STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
September 23, 2025
CONSENT
12 SUBJECT: AWARD OF TASK ORDER FOR THE DESIGN OF DOWNTOWN ACTION PLAN
IMPROVEMENTS (OCEAN AVENUE)
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to award a task order to KOA Corporation in the amount of $304,555, for final design of the Downtown Action Plan Improvements (Ocean Avenue);
2. Authorize the City Manager to approve project-related expenses and change orders for additional design-related services that may be required in an amount not to exceed $30,000; and
3. Find that the recommended action does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (”CEQA”), or in the alternative that the recommended action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301.
Appropriation: $0 Fund: N/A
Submitted By: Mark McAvoy Approved: David A Kiff
Mark McAvoy, Director of Public
Works & Utilities
Dave Kiff, City Manager
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
This report recommends that the City Council award a task order to KOA Corporation (KOA) in the amount of $304,555 for the final engineering design of the Downtown Action Plan Improvements (Ocean Avenue and Beach Street). The design phase includes topographic survey, construction drawings, specifications, and the engineer’s estimates for street, sidewalk, and landscaping improvements on Ocean Avenue between Forest Avenue and South Coast Highway, and Beach Street between Ocean Avenue and Broadway Street.
The design is anticipated to be complete within six months, followed by construction bidding in an effort to begin construction of improvements before the end of 2026.
Design engineering costs are estimated at $304,555, which is within the approved budget of $1,500,000.
Landscape architecture design including planting, decorative pavements and fencing, and irrigation improvements are not included in this scope of work. Final project costs will be determined after completion of a construction bidding process; staff will return to City Council to award a construction contract in 2026 to begin construction.
DISCUSSION
The Downtown Action Plan was initiated by the City Council in 2019 to evaluate existing conditions and develop a plan to improve the downtown infrastructure. Although the plan was not adopted, it provided recommendations for hardscape and landscape designs, street lighting, public art, sidewalk improvements, and inspection of existing trees. Taking into account improvements identified in the draft Downtown Action
AWARD OF TASK ORDER FOR THE DESIGN OF DOWNTOWN ACTION PLAN
IMPROVEMENTS (OCEAN AVENUE)
September 23, 2025
Plan, SWA Group prepared conceptual exhibits (Attachment 1) for the Ocean Avenue streetscape in March 2025 which serves as the basis for further design development of the Ocean Avenue and Beach Street corridors. These improvements include curb bump-outs for traffic calming and enhanced pedestrian safety, a widened sidewalk along Beach Street, and landscaping recommendations. The conceptual designs will require additional evaluation and final engineered designs for street, drainage, sidewalk, landscaping, and irrigation improvements. SWA has an existing task order to provide Design Development for this project.
Staff solicited proposals from KOA, Mark Thomas, and Transtech who are all on the City’s On-Call Consultant list. Historically, because of the vetting process done by the City to create and place vendors on the on-call consultant list, the City has relied upon this On-Call Consultant List to award task orders to vendors with demonstrated quality and price for the various services.
KOA previously completed traffic studies and engineering design services for the Coast Highway Intersection Improvements constructed in 2020. Part of their work included an initial study to convert Ocean Avenue to a one-way street. Due to KOA’s prior familiarity with downtown projects, staff recommends that City Council award a task order to KOA to provide design engineering services which include:
• Utility coordination and topographic survey
• Preparation of a Water Quality Management Plan
• Encroachment permitting with Caltrans
• Final engineered drawings, specifications, and cost estimates The final design for the project will take approximately six months. It will then be advertised for construction and contracts will be awarded to begin construction in the fourth quarter of 2026. It is recommended that a final design task order be awarded to KOA in the amount of $304,555. Although KOA is on the City’s approved On-Call Consultant list, task orders exceeding $75,000 must be approved by the City Council. In addition to the task order amount, it is recommended to authorize the City Manager to approve change orders for additional design-related services that may be required in an amount not-toexceed $30,000.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
There is an available budget of $1,500,000 for Downtown Action Plan improvements. No additional appropriation is requested.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The recommended action consists of organizational or administrative activities of the City that will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment and therefore does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). (Public Resources Code Section 21065; State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15378(b)(5).) The award of a task order for design services for certain improvements along and near Ocean Avenue are for design services only and any future actual improvements will be subject to independent environmental review under CEQA at the time entitlements for those improvements are applied for. Further, the recommend action consists of the creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities, which do not involve any
AWARD OF TASK ORDER FOR THE DESIGN OF DOWNTOWN ACTION PLAN
IMPROVEMENTS (OCEAN AVENUE)
September 23, 2025
commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment and therefore does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the CEQA. (Public Resources Code Section 21065; State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15378(b)(4).) Approving the funding for design services only, which may or may not result in an application for improvements that will be subject to independent environmental review in the future is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project.
In the alternative, the recommended action is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 because it consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Here, the recommended action meets the exemption because the design work involves renovation of public structures with no expansion of use. The project will be presented to the Planning Commission for Design Review and Coastal Development Permit approval in the first quarter of 2026. The work is categorically exempt under State of California Environmental Quality Act Section 15301, for the maintenance of existing sidewalk facilities and minor alterations to existing structures.
ATTACHMENTS
1. SWA Conceptual Plan – Ocean Avenue (Pg. 4)
2. KOA Corporation Proposal (Pgs. 5-14)
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Alpha Santos-Guinto, Project Manager Pierre Sawaya, Capital Program Manager Thomas Perez, City Engineer
Patrick Donegan, Assistant City Attorney