest (2020)
California Adaptation Planning Guide, as described
in California Government Code 65302(g) and the
Office of Planning and Research’s General Plan
Guidelines. We will produce maps using data from
existing plans and available geospatial data sources,
including:
• Internet-based Cal-Adapt tool
• Internet-based Healthy Places Index tool to
identify vulnerable populations
• San Luis Obispo County Multi-Jurisdictional\
Hazard Mitigation Plan (October 2019), of
which Arroyo Grande is a participating
jurisdiction
• California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment,
Regional Report
• Existing development in identified at-risk areas,
including structures, roads, utilities, and
essential public facilities
• Arroyo Grande local land use plans and
implementing documents
A key component of the Climate Change
Vulnerability Assessment will be an evaluation of the
potential for climate change to disproportionately
impact vulnerable population groups (e.g., seniors,
children, low-income communities, outdoor workers).
The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
will rely on modeling scenarios per the California
Adaptation Planning Guide and the Office of
Planning and Research’s General Plan Guidelines.
The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment will be
a qualitative analysis and will not include quantitative asset analysis by hazard area.
Subtask 6.5-2: SB 99 Analysis
SB 99 requires all cities and counties, upon the next
revision of the Housing Element on or after January
1, 2020, to update the Safety Element to include
information identifying residential development in
any hazard areas identified in the Safety Element
that do not have at least two emergency evacuation
routes. We will coordinate with City staff to identify
residential developments in any hazard area
identified in the Safety Element that do not have at
least two emergency evacuation routes. Our team
will coordinate with City staff to develop a citywide
map using ESRI that identifies communities with fewer
than two ingress/egress and provide a narrative
description of the implications for evacuation
planning. We will use the analysis to determine if
the City should consider specific goals or policies
to address any identified access limitations or
constraints and incorporate these into the Safety
Element.
Subtask 6.5-3: AB 747 Evacuation Capacity
Analysis
We will conduct an emergency evacuation
analysis, consistent with AB 747, that will evaluate
the capacity of evacuation routes under the City’s
identified evacuation scenarios. Our team will
confer with City staff to confirm the City’s key
evacuation scenarios. We will assess the capacity
of evacuation routes, taking into account population
and employment in specific zones of the city using
the SLOCOG model, under several emergency
evacuation scenarios. Based on this assessment, we
will provide recommendations for strategic measures
to be implemented during evacuation where relevant.
We will then summarize the results in a memorandum
with accompanying maps for City review.
Subtask 6.5-4: Administrative Draft Safety
Element
Our team will identify goals, policies, and
implementation programs to address climate change
risks and identified evacuation risks. The Safety
Element will be updated with additional background
descriptions and maps and the constrained parcel
group analysis and the evacuation capacity
assessment. Goals and policies will aim to minimize
risk associated with climate change and evacuation
capacity constraints and build capacity to respond
to the projected impacts of climate change, working
towards creating a resilient, sustainable Arroyo
Grande community. The Safety Element will also be
updated to include a discussion of how it aligns with
other General Plan elements. As requested in the RFP,
the Countywide Local Hazard Mitigation Plan will be
incorporated into the updated Element.
Subtask 6.5-5: Safety Technical Advisory
Committee Meeting
We will assist City staff with facilitating a Safety
Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) meeting to
discuss the Administrative Draft Safety Element.
The STAC should include staff from police, fire,
emergency services, and perhaps County and State
public safety agencies. We can discuss the STAC
membership further at the kick-off meeting. This
will be a virtual meeting via Zoom or other on-line
technology.
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Task 6.6: Agriculture, Conservation,
and Open Space Element
Our team will prepare an Administrative Draft
Agriculture, Conservation, and Open Space Element.
The updated Element will reflect any changes resulting
from the Land Use Element, especially if the City intends on annexing unincorporated county land or expanding
the existing Sphere of Influence. The updated Element
will identify policies for protecting and conserving open spaces, agricultural lands, and other natural resources.
Additionally, the Element will consider mitigation
measures when agricultural properties are proposed for
conversion to urban uses.
Task 6.7: Parks and Recreation Element
Our team will prepare an Administrative Draft Parks
and Recreation Element. The updated Element will
reflect any changes resulting from the Land Use Element and feedback received from City Council, Planning
Commission, and the community. We will establish
goals and policies to ensure the city meets the parkland and recreation needs of the community, and offer
strategies for City staff to consider.
Task 6.8: Economic Development
Element
Subtask 6.8-1: Economic Opportunities
Analysis
As background for the updated Economic
Development Element, our team will complete
an Economic Opportunities Analysis focused on
Arroyo Grande’s business growth and job creation
potentials. This analysis will ensure that the General
Plan land use alternatives are optimized from a job
creation perspective. The economic opportunities
analysis will include the following sub-tasks:
• Location quotient analysis to identify industries
business types for which Arroyo Grande and
the larger Central Coast region have a
competitive advantage relative to national
benchmarks;
• Analysis of recent historic job growth by
industry (Arroyo Grande and Central Coast
region), including a “shift share” comparison to
national trends;
• Review of relevant studies and strategies
prepared by regional economic development
organizations (i.e., REACH and the Economic
Vitality Corporation of San Luis Obispo
County);
• Profile of current regional initiatives focused on
targeted growth industries; and
• Profile of current initiatives focused on
addressing the potential economic impacts and
repositioning opportunities related to the
pending (but delayed) decommissioning of the
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.
Based on the above sources of information, we
will identify the industry types likely to offer the most significant growth potentials for Arroyo Grande over
the next 10-20 years. Our team will also identify
any specific land use policies that would enhance
the City’s potential for attracting and growing target
industries.
Subtask 6.8-2: Small Business Workshop
Consistent with the City’s DEIJ and economic
development priorities, our team will conduct a
workshop with Arroyo Grande’s small business
community. The purposes of this meeting will be
to better understand existing conditions from the
perspective of local small businesses, identify any
pressing barriers or threats to their continued
operation in the city, discuss potential opportunities
for small business growth, and define specific
policies or programs (within the context of the
updated General Plan Economic Development
Element) the City could implement to foster small
business development.
Subtask 6.8-3: Administrative Draft
Economic Development Element
We will prepare a General Plan Economic
Development Element that addresses the City’s
development, job creation, tourism, and fiscal
stability goals. The element will include the following:
• The City’s goals and policies for Economic
Development, presented in a format consistent
with other elements of the Plan
• Polices to retain local businesses and attract
head-of-household jobs
• Goals, policies, and programs aimed at
addressing the impacts from the
decommissioning of the Diablo Canyon Power
Plant
• A summary of the economic opportunities
analysis
• Policies aimed at supporting the City’s business
retention/expansion/attraction and
entrepreneurial development potentials
• Specific strategies for attracting targeted land
uses (e.g., retail, industrial, hotels)
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Task 6.9: Environmental Justice Element
Subtask 6.9-1: Environmental Justice
Community Analysis
All people, regardless of race, culture, or income,
deserve the right to live, work, play, and pray in
a healthy and safe environment. Unfortunately,
across the United States, residents of low-income
communities, communities of color, and indigenous
communities are disproportionately impacted by
environmental pollution and experience higher rates
of related health problems. Conditions in these
communities can be traced to a variety of factors
including, but not limited to, a history of inequitable land use and zoning policies, underinvestment, and
lack of meaningful engagement with community
residents in planning and policy decisions. In each of
these communities, there is often a history of residents coming together to advocate for and achieve
environmental justice.
With the adoption of Senate Bill (SB) 1000,
California Government Code Section 65302(h)
requires local jurisdictions to incorporate
environmental justice in their general plans. The
statute requires local governments to develop
policies to reduce the disproportionate exposure
to pollution in neighborhoods that also experience
increased social and economic challenges.
California law refers to communities with high levels
of environmental and socioeconomic vulnerability as
“disadvantaged communities.”
Our team will use at least two geospatial screening
tools with socioeconomic, environmental, and health
information to identify potential “disadvantaged
communities” in Arroyo Grande. These tools include:
CalEnviroScreen 4.0. The California Environmental
Health and Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) 4.0
is a science-based mapping tool that ranks each
census tract in the State using a series if indicators
to identify communities most affected from multiple
pollutants and who are vulnerable to pollution’s
effects.
EJSCREEN. The US Environmental Protection
Agency’s (USEPA) Environmental Justice Screening
and Mapping Tool (EJSCREEN) similarly uses
environmental and demographic data to rank each
census block group’s environmental health risks
nationally.
Subtask 6.9-2: Environmental Justice
Working Session
From the research and findings gained during the
Environmental Justice analysis (Subtask 5.9-1), we
will facilitate a working session with City staff to
discuss potential findings. This working session will
be held virtually via Zoom (or another City preferred
platform). As part of this working session, our team
will strategize with City staff on the materials and
exercises to be presented during the Environmental
Justice Community Workshops (Subtask 5.9-3).
Subtask 6.9-3: Community Workshops #4
and #5: Environmental Justice Element
Our team will work with City staff and local
community organizations to facilitate up to two
community workshops on the Environmental Justice
Element. We will work with City staff to determine
both locations and times for these workshops that
allow those with non-traditional work schedules to
attend and provide feedback. We and community
group representatives will make a presentation on
the Environmental Justice Element and facilitate an
interactive discussion.
Consistent with the City’s adopted DEIJ Policy,
all discussions could include simultaneous verbal
translation. All workshop materials and presentations
can be fully translated into whatever language City
staff feel would be beneficial. For those unable to
join the workshops in person, all materials and a
video recording of the workshops will be posted on
the project website. We will summarize the results
of the input received in the Administrative Draft
Environmental Justice Element.
Subtask 6.9-4: Environmental Justice
Pop-Up Events
We will provide materials for City staff to set up an
Environmental Justice “pop-up” booth at up to two
events in Arroyo Grande. The booths would feature
boards and hand-outs that provide an overview of
the General Plan update and gain feedback on the
Environmental Justice Element. While it is assumed
that City staff will attend and run the booth, if
selected for this project, we can discuss having a
member of our team present at these events.
Subtask 6.9-5: Administrative Draft
Environmental Justice Element
Our team will prepare an Administrative Draft
Environmental Justice Element that aligns with
the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
Guidelines. We will use CalEnviroscreen 4.0 and
EJSCREEN to determine areas of concern regarding
environmental justice issues consistent with SB 1000.
The Environmental Justice Element at a minimum will
address goals, policies, and programs pertaining
to educational attainment, pollution burden of
disadvantaged communities, and identification of
burdensome quality of life metrics including poverty,
unemployment, linguistic isolation, and health.
The Element will include an introduction describing
racial, social, and environmental injustices in
historical planning practices and how the General
Plan includes planning practices that promote
healthy, diverse, and equitable communities. We will
focus goals, policies, and implementation programs
for racial and social justice, environmental justice,
and civic engagement in the public decision-making
process.
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Task 6.10: Prepare Land Use and
Circulation Diagrams
Our team will prepare an updated Land Use Diagram
as part of the Administrative Draft General Plan.
We will discuss options for streamlining the land use
designations and graphic design options for making
the land use diagram more user-friendly.
Based on the distribution of land uses on the Land
Use Diagram, we will develop and prepare a Draft
Circulation Diagram. The classifications and diagram
will indicate the distribution, location, and standards for city roadways. The classifications could also expand
upon the functional classifications to consider street
context and non-auto travel modes. This definition
ensures that street standards are not uniformly applied, but consider a street’s relation to surrounding land uses, appropriate travel speeds, and need to accommodate
multiple travel modes. Roadway standards could also
be developed to use Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
instead of or in addition to LOS standards.
Task 6.11: Preliminary Public Review
Draft General Plan
Our team will revise the Administrative Draft General
Plan based on City staff comments and prepare a
Preliminary Public Review Draft General Plan for review by the Planning Commission and City Council. The
step of reviewing the Preliminary Public Review Draft
General Plan with advisory bodies and decision-makers
is important to ensure the Draft Plan meets expectations before conducting the CEQA analysis.
Task 6.12: Community Workshop #6:
Draft General Plan
We will facilitate an open house style community
workshop to present the Preliminary Public Review
Draft General Plan. We will host stations for each of
the General Plan Elements with a member of our team
and City staff at each station to answer questions. We
will provide opportunities for written comments that we will compile into a report to the Planning Commission
and City Council.
Task 6.13: Planning Commission Study
Session: Preliminary Public Review Draft
General Plan
Our team will facilitate a virtual study session via Zoom with the Planning Commission to review and confirm
the Preliminary Public Review Draft General Plan. The
Planning Commission will recommend any revisions or
adjustments to the Plan to the City Council, which we
will show in Word track changes.
Task 6.14: City Council Study Session:
Preliminary Public Review Draft General
Plan
Our team will facilitate a virtual study session via
Zoom with the City Council to review and confirm
the Preliminary Public Review Draft General Plan. The
City Council will provide direction on revisions or
adjustments to the Plan prior to our team conducting the CEQA analysis.
Task 6.15: Public Review Draft General
Plan
Based on direction from the City Council, our team
will prepare the Public Review Draft General Plan for
publication and environmental review.
Task 6.16: General Plan Consultation
and Referrals
State law requires consultation with a variety of
Federal, State, regional, and local agencies whenever
a jurisdiction updates or amends its general plan (e.g., Native American Tribes, Military Branches, water
agencies). These statutes are located throughout the
Government Code and have varying requirements
for when draft and final documents must be submitted
and how long agencies have to review and provide
comments. We maintain a checklist of agency
consultation requirements that we will use to ensure the City provides the Public Review Draft General Plan to
the appropriate agencies.
Phase 5 Deliverables
• General Plan organizational options
• Land Use Density and Intensity Evaluation
Memorandum
• Evacuation Analysis – Technical Memorandum
• Draft and Final Vulnerability Assessments
• Draft and Final Evacuation Maps
• Safety Element Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Presentation • Safety Element Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda and Materials • Economic Opportunity Analysis
• Small Business Workshop Presentation
• Small Business Workshop Agenda and Materials
• Environmental Justice Analysis Memorandum
• Environmental Justice Working Session agenda and materials • Environmental Justice Community Workshops Guide
• Environmental Justice Community workshops
materials
• Environmental Justice Pop-Up Events Guide
• Environmental Justice Pup-Up Events Materials
• Land Use Diagram
• Circulation Diagrams
• Administrative Draft General Plan
• Preliminary Public Review Draft General Plan
• Draft General Plan Workshop Guide
• Draft General Plan Workshop Agenda and Materials
• Planning Commission Study Session Presentation
and Materials
• City Council Study Session Presentation and
Materials
• Public Review Draft General Plan
• General Plan Consultation Checklist
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Phase 7 - Program
Environmental Impact Report
(PEIR)
Based on review of the RFP and our experience
preparing General Plan EIRs, we recommend the
preparation of a Program EIR pursuant to CEQA
Guidelines Section 15168. Although the legally
required contents of a Program EIR are technically
the same as those of a Project EIR, Program EIRs
are by necessity more general and may contain a
broader discussion of impacts, alternatives, and
mitigation measures than a Project EIR. A Program
EIR may be prepared on a series of actions that may
be characterized as one large project. Use of a
Program EIR provides the City with the opportunity to
consider broad policy alternatives and programwide
mitigation measures and greater flexibility to address
environmental issues and/or cumulative impacts on a
comprehensive basis. Once a Program EIR has been
certified, subsequent activities within the program may be evaluated to determine what, if any, additional
CEQA documentation needs to be prepared. If
the Program EIR addresses the program’s effects as
specifically and comprehensively as possible, many
subsequent activities could be found to be consistent
with the Program EIR mitigation parameters and
additional environmental documentation may not be
required (CEQA Guidelines Section 15168[c]). In
this case, the Program EIR serves a valuable purpose
as the first-tier environmental analysis that will assist in streamlining and possibly exempting future projects from CEQA with the idea that the General Plan’s Program
EIR can be used for such exemptions when projects are
consistent with the General Plan.
Task 7.1: CEQA Kick-off Meeting
Our team will facilitate a work session with City staff on preparing the Program EIR and completing the
adoption process. Because the Program EIR Phase will
follow later in the schedule than the Draft General Plan Update, the anticipated scope of work for this Phase
is based on reasonable assumptions about the scope
and scale of the General Plan update. The CEQA
kick-off meeting will provide an opportunity for the city and the project team to evaluate these initial scoping
assumptions and update the scope of work for this
phase if necessary. The kick-off meeting will also allow the City/consultant team an opportunity to discuss
the approach to the environmental evaluation and
possible project alternatives. Community concerns that
have surfaced to date will be discussed. We will also
have an opportunity to confirm the cumulative impact
analysis approach. The work session, or CEQA kick-off
meeting, will cover the following topics:
• Strategies for CEQA compliance
• Coordination of environmental document with
general plan update preparation
• Developing a reasonable range of alternatives
• Cumulative impact analysis
• Using new or revised policies as mitigation
measures
• Agency consultation
• Public notice
• Hearings
• Adoption
• Final documents
Task 7.2: Program EIR Project
Description and Notice of Preparation
Our team will work with City staff to develop a
Program EIR project description and will prepare a
draft EIR Notice of Preparation (NOP) for City staff
to review. The NOP is intended to alert other public
agencies about the undertaking, and to solicit their
input on the scope of the study. We will submit a final PDF copy of the NOP to City staff for posting on its
website, filing with the County Clerk, and distributing to public agencies. It is assumed that the City will
distribute the NOP using the City’s NOP distribution list.
We will review and make suggestions regarding the
list. Our team would be responsible for filing the NOP
with the State Clearinghouse/Office of Planning and
Research.
Task 7.3: Program EIR Scoping Meeting
Our team will facilitate a public and agency scoping
meeting associated with the release of the NOP. The
Scoping Meeting will be held during the 30-day NOP
period to introduce the community to the Program EIR
process and obtain input on the EIR scope of work. It
will include a brief presentation, followed by public
comment and input from meeting attendees. We will
prepare a summary of input gathered, which will
be included in the Draft Program EIR along with any
written public comments received by the City during the NOP comment period.
Task 7.4: Transportation and Traffic
Impact Analysis
Our team will evaluate potential transportation impacts resulting from the proposed General Plan consistent
with CEQA requirements. We will prepare the
Transportation/Traffic section of the environmental
document, to include a description of the impact
analysis, findings, and any recommended mitigations.
We will assess vehicle miles traveled (VMT) impacts
using the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments
(SLOCOG) Regional Travel Demand Model VMT
post-processor. The model’s VMT post- processor
includes residential VMT, work VMT, and retail VMT.
The SLOCOG model forecast land use data will be
modified to include updated development potential for
the General Plan horizon year.
In addition, we will provide a forecast of daily traffic volumes during the General Plan horizon year, derived
from the SLOCOG model, relevant to other EIR
chapters that analyze impacts to air quality and noise.
The daily traffic volume forecast will also be relevant to potential street modification recommendations. At the
conclusion of the CEQA public review period, we will
prepare responses to written comments received by the
city, as well as oral comments received during public
hearings, that pertain to transportation impacts.
Task 7.5: Administrative Draft Program
EIR
Our team will prepare an Administrative Draft Program
EIR (ADPEIR) in compliance with CEQA requirements
using information gathered as part of the General
Plan update effort and comments on the NOP, as well
as information from other relevant CEQA documents
completed by the City in recent years. We will be
responsible for development of a legally adequate and
appropriate Program EIR for the General Plan.
We will prepare the ADPEIR based on the project
description approved by City staff. We will base the
description of the environmental and regulatory setting for the General Plan primarily on the data available
online, Existing Conditions and Trends Workbook (see
Task 3.8), and information from other relevant CEQA
documents completed by the City in recent years, any
information received during the General Plan Update
process, as well as information from recent City plans
such as the City’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan or
Bicycle/Pedestrian Plans.
Our team will introduce each topical section in the
environmental analysis with a brief statement of its
context in the ADPEIR and the development of the
General Plan. This effort may include interpretive
information for the reader to better understand how the General Plan affects the environment, as well as the
sources of data used in the analysis.
The setting for each topical section will describe
existing conditions relevant to the topic and provide
the groundwork for impact analysis. The number of
impacts to be analyzed and the depth of analysis will
be determined based on areas of concern identified
by our team and City staff, as well as responses to
the NOP. We will clearly state thresholds used to
determine the significance of project impacts and
will include thresholds in the CEQA Guidelines,
Appendix G, as well as existing regulatory standards,
if applicable. Impacts will be identified, and mitigation measures will be prepared to reduce significant
impacts to a less-than-significant level, when feasible.
For each potentially significant impact identified in
the ADPEIR, we would identify mitigation measures or
policy statements proposed by the City as part of the
General Plan Update to avoid or reduce identified
impacts. We will construct mitigation measures as
policy statements or revised or additional programs to
facilitate incorporation into the final General Plan. In order to prepare an ADPEIR that meets the needs of
the City and regulatory requirements of the State, the
ADPEIR will comprise of the following sections:
Executive Summary
This section will provide a summary of the entire
ADPEIR and include the following:
• A discussion of the Project objectives;
• A brief description of the proposed Project;
• A summary of the environmental setting for the
Planning Area;
• A summary of impacts;
• A summary of mitigation measures (mitigating
policies);
• A discussion of alternatives considered; and
• Areas of controversy, and issues remaining to
be resolved.
Introduction
The ADPEIR will contain an introductory chapter that
provides an overview of the project and context,
summarizes CEQA requirements and the environmental
review process, describes the legal purpose of the
ADPEIR, outlines the environmental issues being
addressed, and presents the organization of the report.
Project Description and Environmental Setting
These sections will contain the City objectives for the General Plan and a summary of the General Plan
components. It will also outline the Planning Area
boundaries and summarize existing conditions and
any new land uses proposed under the project. The
information will be described in a mix of text, tabular, and graphic form (i.e., maps and diagrams).
Analysis, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures
The environmental analysis section will include four
main components:
• Setting – description of current conditions with
respect to the issue in question, including the
existing regulatory environment
• Impact analysis – statement of significance
thresholds and discussion of potentially
significant effects of the proposed project
• Programmatic mitigation measures – methods
by which significant effects can be reduced or
eliminated, presented as General Plan policies
to be introduced back into the plan
• Level of significance after mitigation –
discussion of whether or not proposed
mitigation measures reduce impacts to below
the adopted significance threshold
Adverse impacts that meet or exceed significance
thresholds will be considered significant. Additionally, all impacts will be characterized in terms of shortor long-term effects and presented in a logical discussion that the general public can understand. Any
inconsistencies with local or regional plans will be
discussed. Issues to be analyzed in a programmatic
framework will include:
• Aesthetics
• Agriculture/Forestry Resources
• Air Quality
• Biological Resources
• Cultural Resources
• Energy
• Geology and Soils
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials
• Hydrology and Water Quality
• Land Use and Planning
• Mineral Resources
• Noise
• Population and Housing
• Public Services
• Recreation
• Transportation and Traffic
• Tribal Cultural Resources
• Utilities and Service Systems
• Wildfire
Our team will discuss approaches to the impact
analysis for the Program EIR with City staff and will
be consistent with the assumptions and methodologies
used in recent EIRs in the city of Arroyo Grande to the extent possible. In general, the impact analysis will
focus on the issues present in the Planning Area and
likely to be affected or impacted by the General Plan
Update. Some issues, such as mineral resources, may
not require a detailed analysis relative to other issues because they do not occur in Arroyo Grande or would
be unaffected by the plan updates.
Alternatives Analysis
A range of EIR alternatives will be considered in the
ADPEIR. CEQA Guidelines require consideration of the
“No Project” Alternative. For purposes of this Program
EIR, the No Project Alternative would be a continuation of the existing General Plan without any updates or
additions. In addition to the “No-Project” Alternative, we will consider other alternatives (such as alternative land use scenarios) that will be developed during the
General Plan Update. Evaluation of alternatives will be in less detail than that for the proposed plans, though the analysis will provide decision-makers and the public adequate information to decide between alternatives.
This section will also identify the “environmentally
superior alternative.” If the “No Project” Alternative is determined to be environmentally superior, the ADPEIR
will identify the environmentally superior alternative
among the remaining scenarios.
Cumulative Impacts
The document will evaluate cumulative impacts based
on planning documents for the City’s Planning Area.
The contribution of the proposed plan updates to the
overall cumulative impact will also be estimated and
discussed. It is anticipated that cumulative analyses will be included at the end of each EIR topical section.
Other CEQA Sections
The ADPEIR will provide, in addition to the sections
discussed above, all other required CEQA sections,
including areas of known controversy, growth
inducement effects, and significant unavoidable
impacts. We will provide the ADPEIR to City staff in
digital (word) format. City staff will conduct one review of the ADPEIR and provide consolidated comments and
edits.
Task 7.6: Staff Review/Screen Check
Draft Program EIR
Our team will incorporate City input into the ADPEIR
and provide City staff with digital versions of the
ADPEIR in both Word and PDF formats. City staff
will conduct one review of the ADPEIR and provide
consolidated comments and edits. We will incorporate
appropriate revisions and prepare a Screen Check
Draft Program EIR (SDPEIR). The Screen Check version
will be provided in digital format.
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Task 7.7: Draft Program EIR
Once City staff approve the SDPEIR, we will prepare
the Draft Program EIR (DPEIR) for public circulation.
We would file the DPEIR with the State Clearinghouse,
including all required accompanying forms, such as
the Notice of Completion (NOC), through the digital
CEQASubmit platform. We assume that City staff will
file the Notice of Availability (NOA) of the DPEIR with the County Clerk and distribute the NOA of the DPEIR
to responsible agencies, and interested agencies,
organizations, and persons. We also assume that City
staff will be responsible for required newspaper ads
and other public noticing of the document’s availability, such as radius label mailing or on-site posting. As
required by State law, the DPEIR will require at least a 45- day public review period.
Task 7.8: Draft and Final Response to
Comments
Within four weeks of receipt of comment letters
received on the DPEIR, our team will submit a draft
Response to Comments to City staff for review. The
Response to Comments document will include a list of
commenters, comment letters, responses to comments,
and any added or revised text of the DPEIR that may
be necessary. Responses to Comments will include
reasoned analysis and, as necessary, will include
additional analysis. The final version of the Response
to Comments will be incorporated as an appendix to
the Final Program EIR. The scope and budget assume
a level of effort that would include 100 hours of
consultant time for this task. This assumes receipt of
approximately 15-25 comment letters. If the number
of comment letters and the effort to prepare responses
is greater than anticipated, we will notify City staff
immediately and discuss options to amend our scope
of work and budget as necessary. Following receipt of
City staff comments, we will finalize the Response to
Comments.
Task 7.9: Mitigation Monitoring and
Reporting Program
Concurrent with the Response to Comments, our team
will prepare a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting
Plan (MMRP), which we will include in the Final
Program EIR. We will provide the MMRP in a format
designed for use by planners, environmental monitors,
or code enforcement officers. Essentially, this plan will take the form of a detailed table that describes:
• Persons/agencies responsible for monitoring
compliance with each condition
• Timing when monitoring must occur
• Frequency of monitoring
• Criteria to be used to determine compliance
with conditions
We will incorporate the final version of the MMRP as
an appendix to the Final Program EIR.
Task 7.10: Final Program EIR
We will complete the Final Program EIR after the review period has closed and all comments submitted during
that period have been received. The Final Program
EIR will include corrections to the Draft Program EIR (if warranted), comments received, and responses (Task
7.7) as well as the MMRP (Task 7.9). Our team will
prepare a Screencheck Final Program EIR for City staff
review and confirmation followed by a Final Program
EIR after incorporating consolidated comments received
from City staff. Within one day of Final Program EIR
certification and project approval, we will submit the
draft Notice of Determination (NOD) to City staff.
We assume that City staff will file the NOD with the
County Clerk and be responsible for payment of filing
fees. We would then file the NOD with the State
Clearinghouse.
Phase 7 Deliverables
• Draft PEIR Project Description
• Final PEIR Project Description
• NOP (digital files and filing with State
Clearinghouse)
• Scoping Meeting materials
• Administrative Draft Program EIR
• Screencheck Draft Program EIR
• Draft Program EIR
• NOC/NOA (digital files and filing with State
Clearinghouse)
• Draft Response to Comments
• Final Response to Comments
• Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting Program
• Screencheck Final Program EIR
• Final Program EIR (digital version, 10 hard
copies, and 10 CD copies to the City)
• NOD (digital files and filing with State
Clearinghouse)
Phase 8 - Public Review and
Adoption
Task 8.1: Planning Commission Hearing
Our team will attend one public hearing with the
Planning Commission to review the Draft General Plan
and Final PEIR. The Planning Commission will consider
the comments made during the public hearing and
make recommendations to the City Council.
Task 8.2: City Council Hearing
Our team will attend one public hearing with the City
Council to review the Draft General Plan and Final
PEIR. At these hearings, the City Council will consider the Planning Commission recommendations and the
comments made at the public hearings. After the
hearings, the City Council will certify the Final PEIR and direct our team to incorporate their recommendations
and prepare the Final General Plan.
Task 8.3: Final General Plan Documents
Following City Council direction, we will prepare the
Final General Plan for adoption.
Task 8.4: City Council Adoption
Hearing
Our team will attend one hearing with the City Council
for adoption of the Final General.
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Phase 9 - Technical
Development Code Update
Once the updated General Plan is adopted by City
Council, our team will update the Development Code
through a series of technical amendments to reflect the implementation of the General Plan.
Task 9.1: Work Session
We will facilitate a work session with City staff to
discuss the preparation of a technical update to the
Arroyo Grande Development Code. The technical
update will include the following: • Updates to the zoning districts and associated densities and purpose statements for
consistency with the new General Plan.
• Evaluation and update to development
standards such as height, parking, and
setbacks.
• Preparation of graphics, photo simulations,
and illustrations to graphically depict
standards.
Task 9.2: Administrative Draft Technical
Development Code Update
We will coordinate with City staff to refine a list
of topic areas to update and include them in a
comprehensive fix-it list. Based on the fix-it list,
we will prepare an Administrative Draft Technical
Development Code Amendments.
Task 9.3: Preliminary Review
Draft Technical Development Code
Amendments
Our team will revise the Administrative Draft Technical Development Code Amendments based on City staff
direction and prepare the remaining graphics and
illustrations to assist users in visualizing the meaning and applicability of development standards.
Task 9.4: Public Review Draft Technical
Development Code Amendments
Based on results from testing the Preliminary Draft
Technical Development Code Amendments, we will
prepare a Public Review Draft Technical Development
Code Amendments which we will provide to the City
for review by the Planning Commission and approval
by the City Council.
Task 9.5: CEQA Compliance
Our team will include the technical development
code amendments, which are considered part of the
implementation of the General Plan, in the Project
Description and impact analysis in the Program EIR.
We will prepare a memorandum describing that
analysis and supporting a determination that the
potential significant environmental impacts of the
Technical Development Code Amendments are fully
assessed and required, mitigated in the General Plan
PEIR.
Task 9.6: Planning Commission Hearing
We will attend and assist City staff with facilitating
one Planning Commission public hearing to consider
recommending the City Council adopt the Final Draft
Technical Development Code Amendments.
Task 9.7: City Council Hearing
We will attend and assist City staff with facilitating one City Council hearing to consider adopting the Final
Draft Technical Development Code Amendments.
Task 9.8: Final Documents to the City
Our team will prepare and send all final documents
and native files to the City.
Phase 9 Deliverables • Staff fix-it list • Administrative Review Draft Technical Development Code Amendments
• Preliminary Review Draft Technical Development Code Amendments • Public Review Draft Technical Development Code Amendments • Memorandum regarding CEQA analysis in the General Plan PEIR
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THREE-YEAR SCHEDULE
Existing Conditions
and Trends Evaluation
Workshop #2
Workshop #3
Workshops #3,4,5, and 6
2023 2024 2025
Phase 1: Project Initiation
Phase 9: Technical Development
Code Update
Phase 2: Public Outreach
Strategy
Phase 3: Gather and Analyze
Data
Phase 5: Alternative Choices
Phase 4: Visioning and
Guiding Principles
Phase 7: Program
Environmental
Impact Report
Phase 8: Public Review and
Adoption
City of Arroyo Grande General Plan | Three-Year Proposed Schedule Phase 6: General Plan
45-day Public Review
Study SessionMar
Apr
Oct
Nov
Dec
Nov
Dec
Aug
Sept
Jul
Oct
Aug
Sept
Jun
Jul
May
Feb
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Aug
Jul
Jan
Feb
Apr
Oct
Nov
Dec
Mar
May
Sept
Jun
Work Session
Study Sessions
Workshop #1
Stakeholder Interviews
GIS Data/
Basemap
General
Plan Audit
Project Website, Branding, and Logo
Kick-off Meeting
VMT Analysis
Existing Conditions
and Trends Workbook
Vision and Guiding Principles
APreferred Alternative
Administrative Draft
General Plan Public Review
Draft General Plan
Staff Work
Session
Administrative Draft
Zoning Ordinance Revisions
Administrative Draft
Program EIR
Draft Program EIR Final Program EIR
Response to
Comments
Planning Commission
Hearing
City Council
Hearing
City Council
Adoption
City Council
Adoption
Final
General Plan
Final Work Plan and Schedule
SB 99 Analysis
Outreach Strategy
Initial Alternatives
Kick-off Meeting
Study Session
AB 747 Analysis
Final
Development
Code
Land Use Analysis
Study Sessions
Existing Conditions
and Trends Evaluation
Workshop #2
Workshop #3
Workshops #3,4,5, and 6
2023 2024 2025
Phase 1: Project Initiation
Phase 9: Technical Development
Code Update
Phase 2: Public Outreach
Strategy
Phase 3: Gather and Analyze
Data
Phase 5: Alternative Choices
Phase 4: Visioning and
Guiding Principles
Phase 7: Program
Environmental
Impact Report
Phase 8: Public Review and
Adoption
City of Arroyo Grande General Plan | Three-Year Proposed Schedule Phase 6: General Plan
45-day Public Review
Study SessionMar
Apr
Oct
Nov
Dec
Nov
Dec
Aug
Sept
Jul
Oct
Aug
Sept
Jun
Jul
May
Feb
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Aug
Jul
Jan
Feb
Apr
Oct
Nov
Dec
Mar
May
Sept
Jun
Work Session
Study Sessions
Workshop #1
Stakeholder Interviews
GIS Data/
Basemap
General
Plan Audit
Project Website, Branding, and Logo
Kick-off Meeting
VMT Analysis
Existing Conditions
and Trends Workbook
Vision and Guiding Principles
APreferred Alternative
Administrative Draft
General Plan Public Review
Draft General Plan
Staff Work
Session
Administrative Draft
Zoning Ordinance Revisions
Administrative Draft
Program EIR
Draft Program EIR Final Program EIR
Response to
Comments
Planning Commission
Hearing
City Council
Hearing
City Council
Adoption
City Council
Adoption
Final
General Plan
Final Work Plan and Schedule
SB 99 Analysis
Outreach Strategy
Initial Alternatives
Kick-off Meeting
Study Session
AB 747 Analysis
Final
Development
Code
Land Use Analysis
Study Sessions
OPTIONAL TASKS
We have included several optional tasks here that could be included in place of or addition to the suggested tasks proposed in the two- and three-year work scopes. These tasks include those related to public outreach, economic development, Development Code update, land use assessment, and Climate Action Plan. Our intent is to provide City staff, the Planning Commission, and City Council a broad range of choices for the City’s General Plan Update program.
Optional Public Outreach
Activities
Meetings with Agency Committees and Commissions.
Members of local government commissions and
committees represent some of the most engaged,
committed residents and businesspersons, given
their willingness to devote time and energy to the
community. Depending on the planning project subject
matter, some or all the standing commissions and
committees should be periodically engaged in the
process. These meetings would be held virtually via
Zoom.
Technical Advisory Groups. Technical advisory groups
are typically comprised of city, county, regional, State, or Federal staff with expertise is specific topical areas.
Cities and counties may form such groups with staff
from each department to facilitate internal review or
project documents. These groups meet periodically
to provide document review and comment on interim
project products, such as existing condition report,
technical analysis, and policy documents. These
meetings would be held virtually via Zoom.
Focus Groups. Focus groups are typically comprised
of community members and agency staff with expertise
or interest in a specific topical area, such as mobility, economic development, housing, natural resources, or
climate change. These groups meet periodically to help
identify issues and opportunities, discuss options, and provide feedback on policies and programs. These
meetings would be held virtually via Zoom.
Speaker Series. As part of the initial community
engagement, our team could present a Speaker Series
(on-line/in-person format) that will bring creative and knowledgeable speakers to engage the community
in big-picture discussions about issues facing Arroyo
Grande. While the specific topics to be addressed in
the Speaker Series to be refined through discussions
with City staff, and decision-makers, potential topics
might include climate change, housing, urban design
and infill development, adaptation, health, social
equity, or economic development. Each speaker will
be an experienced, well-known expert in their field.
The speaker series format will consist of an initial
PowerPoint presentation followed by a question-andanswer session.
Optional Alternatives Report
Based on input received from the community as well as
ideas from City staff and our team, we could prepare
an Alternatives Report for review by City staff. This
Report would contain a mix of land use and circulation
alternatives, as well as key policy alternatives.
The Alternatives Report could map and describe
each land use alternative. We could group these
location-specific alternatives into alternative packages that achieve the Vision Statement. For each policy
alternative, we could identify the issues for which there is clear policy choice and direction, as well as issues where choice and direction is not as clear. We could
complete a qualitative comparative assessment of the
policy implications of each alternative based on clarity and congruence with key issues.
From this report, our team could prepare an Alternatives Report that clearly communicates the potential
implications of each alternative, supporting a more
informed choice. We could base the assessment of
each alternative primarily on a qualitative look at
factors that can be used to differentiate the alternatives and their potential impacts on the community relative to achieving the Vision Statement.
Optional Land Use Tasks
Comprehensive Development Standards
Evaluation
Our team could comprehensively evaluate land uses,
density and intensity, development forms, parking
policies, and complete streets architecture on the East Grand Avenue corridor. From this evaluation, we
would strategize with City staff on possible solutions to adjust these densities and intensities to better achieve the desired community vision. The findings from this
evaluation could then be used as the basis for a
potential zoning overlay district for the East Grand
Avenue Corridor. The creation of this potential overlay district is provided in this proposal as an optional task.
East Grand Avenue Corridor Overlay
District
Our team could assist City staff in the creation of an
overlay district for the East Grand Avenue Corridor.
East Grand Avenue is a major thoroughfare in
Arroyo Grande and provides direct access to Grover
Beach and the Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve. The
Corridor hosts a variety of land uses including large
commercial strips, offices, restaurants, personal service establishments, and varying residential typologies. As
part of this process, our team could conduct a thorough land use analysis of the Corridor and work with City
staff to establish a collective vision. We would also
analyze existing densities, intensities, development
forms, and street architecture to make recommendations
to help the city achieve this collective vision. From this evaluation, we would prepare a draft Grand Avenue
Corridor Overlay District that, at a minimum, establishes the following:
• A purpose and intent statement for the overlay
district
• Allowed land uses and corresponding permit
requirements
• Development standards (e.g., setbacks, height,
parcel coverage)
• Objective Design Standards
Objective Design Standards
California State Senate Bill 35 (Government Code
Section 65913.4), which went into effect on January
1, 2018, was part of a comprehensive bill package
aimed at addressing the State’s housing shortage
and high costs. SB 35 requires the availability of a
streamlined ministerial approval process for multifamily residential developments in jurisdictions that have not yet made sufficient progress toward meeting their
regional housing need allocation (RHNA). Included in
the streamlining process, cities are required to establish objective design standards for multifamily residential
development. SB 35 defines an objective design
standard as one that involves “no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and is uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark
or criterion available and knowable by both the
development applicant… and the public official prior to submittal.”
Our team could work with City staff to research and
develop objective design and development standards.
We could conduct a comprehensive review of the
City’s Development Code and existing design/
development standards, and diagnosis portions thereof
that are inconsistent with the SB 35. This analysis and corresponding recommendations would be summarized
in a Diagnosis and Considerations Report. The
findings from this report, along with close consultation with City staff, could be used to draft new objective
design and development standards.
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Comprehensive Development
Code Update
Our team could prepare a comprehensive update
of the City’s Development Code. This optional task
would be multifaceted and go far beyond the technical
Development Code update proposed in Three-Year
Work Scope. Among other things, a comprehensive
update would include a kick-off meeting with City
staff, Development Code Amendments Diagnosis,
Development Code and Map Amendments Report,
staff fix-it list, a potential complete reorganization of the Development Code format, revised table of contents,
and Administrative and Public Review Drafts of the
new Development Code chapters. We could facilitate
a seminar on modernizing the Development Code to
City Council and Planning Commission, stakeholder
interviews with the local development community, and
additional community workshops.
Should Arroyo Grande staff be interested in this
optional task, we suggest the preparation and delivery
of an Administrative Draft Development Code in several
segments, rather than in a single deliverable. Our
experience is that it is easier for City staff to give timely feedback and review of the Draft Development Code
when presented in segments. The order and content of
the segments can be modified as desired by City staff.
As an alternative, if City staff prefers, we could prepare a complete Administrative Draft Development Code
prior to City staff review.
Optional Economic
Development Related Tasks
Retail Market Analysis
As an optional supplement to the Economic
Development Element, our team could prepare a
retail Market Opportunities Analysis. The Analysis
would reflect recent/ongoing changes in the retail
industry, including the growing influence of ecommerce
and recent shifts in shopping patterns related to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Analysis would involve the
following steps:
• Define the geographic market areas from
which retail facilities in Arroyo Grande could
be expected to draw market support.
• Inventory and document conditions in Arroyo
Grande’s existing shopping centers and
districts.
• Estimate current vacancy levels based on
available published data and discussions with
local realtors.
• Compile updated data on existing retail
sales (by major category) in Arroyo Grande
and neighboring cities.
• Use our proprietary retail demand model to
evaluate future growth in retail sales potential
in the market area, broken down by major
retail sales category (e.g., apparel, furniture,
general merchandise, home improvements. The
projections will be expressed in terms of both
dollars and square footages supportable and
will cover a 20-year forecast period (in annual
increments).
• Identify major existing and planned retail
districts (outside the city) that would compete
with Arroyo Grande for future regional
demand.
• Estimate the shares of future retail demand that
could potentially be captured in Arroyo
Grande, given the inventory of competitive
development.
• Express “bottom line” findings in terms of the
square feet of retail space that could potentially
be absorbed in Arroyo Grande over the
planning horizon (in annual increments), with
the total numbers broken down as appropriate
by major retail category and facility type.
• Match projected demand to available
“opportunity sites” for new and/or reconfigured
retail development, with this supply/demand
comparison providing a basis for projecting
the potential allocation of future development
opportunities by major sub-area within the city.
Market Demand Studies for Other Land
Uses
In addition to the optional retail market analysis, our team could also complete market demand studies for
the following additional land use categories:
• Residential
• Professional office space
• Industrial/R&D/tech space
• Hotel/motel facilities
While these market studies would be citywide in scope
and, therefore, be useful for a variety of City decisionmaking processes, the findings would ultimately be applied to identify sub-area and site-specific
development potentials. In addition to providing
a citywide framework for quantifying demand for
development in individual sub-areas, the analysis would also consider qualitative issues (and related policy
recommendations) affecting each area’s development
potentials.
Optional Climate Action Plan
Update
Task CAP-1: Project Management
High-quality project management during each task is
an integral component related to the success of the
CAP and is even more critical when considered in
light of the broader General Plan Update. Our team
has worked together on multiple General Plan/CAP
projects and will leverage that shared experience
to integrate these two programs. This task involves
directly coordinating between the City, committees,
and our team over the proposed project. The final
project timeline can be adjusted during a kick-off
meeting and will be reviewed throughout the process
to ensure timely completion of all deliverables. Project management encompasses internal oversight of staff
as well as bi-weekly meetings with City staff and
integration with the General Plan team.
CAP-1 Deliverables
• Bi-weekly coordination calls and related meeting
minutes
• Monthly progress reports and invoices
Task CAP-2: Virtual Project Kick-off
Meeting
Our team would work with City staff to organize an
initial kick-off meeting with the City’s Project Team
and discuss project goals and objectives. Our core
management team would attend the kick-off meeting.
The kick-off meeting would provide an opportunity to
refine the scope of work and proposed schedule, as
well as identify existing documents, existing policies, and key stakeholder groups. This meeting would also
serve to establish the project management procedures,
including invoicing terms and communication protocols.
Following this kick-off meeting, our team would provide an adjusted schedule as well as final list of existing
applicable documents, data, and policies for City
review and confirmation.
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
CAP-2 Deliverables
• Kick-off meeting agenda and minutes
• Final list of existing documents/data/policies to
review
• Adjusted schedule
• Meetings
• Attend one virtual kick-off meeting
Task CAP-3: Greenhouse Gas Inventory
We would conduct a new communitywide GHG
inventory for the latest, most appropriate year for the City. The GHG inventory will focus on communitywide
emissions from residents and businesses operating
within the city and organized by the appropriate
emission source sectors. The inventory will be prepared to be consistent with Office of Planning and Research
(OPR) guidance and the U.S. Community Protocol
for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas
Emissions, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Additionally, the inventory will
incorporate global warming potential (GWP) values
for methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) consistent
with the latest version of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report 5 (IPCC AR5).
Our team would provide the City with the latest
communitywide GHG inventory in an excel
spreadsheet. This spreadsheet would provide the City
with a replicable process and clear understanding
of what data was included in the inventory, the
source, the rationale for its inclusion, and how the
inventory was calculated. Our team assumes all data,
calculations, and references will be provided to us
for review. We also assume GHG communitywide
inventory data, including the VMT data, for the GHG
communitywide inventory and forecast will be provided
by the City’s traffic consultant.
CAP-3 Deliverables
• GHG inventory
Task CAP-4: Forecast and Target Setting
GHG emissions forecasts provide an estimate of future
GHG emission based on the continuation of current
activities and the projected growth and change in
a community over time. Forecasts also account for
existing State legislation that are designed to reduce
future emissions. Forecasts provide insights into the
scale of local reductions needed to achieve the GHG
emissions reduction while accounting for both potential growth and legislative actions.
Our team would conduct a GHG emission forecast in
a CEQA defensible manner consistent guidance from
the OPR and current best practices. We would provide
all activity data, emission factors and methodologies
in a transparent manner and specify milestone years
for the inventory. We would also work collaboratively
to confirm the population, jobs, and housing values
used in the forecast are consistent and allow for CEQA
streamlining in accordance with CEQA Guidelines
section 15183.5. For purposes of using the CAP as
a CEQA streamlining tool, we recommend that at a
minimum, targets are established for the years 2030
and 2045. GHG reduction targets help to define
measurable benchmarks to guide the community’s
commitment to achieve emissions reductions in the
future. GHG targets are generally developed in a local
context and consistent with the State goals as directed in Senate Bill (SB) 32 and Assembly Bill 1279. The
State aims to reduce annual statewide emissions to:
• 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and
• Requires statewide carbon neutrality “as soon as
possible,” but no later than 2045 and a reduction
in California’s anthropogenic GHG emissions to
at least 85 percent below 1990 levels.
We would create a technical appendix that combines
the data, methodology, and results of the most recent
communitywide GHG inventory, forecast, and targets
that would provide transparency to the inventory and
the ability to recalculate emissions easily. This would be an attachment for the Climate Action Plan Update.
CAP-4 Deliverables
• Forecast and target calculations (Excelspreadsheet)
• GHG Inventory, Forecast, and Target Technical Appendix • One-hour presentation with project manager and
technical staff
Task CAP-5: GHG Measure
Development
Once the provisional GHG emission reduction targets
have been established, our team would shift to
developing specific actions that will allow the City to reach these targets. To support this process, we have
developed a suite of tools and assessment strategies
to support what we have found to be the most critical
portion of the work plan. We would begin the process
by providing a core suite of measures that are tied
to the City’s GHG emissions inventory and forecast.
Examples of a measures is electrify “X” percent of
vehicles by 2030 and “Y” percent by 2045. The
measures will cover each of the sectors in which the
City generates emissions. These measures will then
be linked to the Scenario Planning and Reductions
Quantification (SPARQ) Tool. Using the SPARQ tool,
the City and our team will be able to calculate the
GHG reduction potential of each measure and
develop scenarios in real time that demonstrate the
most cost effective and feasible reduction pathways.
The SPARQ tool could also allow to quickly iterate
on the various approaches and how changes in the
emphasis of specific measures impact the ability to
meet specific GHG reduction target levels. Then,
once the higher-level measures and level of actions
are better understood, we would collaborate with City
staff to develop actions that will support and implement each measure. This task assumes these measures will
be integrated into the General Plan by our team and
separate Climate Action Plan will not be required.
Once a final list of measures and actions is developed, we would develop a substantial evidence technical
appendix which will quantify the GHG reductions
of each measure and provide references for each
assumption made to reach the GHG reduction
claimed. We also assume the generation of a power
point outlining the overall measure strategy and
attendance at one council/commission meeting to
present and answer any questions related to measure
development.
CAP-5 Deliverables
• Provisional GHG strategy/measures
• SPARQ tool (excel-based)
• Three (3) staff working group meetings on provisional GHG strategy/measures • Draft and Final GHG strategy/measures and
actions
Task CAP-6: Measure Quantification
and CEQA Defensibility Analysis
After the final measure scenario has been reviewed
and approved by the City, our team will conduct
a GHG quantification and substantial evidence
analysis. This analysis would quantify the reductions
associated with the measures (i.e., Reduce natural gas
consumption 50 percent by 2030 through existing
building electrification) as well as provide substantial evidence that the actions identified can achieve
that measure (i.e., Adopt a time of replacement
electrification ordinance for hot water heaters and
HVAC units). Our team would prepare a measure
technical appendix that will serve as the defensibility of the CAP and allow for CEQA streamlining. The
technical appendix would include all calculations,
references for all assumptions, and total reduction
potential of the measures and actions.
CAP-6 Deliverables
• Measure GHG reduction quantification (excel
spreadsheet)
• CEQA Defensible Measure Technical Appendix
• CEQA checklist to support staff and development
applicant awareness of Plan requirements
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
Task CAP-7: Implementation and
Monitoring Tool – CAPDash
To support future data collection and analysis, we
would provide the City with its proprietary and awardwinning inventory tool and dashboard, CAPDash.
In our experience, the data collection process can
take the greatest amount of time for reporting GHG
emissions because data comes from multiple sources
such as various utility providers. The CAPDash
implementation and monitoring tool would allow the
City to track emissions and implementation progress
over time as well as communicate progress to the
community. CAPDash allows jurisdictions to manage
their own data so they can update their GHG inventory
and track CAP implementation success without needing
to rely on an outside consultant or expert. CAPDash
provides a central place to track and quantify progress and share that progress with stakeholders, ensuring that the implementation and monitoring aspects required
under CEQA section 15183.5 are met. We would
provide training and present an overview of CAPDash
to the City.
CAP-7 Deliverables
• Implementation and Monitoring Tool – CAPDash
• Annual reporting templates and tracking
guidance document
Task CAP-8: Implementation and
Monitoring Strategy
The updated CAP would contain a comprehensive
Implementation and Monitoring Strategy Table that
summarizes how the CAP measures and associated
actions would be implemented, monitored, and
adjusted over time to ensure that the City stays on track to achieve the CAP’s targets for emissions reductions
and adaptation goals. The table would identify
agencies, divisions, and organizations responsible for
implementation of action steps, anticipated time frames to implement actions, and indicators to assess actions
and goal progress, funding availability, potential
partnerships, and timelines.
Based on the results of working with City staff as
part of identification, evaluation, and quantification
of measures, our team would specifically include
the following indicators for each action in the
Implementation and Monitoring Strategy Table:
Quantified GHG reduction potential
Qualitative environmental co-benefits
Implementation cost scale estimates
Administrative feasibility and enforceability
Based on the above prioritization effort the following
would then be identified:
Required reductions needed to meet target
Highest impact areas for potential reductions
Comprehensive list of potential GHG reduction
measures, prioritized based on specific metrics
(including GHG reduction potentials, costs, and
savings)
The implementation plan would be linked to the
CAPDash where metrics would be tracked to prove
implementation of measures and regular GHG
inventories would be completed to monitor and track
progress with actual GHG reductions.
CAP-8 Deliverables
• Draft Implementation and Monitoring Strategy
Table that would include the following elements:
• Identify lead agencies and partners
• Identify community-based programs to
achieve GHG reduction targets and
adaptation measures
• Implementation of cost scale estimates
• Time frame
• Funding mechanisms
• Final Implementation and Monitoring
Strategy
Task CAP-9: Climate Action Plan
Summary Document (appendix)
The CAP would be completed through an iterative
process that is inspired by the findings of the GHG
inventory and community feedback received during
community outreach and facilitation. The CAP would
be included as an appendix to the General Plan
Update and summarize the processes completed
prior to this task. Our team would develop a user
friendly and readable CAP appendix document that
aligns with current legislation (e.g. Senate Bill 32 and AB 1279) and leverages infographics, photos, and
other visuals. The CAP would provide a creative and
innovative roadmap for the City to achieve emission
reductions and would include both near-term and longterm reduction measures as well as the departments and community partners who would generally be
responsible for implementing them. The CAP would
also set key performance indicators (KPI) that would
help define a successful implementation of the CAP
strategy as well as measure progress over time.
Our team would prepare a comprehensive CAP that
would be consistent with the State Attorney General’s
recommendations and the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines’ definition of a
“Qualified Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy”
(Section 15183.5). To do this, the CAP would include
clear measures for implementation and targets to ensure that the City and community are on track to achieve
established goals. Specifically, the CAP would:
• Serve as a mechanism to tie together the City’s
existing and developing sustainability initiatives,
strategies, and plans with the community’s goals;
• Establish a set of cohesive and specific
sustainability strategies, implementation plans,
and metrics for regional and State strategies and
initiatives;
• Activate and engage residents, businesses, and
institutions with positive actions and tangible
benefit;
• Be designed to include simple yet effective
procedures for minor updates every two years,
and significant updates every five years (to be
refined based on the goals of the City).
• Meet the requirements of CEQA guidelines
section 15183.5 for CEQA streamlining
CAP-9 Deliverables
• Administrative Draft CAP (electronically in Word
and PDF)
• Public review Draft CAP (electronically in Word
and PDF)
• Final CAP (electronically in Word and PDF)
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE MINTIER HARNISH | PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES
8 COST PROPOSAL
COST
PROPOSAL
In compliance with the Request for Proposals, our Cost Proposal for this Project is submitted concurrently but under separate cover. The amount of time key personnel will be involved in the respective portions of the project is shown in the Cost Proposals. We have included cost proposals for the following:
• Two-Year Work Scope
• Three-Year Work Scope
• Optional Tasks
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CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
ADETAILED RESUMES
APPENDIX A:
DETAILED RESUMES
Appendix A includes the detailed resumes of our Team for the City of Arroyo Grande Comprehensive General Plan Update.
120 A-1
CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE | COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
BRENT GIBBONS, AICP
PRINCIPAL PLANNER
Brent Gibbons has been a planner in both the public and private sectors since 2013. He specializes in architectural applications, urban design, site design, land use planning, public policy, geographic information systems, regulatory code and ordinances, CEQA analysis, and community engagement.
Brent started his professional career as a Planner I with Madera County, which included the review of project plans with the zoning administrator, operating the front planning counter, and regularly evaluating setback variances and zoning permits. Brent was promoted to Planner II after a year, and managed projects with greater responsibility. His overall experience at Madera County included the intake of permits, zoning ordinance development, presentations to the Planning Commission, formation of community/area plans, and serving as the lead on solar facility and wireless tower projects. Brent also had the opportunity to serve on several committees pertaining to the drought and well water demand, as well as community park planning and design in conjunction with public health agencies.
Additionally, Brent worked as an Assistant Planner for the City of Turlock where he conducted project permitting, development of maps, the General Plan Annual Report, and project management. His work included interfacing with a multitude of stakeholders ranging from community members to real estate developers.
Prior experience includes an internship with Hathaway Dinwiddie (Santa Clara office) in 2008 on the Solyndra Project, where Brent served as the onsite contact between the City of Milpitas and the Project Engineer. Tasks delegated included project permitting, editing plans, and construction administration. Brent also interned for the Housing Authority of San Mateo County, where he amended the HOME Affordability Covenant, performed HOME rent reviews for 2004-2009, and evaluated year-end fiscal performance data.
Brent holds a Bachelor’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo. While at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Brent served as the Associated Students in Planning (ASP) President, and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) President, where he sat on a national board that provided student connection to the American Institute of Architects (AIA). He represented Cal Poly at two international student architecture conferences in Minneapolis in 2009 and Toronto, Ontario, in 2010.
Brent also was part of the project team that took 1st Place in the Bank of America Low Income Housing Challenge in 2012 for the Alere development.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science,
City and Regional Planning
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
CERTIFICATIONS/
AFFILIATIONS
American Institute of Certified Planners
American Planning Association,
Sacramento Valley Section
enCode user Certification
EXPERIENCE
Mintier Harnish
Principal Planner, Senior Project
Manager, Project Manager, Associate
City of Turlock
Assistant Planner
Madera County
Planner II
San Mateo County Housing Authority
Housing and Community
Development (HCD) Intern
Hathaway Dinwiddie, Santa Clara
Project Engineer Intern
PROJECTS
General plans for the City of Gilroy,
the Town Los Gatos, the Town of
Windsor, and the Counties of Fresno,
Sierra County, and Ventura
SB244: Disadvantaged Communities
Report for Merced County
Zoning Ordinance updates for the
Counties of Fresno, Merced, and Sierra,
the Cities of Folsom, Gilroy and Santa
Clara, and the Placer County Sunset Area
Plan Implementing Zoning Regulations
Objective Design and Development
Standards for the Cities of Folsom, Gilroy,
South Lake Tahoe, and Ukiah, the town
of Windsor, and the county of Mariposa
Town of Windsor Housing Element Update
[email protected]
Jim Harnish is the Principal/Owner of Mintier Harnish. He has been a planner and project manager since 1970. He is also an attorney with extensive experience in land use and CEQA. He has managed public agencies and private consulting firms.
He specializes in project management for general plans, specific plans, and large private planning projects; CEQA compliance and environmental document peer review; zoning and regulatory ordinance preparation; and public outreach and consensus-building.
Jim is currently Project Director on general plan updates for the cities of American Canyon, Livingston, Los Gatos, Millbrae, Rohnert Park, and the counties of Fresno, Kern, and Ventura, and zoning code updates for the cities of Folsom, Gilroy, and Santa Clara, and the counties of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Sierra.
Jim’s broad experience, in both the public and private sector, in land use planning, regulatory codes and ordinances, permit processing, environmental analysis, toxics and hazardous materials, wetlands and endangered species, and legal analysis enables him to bring a wealth of experience to every project.
Jim has extensive experience in supervising large planning staffs and managing interdisciplinary consultant teams on complex planning projects. Jim has managed or prepared general plans for the cities of Alturas, American Canyon, Folsom, Galt, Gilroy, Hayward, Healdsburg, Isleton, Livingston, Millbrae, Rohnert Park, Sacramento, South San Francisco, Ukiah, Union City, Wheatland, and Windsor, and the counties of Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Merced, Modoc, San Benito, San Joaquin, and Ventura.
He has managed the preparation of specific plans for Southwest Live Oak, the Mountain House New Town in San Joaquin County, and the Gold Rush Ranch in Sutter Creek. He also assisted Genentech with the preparation and approval of its South San Francisco Campus Master Plan and EIR. Jim has also prepared zoning ordinance updates for several jurisdictions, including, Kern, Merced, and San Joaquin Counties and the cities of Santa Rosa, and South San Francisco.
Jim has been principal-in-charge of several regional planning projects in the San Joaquin Valley, including the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint implementation project, which included the Valley Planners Toolkit. He also managed the Metro Rural Loop Study for the Fresno Council of Governments and the San Joaquin Valley Greenprint II program.
Jim has managed the preparation of or conducted critical third party review of numerous EIRs and negative declarations. As Environmental Coordinator for the City of Sacramento, he led the restructuring of the City’s environmental review procedures. He has worked extensively with State and Federal regulatory agencies in creating and negotiating Habitat Conservation Plans (Coalinga), 404 permits, and wetland mitigation plans.
EDUCATION
Juris Doctor
McGeorge School of Law,
University of the Pacific
Bachelor of Arts, History
University of California, Davis
CERTIFICATIONS/
AFFILIATIONS
California State Bar Association
(Bar No. 99326)
American Planning Association
EXPERIENCE
Mintier Harnish
Principal/Owner
City of South San Francisco
Chief Planner
Sugnet & Associates
Vice President
City of Folsom
Community Development Director
City of Sacramento
Environmental Coordinator
Balfrey & Abbott
Attorney
Mintier Harnish & Associates
Partner
Sacramento Area Council of Governments
Planner
County of Sacramento
Planner
PROJECTS
General plans for over 25 cities and
counties throughout California
Environmental impact reports for over
100 general plans and other projects
Zoning and subdivision ordinance
revisions for 10 cities and counties
[email protected]
JIM HARNISH, JD
PRINCIPAL/OWNER
A-2 A-3