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Agenda Report
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January 22,2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: FINANCE COMMITTEE
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT
WITH PERKINS EASTMAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MASTER
PLAN FOR THE SR 710 NORTHERN STUB PLANNING PROJECT IN
THE AMOUNT OF $2,820,744 AND APPROPRIATE $800,000 TO THE
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE OPERATING BUDGET
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the proposed action herein is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15061(b)(3);
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract, as the result of a competitive selection process, as specified by Section 4.08.047 of the Pasadena Municipal Code, with Perkins Eastman for the SR 710 Northern Stub Project in an amount not to exceed $2,820,744 for a period of three years. Competitive price bidding is not required pursuant to City Charter Section 1002(F) (contracts for professional or unique services);
3. Authorize the City Manager to extend the three-year contract for up to two additional one-year periods; and
4. Recognize and appropriate $800,000 to the City Manager's Office operating budget for the anticipated expenditures needed in FY 2024.
BACKGROUND:
As part of the SR 710 Northern Stub planning work, the City Manager's Office sought qualified proposals to assist in creating a SR 710 Northern Stub Master Plan document.
The SR 710 Northern Stub (710 Stub) area was relinquished to the City in August of i
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MEETING OF 1/22/2024AGENDA ITEM NO._LL
Contract for the Development of a Master Plan for the 710 Displacement Project January 22, 2024
2022. In February of 2023, the City Council appointed a 16-member Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group to assist in the effort to determine the future use of the approximately 50 acres of under-utilized land. The creation of a comprehensive master plan will ensure that all future development in the 710 Stub area meets the City's expectations as well as its General Plan goals and policies. Currently, the relinquished area has no land use or zoning designations. The master plan will serve as the guiding planning document for the future development of the area and the foundation for the creation of a new SR 710 Northern Stub Area Specific Plan.
The master plan document will include seven work products:
1. Community Engagement Strategy;
2. Restorative Justice Framework;
3. Data Collection and Existing Physical Conditions;
4. Economic Study and Market Demand Analysis;
5. Mobility and Circulation Analysis;
6. Land Use Options; and
7. Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development and Services Plan.
Additionally, as part of the master planning effort, the findings of the Historic Report on the 710 Displacement, will be incorporated into the final master plan. The Historic Report on the 710 Displacement contract work was awarded to three consultants in October of 2023, and will compile a comprehensive history that includes information about the neighborhoods that were displaced and the impacts of the construction of the SR 710 and the SR 210 on the community.
Solicitation and Request for Proposals
The relinquishment of the 71 0 Stub became a historic oppori:unity for the City to develop the underutilized piece of land. Given this unique opportunity, in March of 2023, the City issued a Request for Information (RFI) and invited experienced land use experts to participate in the information gathering process for the creation of the master plan request for proposals (RFP). The rare opportunity to re-envision a section of a community as unique as Pasadena garnered significant international attention, drawing the interest of several globally renowned consulting firms specializing in large-scale developments and land use planning. The RFP, Development of a New Master Plan/Specific Plan, was issued on August 15, 2023,and the RFP submission period closed on September 28, 2023. A total of eight proposals were received. The proposals were evaluated and went through a meticulous evaluation process where they were scored by a panel of three experienced staff members utilizing the scoring criteria included in the RFP.
CriteriaWeight
Proposed solution, work sample and additional
materials
30 Contract for the Development of a Master Plan for the 710 Displacement Project January 22, 2024
Staffing assigned to the project
Proposed schedule
25 25
Cost Proposal20
TOTAL SCORE100
Per the evaluation procedures and criteria in the RFP, proposals were scored and ranked as set forth in Attachment A to this report. It is important to note that because of the potential use of Federal grant funds for the master plan, "Local Pasadena Business," proposal evaluation points could not be included in the scoring criteria.
Nonetheless, the proposal submitted by the firm Perkins Eastman rose to the top of the proposals and received 88.59, the highest score, and as a result, staff recommends this group be awarded the contract.
Perkins Eastman
The Perkins Eastman firm has 40 years of experience planning and creating various large-scale mixed-use plans or projects for urban environments. Their award-winning portfolio of projects around the world demonstrates their experience. Perkins Eastman's response to the City's RFP, included approaches to each of the seven work products that indicate knowledge and awareness of the City's unique history and its goal of restitching the underutilized 710 Stub back into the surrounding Pasadena community. The Perkins Eastman team and highly qualified subconsultants will be led by Principal and Urban Planner Vaughan Davies who has over 30 years of experience creating dynamic environments with pedestrian-first developments. Many of the large- scale projects Davies has worked on reflect the City's design and mobility vision for large developments and neighborhoods.
The diverse projects the assembled team has worked on regionally speak to their understanding of governmental entitlement processes, robust community engagement strategies, and land use solutions. Their ability is demonstrated by the high-profile projects they have collaborated on, like Park 101 for the City of Los Angeles, which proposes to cap portions of the 101 Freeway to create open space. Team members were also involved in the LA Waterfront Master Plan for the City of Los Angeles, and other significant work for the City of Long Beach, including the Downtown Long Beach Master Plan and the Rainbow Harbor, Queensway Bay Master Plan which redesigned a complex freeway off-ramp system at the southern 710 Stub in the City of Long Beach.
Most recently, Perkins Eastman received the "Best of the Best" award at the 2023 ICSC Global Design & Development Awards for The Wharf in Washington D.C. This project was recognized for its excellence in design and commitment to reuse and revitalization, as well as a Sustainable Commendation. The riverfront development is a mile long and sits along the Washington Channel. Its development revitalized the existing waterfront, which had been underutilized for decades. The Wharf's design is driven by a sensitivity to the community, ecology, and economy of the waterfront community.
Contract for the Development of a Master Plan for the 710 Displacement Project January 22, 2024
The Restorative Justice Framework process will be led by Estolano Advisors in partnership with Perkins Eastman. Relevant to this project, Estolano brings to Pasadena recent experience on the Park 101, as well as engagement on the Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan. Perkins Eastman in coordination with The Estolano Group will create a restorative justice framework that will be bolstered by a collaborative process that includes information from the Historic Report on the 710 Displacement and engagement from the community. Creating a restorative justice framework aims to acknowledge the long-term effects the 710 Stub displacement has had on various community groups and will use that knowledge to inform the development of land use and mobility options, ultimately growing an equitable planning approach. The Restorative Justice Framework is not meant to offer a "solution" but to create a structured strategy that will produce a master plan that will align with the goals of the engaged community.
A successful master planning process must incorporate the engagement of the surrounding community. To ensure this is a robust and intentional effort, The Robert Group, in collaboration with CARS (Community Art Resources) and Prairie Form's Place It!, will direct the community engagement process during the master planning phases. Outreach will begin with creating branding to ensure legibility and to unify all project communications. Engagement with the community will happen through community-wide surveys, stakeholder focus groups, community events, pop-up sites, social media, school outreach, and email distribution to assess community priorities and preferences of initial ideas.
For the Mobility and Circulation Analysis portion of the master plan, Perkins Eastman is partnering with the Iteris Inc. group to oversee the existing conditions and on-ramp modification portion of the master plan work. The Iteris Inc. team is familiar with the 710 Stub area and the various transportation circulation scenarios vetted by Caltrans. The City utilized Iteris for work on the SR 710 Northern Stub Repurposing - Technical Feasibility Assessment, which was completed in January 2021. Iteris' familiarity with the traffic circulation surrounding the project area is invaluable to the transportation planning process because the transportation solution is a foundational piece of the master plan. As part of the relinquishment agreement made between the City, Caltrans and the California Transportation Commission, the 710 Stub must continue to sen/e as a transportation corridor.
Additional mobility and circulation planning work to integrate the 710 Stub into the City's existing arterial and surface streets will be managed by Gibson Transportation Consulting, Inc., another reputable and experienced transportation firm. They will work closely with the City's Department of Transportation (DOT)and Caltrans to ensure proposed solutions or modifications align with DOT'S sustainable transportation goals, like walkable streets, bike lanes, and public transportation.
Contract for the Development of a Master Plan for the 710 Displacement Project January 22, 2024
The total budget for these services is as follows:
Community Engagement Strategy$323,000
Restorative Justice Framework/Policy$280,000
Data Collection, Existing Physical Conditions/SD Modeling$205,000 Economic Study/Market Demand Analysis$182,620
Mobility and Circulation Analysis$200,000
Land Use Options$950,000
Climate Resilient Infrastructure Services Plan$210,000
TOTAL$2,350,620
The proposed contract fully complies with the City's Competitive Selection process.
The contract with Perkins Eastman will be an amount not to exceed $2,820,744 for a period of three years, which includes the base contract amount of $2,350,620 and a contingency of $470,124 (20%) to provide for any necessary change orders. If the work is not completed in three years, the City Manager will have the authority to extend it for up to two, one-year periods with not changes to the project budget.
The City has not worked directly with Perkins Eastman but has worked with several of its subconsultants, including AECOM, which is currently working with the Planning Department to update the City's multiple specific plans and who will lead the Economic Study and Demand Analysis of the 710 Stub master plan process.
Additionally, the Iteris Inc. group is currently working with the City's Department of Transportation on work related to three signalized intersections. Given the extensive experience of Perkins Eastman and its subconsultants, the City looks forward to collaborating with them on developing the 710 Northern Stub Master Plan. They are recognized for their innovative and thoughtful approach to urban design and master plans. Therefore, we anticipate that their contributions will be valuable in enhancing the City's vision for future infrastructure and development.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
The proposed contract award will further the City Council goals to improve, maintain and enhance public facilities and infrastructure, support and promote the quality of life and local economy and improve mobility and accessibility throughout the City. It also supports the General Plan Land Use Element and would be consistent with Guiding Principle 1: "Growth will be targeted to serve community needs and enhance the quality of life. Higher density development will be directed away from residential neighborhoods and into the Central District, Transit Villages, and Neighborhood Villages. These areas will have a diverse housing stock, job opportunities, exciting districts with commercial and recreational uses, and transit opportunities. New development will build upon Pasadena's tradition of strong sense of place, great neighborhoods, gardens, plazas, parks, and trees.," and Goal 9, regarding sustainable environment: "Development and infrastructure practices that sustain natural environmental resources for the use of future generations and, at the same time, contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on climate change."
Contract for the Development of a Master Plan for the 710 Displacement Project January 22, 2024
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This project is exempt from CEQA review pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3). The contract award is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.
Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to the provisions of CEQA. Such is the case with the proposed request to authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract for the SR 710 Northern Stub Project for the preparation of a master plan.
Contract for the Development of a Master Plan for the 710 Displacement Project January 22, 2024
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total cost of this contract is an amount not to exceed $2,820,744, which includes the base contract amount of $2,350,620 and a 20% contingency of $470,124 to provide for any necessary change orders.
The City Manager's Office also recommends that the City Council appropriate, in the current year, $800,000 from the $5 million payment made to the City as part of the SR 710 Corridor relinquishment, currently allocated to the General Fund Projects Fund (105). Once cost factors are more fully known, the City Manager's Office will return to the City Council as part of a future budget clean-up report to request additional appropriations of funds.
Respectfully submitted,
DAVID RE^ES^
Assistant City Manager
Prepared by:
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Senior Projec\l\4anager
Respectfully submitted,
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BRENDA E HARVE/-WILLIAMS
Assistant City Mansfger
Approved by:
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City Manager
Attachments:
Attachment A: Evaluation Summary
Attachment B: Historic Resources Group Taxpayer Protection Amendment Forms