Agenda #: 5.5
Meeting Date: January 21, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Daniel Fox, City Manager
TITLE: CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH DE NOVO PLANNING
GROUP TO PREPARE NECESSARY ENVIRONMENTAL
DOCUMENTS FOR A PROPOSED ELECTRONIC BILLBOARD
LOCATED AT 880 SOUTH LEMON AVENUE.
STRATEGIC
GOAL: Open, Engaged & Responsive Government
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve, and authorize the City Manager to sign, the Consultant Services Agreement with De Novo Planning Group to prepare the necessary environmental documents pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act in the not-to-exceed amount of $64,950.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None. All costs associated with the execution of the Consultant Services Agreement shall be borne by the project applicant. The applicant will be required to submit the total contract amount to the City prior to the start of services. Consultant invoices will be paid out of the developer deposit account. The proposed Consultant Services Agreement authorizes the Consultant to submit invoices to the City for a not-to-exceed amount of $64,950.
SUMMARY:
The Walnut Valley Unified School District (WVUSD) proposes to install a digital billboard along the freeway frontage of its district facilities on Lemon Avenue. The Development Code (Title 22 of the Diamond Bar City Code) currently prohibits off-site signs, including billboards, so a number of prerequisite actions, including an amendment to the Development Code, would have to be accomplished before the City may consider the district’s request.
Because the proposed project is subject to California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA), the City is seeking services of an environmental consulting firm to prepare the required CEQA documentation. This will include an assessment of potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed electronic billboard installation and the identification of mitigation measures to minimize those impacts to less-thansignificant levels. It is anticipated that an Initial Study (IS) will likely determine that a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) would be the appropriate environmental document for the project.
Site Characteristics
The billboard is proposed to be located on the 6.1-acre property of the WVUSD administrative offices and bus yard at 880 South Lemon Avenue. The site is bounded by Walnut Elementary school and adjacent Lycoming Street to the north, South Lemon Avenue to the west, Glenwick Avenue to the east and the California State Route 60 (SR 60) to the south.
The proposed billboard will be located near the southwest corner of the site, where the bus yard is located, to provide optimal visibility along the freeway. The image below highlights the subject property and proposed billboard location:
Site Aerial of Project Location –
WVUSD Administrative Offices
Proposed Project
The application includes the following entitlement requests:
• Development Code Amendment to amend the Development Code to allow billboards as a permissible use, subject to specified criteria. • Development Review to approve the design of the proposed electronic billboard structure at the subject property.
• Conditional Use Permit to allow the operation of the proposed electronic billboard at the subject property.
• Development Agreement between the City of Diamond Bar and WVUSD setting forth the community benefits that may be derived with the development and operation of an electronic billboard at the subject property.
CONSULTANT SELECTION PROCESS:
On August 19, 2024, the City published a detailed Request for Proposals (RFP) on PlanetBids, inviting planning and environmental consulting firms to submit proposals to prepare the CEQA document for the project. The City received proposals from eleven firms. After reviewing the proposals and interviewing the top candidates, staff recommends that the City enter into a Consulting Services Agreement with De Novo Planning Group (De Novo) based on the factors outlined below:
Quality of Proposal – De Novo prepared a proposal with a detailed scope of work closely aligned with the project’s needs, including an in-depth review of potential impacts to aesthetics, light and glare.
Cost – The proposed budgets of the eleven proposals ranged from $26,896 to $124,909, with an average cost of $66,176. De Novo’s proposal, with a not-to-exceed amount of $64,950 for preparing an MND, is at the midpoint of this range, and is slightly lower than the average (see table below for cost comparison). De Novo’s costcompetitiveness is largely attributed to its use of experienced in-house staff.
Firm Bid Amount
SummitWest Environmental, Inc. $26,896
CAJA Environmental Services, LLC $35,230
CSG Consultants, Inc. $49,925
CASC Engineering and Consulting, Inc $54,500
Chambers Group $63,120
De Novo Planning Group $64,950
Michael Baker International $66,270
UltraSystems Environmental $74,870
T&B Planning, Inc. $76,780
EPD Solutions, Inc. $90,484
FirstCarbon Solutions $124,909
Scope of Work – The proposed scope of work includes all work efforts related to the analysis, preparation, consultation and related compliance with CEQA. This will include the preparation of an initial study, the mitigated negative declaration with necessary technical studies, on-call consulting on an as needed basis, and attendance at public hearings.
Firm Credentials – De Novo’s team is comprised of experienced and highly qualified analysts specializing in planning, environmental services, and sustainability. Their expertise encompasses environmental documentation and compliance, with technical proficiency in areas such as visual impact assessments, air quality analysis, noise studies, and biological resource evaluations. Additionally, De Novo received outstanding references, highlighting the firm’s responsiveness and excellent work products.
De Novo has assisted cities such as Lake Forest, Fountain Valley, Burbank and Gardena with the preparation of environmental documentations for similarly complex CEQA projects. In March 2022, De Novo completed an IS/MND for City of Baldwin Park for the installation and operation of a 90-foot-tall electronic billboard, adjacent to the Interstate 10 freeway corridor.
Project Manager – De Novo’s business approach includes having a dedicated project principal and project manager on every project to ensure continuity and a seamless process during the absence of either person. Starla Barker, AICP, will be the assigned project principal, responsible for review of all work products and overall quality control.
Ms. Barker has over 20 years of industry experience preparing and managing planning and CEQA documents throughout Southern California. Christine Abraham, will be the assigned project manager and is responsible for day-to-day management of the CEQA process through to public hearings. Ms. Abraham is also a principal planner with De Novo and has almost two decades of environmental consulting and planning experience. Ms. Abraham is also a member of the State Bar of California.
Based on staff’s evaluation of the submitted proposals, it is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute the proposed contract with De Novo to prepare the CEQA documents for a not-to-exceed total of $64,950.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the Agreement as to form.
PREPARED BY:
REVIEWED BY:
Attachments:
1. 5.5.a Consultant Services Agreement
2. 5.5.b Scope of Work and Budget