DATE: September 20, 2022
TO: Adam Politzer, Interim City Manager
FROM: Charles S. Bryant, Community Development Director SUBJECT: Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Emeryville Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Professional Services Contract With Urban Planning Partners (UPP) In An Amount Not To Exceed $315,234 For Preparation Of A CEQA Compliant Environmental Document For The 5801 Christie Avenue Mixed Use Project Located At 5801 and 5681 Christie Avenue And Appropriating $215,234 In Expenditures To Division 1725, “Planning Reimbursables”, Account 80050, Professional Services, And Adding $130,860 In Revenues To Account 58760, Planning Reimbursements
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the above-entitled resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a professional services contract with Urban Planning Partners (UPP) for a total amount not to exceed $315,234 for preparing an Environmental Document consistent with the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA) for the 5801 Christie Avenue Mixed Use Project proposed by Oxford Properties Group at 5801 and 5681 Christie Avenue, and appropriating $215,234 in expenditures to Division 1725, “Planning Reimbursables”, Account 80050, Professional Services, and adding $130,860 in revenues to Account 58760, Planning Reimbursements.
BACKGROUND
On July 15, Oxford Properties Group submitted an application for a Use Permit and Design Review Permit to construct a 9-story, 90-foot-high residential tower with 94 units, a 12-story, 202-foot-high commercial tower with approximately 425,100 square feet of research and development and office space, and a parking area accommodating 566 parking spaces, on a 3.76-acre site at 5801-5861 Christie Avenue. The project will include a new half-acre public park fronting Christie Avenue and will demolish all existing buildings on the site including the office building occupied by Wells Fargo Bank. Planning Commission study sessions were held on January 27, 2022, and July 28, 2022.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that all projects be reviewed for their environmental impacts. As the City does not have in-house staff to do such analysis, it routinely enters into contracts with consultants to conduct environmental analysis of projects. The cost of the environmental analysis is borne by the applicant as part of permit/entitlement process.
DISCUSSION
UPP will evaluate the potential impacts of the proposed project using methodology outlined in their scope of work dated July 29, 2022. Their analysis will include an assessment of the project’s impacts on land use, cultural resources, traffic and transportation, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, geology and soils, noise and vibration, aesthetics (including wind, shade, and shadow), and public services and utilities.
It may be noted that UPP staff have prepared several CEQA documents for Emeryville including the EIR for the Marketplace Redevelopment Project Planned Unit Development, the EIR for a 186-unit residential project on the “Nady Site” at 6701 Shellmound Street, and a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Pixar Animation Studios Planned Unit Development. UPP more recently was also involved in preparation of the EIR document for the now withdrawn Onni Mixed Use project on the same site as the proposed project.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of this contract will be offset by planning fees charged to the applicant. The contract expenditures will be charged to Division 1725, “Planning Reimbursables”, Account 80050, Professional Services, and reimbursed by the project applicant through the City’s cost recovery program. The fiscal year 2022-23 budget adopted by the City Council includes $100,000 for Professional Services in Division 1725. Therefore, the attached resolution appropriates an additional $215,234 to this line item. Applicants for cost recovery projects pay a 10% administrative fee on professional services expenses; therefore, the revenue necessary to cover the cost of this contract is $346,757, The adopted budget currently has an available cost recovery revenue balance of $215,897, so an additional $130,860 must be added to revenues in Account 58760, Planning Reimbursements, to cover the cost of this contract.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Professional Services Contract with Urban Planning Partners for an amount not to exceed $315,234, appropriating $215,234 in expenditures to Division 1725, “Planning Reimbursables”, Account 80050, Professional Services, and adding $130,860 in revenues to Account 58760, Planning Reimbursements.
PREPARED BY: Miroo Desai, Principal Planner
APPROVED AND FORWARDED TO THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EMERYVILLE:
Adam Politzer, Interim City Manager
ATTACHMENT:
Draft Resolution, Including Exhibit A, Professional Services Contract with UPP Urban Planning Partners Contract for 5801 Christie Avenue Mixed-Use Project City Council Meeting | September 20, 2022
City of Emeryville
CALIFORNIA
MEMORANDUM