ATTACHMENT D – DRAFT SCOPE OF WORK
HEART OF THE CITY SPECIFIC PLAN UPDATE– VTA CORES, CORRIDORRS, AND STATION AREA PDA
PROJECT GOAL
Originally approved by Council in 1995, with subsequent minor amendments in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2010, 2012, and 2014, Cupertino’s Heart of the City (HOC) Specific Plan encompasses approximately 596 acres of the City’s primary commercial corridor nestled within the VTA’s Cores, Corridors, and Station Area PDA. The City intends to update the existing HOC Specific Plan following the City’s Sixth Cycle Housing Element Update, which will include state-mandated updates to the General Plan and environmental review currently envisioned to be a Programmatic Environmental Impact Report. As part of the HOC Specific Plan Update, the City will incorporate meaningful public engagement throughout and will integrate an analysis of the current conditions of the planning area and surrounding community to address the overarching goals of affirmatively furthering fair housing, vehicles miles traveled reduction strategies, and climate adaptation strategies.
Task 1 – PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
The City (Agency) will conduct robust public engagement and education by encouraging participation by residents of all incomes, races, and ethnic backgrounds as well as employees of local businesses, community- and faith-based organizations, and public agencies. Throughout the public engagement process, the Agency will gather meaningful input from community members, community-based organizations, decision makers, City staff, and the development community on how the Agency may achieve the PDA Planning Grant overarching goals of increasing housing supply, reducing VMT, increasing alternative modes of transportation, and retaining and expanding key community assets and services in a responsible manner that considers the needs of existing and future residents.
The engagement process may incorporate a hybrid of online and in-person formats, such as traditional workshops, online surveys, pop-up events, and virtual meetings, in order to thoughtfully consider COVID-19 protocols. Specific tasks include:
Community Involvement Strategy: Create a detailed Community Involvement Strategy document outlining the approach to involving community members throughout the planning process and ensuring input is integrated into the specific plan. The Community Involvement Strategy should identify translation needs, drawing on the data gathered through the Community Assessment (see Task 2), and highlight potential translation services and/or protocols to utilize throughout the specific plan update.
Community Advisory Council: Form a Community Advisory Council (CAC) to inform the planning process and review draft plan materials. The CAC should consist of a representative group of residents, local employees, community-based organizations, service providers, and/or other involved community members in the plan area. Host a minimum of three CAC meetings throughout the planning process, including, but not limited to: (1) Plan Kickoff & Goal-Setting Meeting, (2) Policies & Strategies Meeting, and (3) Draft Plan Meeting.
Technical Advisory Committee: Form a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to provide detailed technical input throughout the planning process. The TAC should consist of city electives and representatives, representatives of regional agencies such as ABAG/MTC, representatives of service providers such as utilities, transit agencies, and/or air and water quality management districts. Host a minimum of three TAC meetings throughout the planning process, including, but not limited to: (1) Plan Kickoff & Goal-Setting Meeting, (2) Policies & Strategies Meeting, and (3) Draft Plan Meeting.
Project Outreach Materials: Project outreach materials may include a project webpage with project background, fact sheets, information for meeting and engagement opportunities, and a FAQ handout/pdf. Additional outreach materials include, but are not limited to, social media posts, e-updates, and postcards to distribute meeting information to all interested parties. Translation of outreach materials may be provided based on the findings of the Community Assessment.
Public Workshops: Host a minimum of three public workshops throughout the planning process, including, but not limited to: (1) Plan Kickoff & Goal-Setting Workshop, (2) Policies & Strategies Workshops, and (3) Draft Plan Workshop. Virtual/in-person translation at public workshops may be provided based on the findings of the Community Assessment.
Additional Engagement Events: Organize interactive events engaging community members with an emphasis on reaching low-income communities and communities of color. Additional engagement events may include: Online surveys and forums; Digital story/photo maps; “Pop up” workshops at public events such as flea markets, farmer’s markets, and local festivals; Drop-in Design Charrette workshop held in a publicly-accessible location. Virtual/in-person translation at engagement events may be provided based on the findings of the Community Assessment.
Elected & Appointed Official Engagement: Regular memos, dedicated sessions, or briefings with councilmembers and planning commissioners to provide an overview of the planning process, preview of challenges, an opportunity to review and comment on alternatives, and provide input during the development of the Draft Plan to help ensure buy-in and smooth the plan adoption process.
Deliverables:
Kick-off Meeting: Conduct a virtual or in-person kick-off meeting to discuss the overall scope of work, timeline, and key milestones of the HOC Specific Plan Update.
Community Involvement Strategy: Prepare a Community Involvement Strategy.
Community Advisory Council Formation + CAC Meeting #1: Form a Community Advisory Council (CAC) and conduct a virtual or in-person kick-off and goal setting meeting. Create meeting materials, such as staff reports, meeting presentations, and meeting notes/key findings as appropriate.
Technical Advisory Committee Formation + TAC Meeting #1: Form a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and conduct a virtual or in-person kick-off and goal setting meeting. Create meeting materials, such as staff reports, meeting presentations, and meeting notes/key findings as appropriate.
Project Outreach Materials: Prepare appropriate project outreach materials. Outreach should consist of both online and physical materials in effort to engage a wide range of residents and other stakeholders.
Public Workshops & Other Engagement Events: Host a minimum of three public workshops. Organize a minimum of three additional engagement opportunities to engage a wide range of residents and other stakeholders within the community. Create meeting materials, such as meeting presentations and meeting notes/key findings as appropriate.
Elected & Appointed Official Engagement: Prepare appropriate and regular engagement for City Council and Planning Commission. Create meeting materials, such as memos, staff reports, meeting presentations, and meeting notes/key findings as appropriate.
Task 2 – COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT & POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Based on available data and initial public engagement (e.g., kickoff workshop, surveys, etc.), conduct an assessment of the Heart of the City planning area and surrounding community that addresses, at a minimum, Equity, Housing & Jobs, Mobility, Community Assets & Infrastructure, and Resilience & Climate Adaptation. Additionally, assess the existing goals and policies found in the Heart of the City Specific Plan and General Plan. Identify potential policy updates for further development integration into the document based on community engagement and an assessment of historic, existing, and potential future conditions. If a required topic is addressed through a previous planning process, or will be addressed through a parallel planning process, key findings and applicable policies related to the planning area and surrounding community should be integrated and identified in the specific plan.
The assessment must address, but need not be limited to, the following topics, which are described in greater detail below:
Equity Assessment: A citywide equity assessment will be conducted as part of the Housing Element Update and General Plan amendment and is expected to be completed in 2023. The equity assessment will include analyses such as demography, economic opportunity, housing stability, health, and other life outcomes of residents and employees of businesses throughout the city. Additionally, the assessment should identify any existing inequities between residents of different racial or ethnic backgrounds, genders, age groups, abilities, or sexual orientation, as well as the historic and recent factors or policies that contribute to these inequities. The HOC Specific Plan should identify potential policy updates and integrate policies and programs to directly address identified inequities in the plan area. The equity analysis findings should inform all other elements in the Community Assessment, as well as the outreach strategy for the planning process (see Task 1).
Affordable Housing & Jobs Assessment: A citywide assessment of affordable housing and jobs will be conducted as part of the Housing Element Update and General Plan amendment and is expected to be completed in 2023. The assessment should draw upon the findings of the equity assessment. Additionally, the assessment should identify the composition of jobs and evaluate the affordability of housing in the area to the wages of employees in these jobs. The HOC Specific Plan should identify potential policy updates and integrate policies and programs to directly address identified obstacles to delivering housing affordable to all income levels.
Mobility Assessment: The City is currently conducting a VMT Assessment & Mitigation Project, expected to be completed in 2022. Data and key findings from this effort will be used to identify potential policy updates and integrate preliminary policies or programs into the HOC Specific Plan.
Community Assets, Services & Infrastructure Assessment: Identify the availability of essential services and physical infrastructure relative to current and potential future needs in the planning area and surrounding community, as well as key assets identified by community members through outreach such as surveys, public workshops, etc. (see Task 1). Assess the stability of these community assets by asking questions such as: How are community/neighborhood serving businesses and cultural institutions performing, what is their risk of displacement, what are the external factors that they are dependent on, etc. Identify a short list of potential policies and investments for further analysis and potential inclusion in the Plan.
Resilience & Climate Adaptation Assessment: The citywide resilience and climate adaptation assessment will be completed as part of the City’s updated Climate Action Plan. The HOC Specific Plan should identify potential policy updates and integrate policies, programs, or investments to better adapt the specific plan area to vulnerabilities such as natural hazards, anticipated climate change, and seismic impacts and prepare the community to respond to future conditions and events.
Objective Design Standards Assessment (Optional): Review the City’s objective design standards and identify potential updates for further integration in the HOC Specific Plan Update to help streamline development.
Deliverables:
Document Research: Conduct a thorough review of the existing Heart of the City Specific Plan, existing General Plan, and citywide assessments identified above. Prepare an annotated list of reviewed documents, as well as appendices to be incorporated into the HOC Specific Plan highlighting/summarizing key findings from the document review.
Internal Review Meeting: A minimum of one virtual or in-person internal review to discuss findings of the document research and how to integrate potential policies, programs, or investments into the HOC Specific Plan update.
CAC Meeting #2: Conduct a minimum of one virtual or in-person meeting with the CAC to discuss findings of the document research and how to integrate potential policies, programs, or investments into the HOC Specific Plan Update.
TAC Meeting #2: Conduct a minimum of one virtual or in-person meeting with the TAC to discuss findings of the document research and how to integrate potential policies, programs, or investments into the HOC Specific Plan Update.
Policy & Program Recommendations: Prepare a report and/or matrix identifying the potential policies, programs, or investments to incorporate into the HOC Specific Plan.
Task 3 – ADOPTED PLAN DOCUMENTS
Drawing upon input from public engagement (see Task 1) and the evaluation of potential policies included in the community assessment (see Task 2), prepare an administrative draft, a draft, and final Specific Plan Update document. The update to the Specific Plan will be accompanied by appropriate environmental review. City Council Resolution(s) and Ordinance(s) adopting the update to the Heart of the City Specific Plan and amending the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Zoning Map, and any other relevant policies and regulatory documents will also be required. Specific tasks include:
Specific Plan Update: Prepare three specific plan update documents: (1) Administrative Draft, (2) Draft Heart of the City Specific Plan update, and (3) Final Heart of the City Specific Plan update. The documents should build upon Tasks 1 and 2 and should include a coherent set of policies and programs that facilitate short- and long-term implementation of the specific plan. Feedback will be reflected in the Draft Specific Plan Update document. The scope should also include a second Administrative Draft as an optional task. The Draft Specific Plan update will be shared with the CAC and TAC for review and input. The Draft and Final Specific Plan updates will be presented at Planning Commission and City Council public hearings for review, edits, and approval of the Final version.
Environmental Analysis: Associated environmental review will be completed through a programmatic environmental analysis and certified environmental document that meets the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as part of the City’s Sixth Cycle Housing Element Update and related General Plan Amendment. The City will explore if additional environmental review would be required for the Heart of the City Specific Plan Update. At this time, it is anticipated that a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) may be required.
Plan Adoption, Zoning Code Update, & General Plan Amendment: City Council Resolution(s) and Ordinance(s) adopting the update to the Heart of the City Specific Plan and amending the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Zoning Map, and any other relevant policies and regulatory documents.
Deliverables:
Administrative Draft: Prepare an Administrative Draft.
Draft Specific Plan: Prepare a Draft Heart of the City Specific Plan that incorporates staff’s review comments for the Administrative Draft update. The Draft Specific Plan should also be sent to ABAG/MTC to review for consistency with the scope of work.
Final Specific Plan: Prepare a Final Heart of the City Specific Plan that incorporates Planning Commission’s and City Council’s review comments for the Draft document.
Environmental Analysis: Environmental analysis to be prepared and certified in conjunction with the Housing Element update. Agency to determine if an MND will also be required and proceed accordingly.
Internal Review Meetings: Conduct a minimum of two virtual or in-person internal review meetings to discuss: (1) Takeaways and suggested edits and/or recommendations to the Administrative Draft(s); and (2) A recap of the CAC and TAC meetings, as well as the Planning Commission and City Council public hearings with suggested edits and/or recommendations to the Draft Specific Plan.
CAC Meeting #3: Conduct a minimum of one virtual or in-person meeting with the CAC to review and discuss input for the Draft Specific Plan prior to public hearings.
TAC Meeting #3: Conduct a minimum of one virtual or in-person meeting with the TAC to review and discuss input for the Draft Specific Plan prior to public hearings.
Public Hearings & Resolutions: Conduct up to four public hearings with Planning Commission and City Council to present draft and final updates to the Heart of the City Specific Plan and receive Resolutions for Plan Adoption, Zoning Code Amendment, and General Plan Amendment.
DRAFT SCHEDULE
DELIVERABLE
ANTICIPATED DATE OF COMPLETION
REIMBURSEMENT
Task 1 – Public Engagement
1.1 – Kick-Off Meeting
Fall ‘23
$5,000 (1.25%)
1.2 – Community Involvement Strategy
Winter ‘23
$15,000 (3.75%)
1.3 – Project Outreach Materials
Ongoing thru Spring ‘25
$40,000 (10%)
1.4 – CAC & TAC Meetings
Ongoing thru Late ‘24
$10,000 (2.5%)
1.5 – Public Workshops & Engagement Events
Ongoing thru Spring ‘25
$40,000 (10%)
1.6 – Elected & Appointed Official Engagement
Ongoing thru Spring ‘25
$10,000 (2.5%)
Task 2 – Community Assessment & Policy Development
2.1 – Document Research
Early ‘24
$30,000 (7.5%)
2.2 – Internal Meeting
Early ‘24
$10,000 (2.5%)
2.3 – Policy & Program Recommendations
Spring ‘24
$20,000 (5%)
Task 3 – Adopted Plan Documents
3.1 – Administrative Draft
Fall ‘24
$30,000 (7.5%)
3.2 – Draft Specific Plan
Late ‘24
$30,000 (7.5%)
3.3 – Final Specific Plan
Spring ‘25
$30,000 (7.5%)
3.4 – Environmental Analysis
Fall ‘24
$80,000 (20%)
3.5 – Internal Meeting
Late ‘24/Early ‘25
$10,000 (2.5%)
3.6 – Public Hearings & Resolutions for Plan Adoption, Zoning Code Amendment, & General Plan Amendment Spring ‘25
$40,000 (10%)
2014 Heart of the City Specific Plan can be accessed at: https://www.cupertino.org/home/showpublisheddocument/415/636280426123030000