CITY COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST
Department(s):
PBCE
CEQA:
Not a Project, File No. PP17-
006, Grant Application and
PP17-003, Agreements/
Contracts (New or
Amended) resulting in no
physical changes to the
environment.
Coordination:
CAO and CMO -
Budget
Dept. Approval:
/s/ Christopher Burton
Council District(s):
Citywide
CMO Approval:
4/1/2022
SUBJECT: AGREEMENT WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF BAY AREA GOVERNMENTS FOR
REGIONAL EARLY ACTION PLANNING GRANT FUNDS
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or designee to:
(a) Accept the sub-allocation of Regional Early Action Planning Grant funds; and (b) Negotiate and execute a grant agreement administered by Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and consultant agreements in the amount of $442,154 for a term beginning on the effective date and ending on December 31, 2023.
BASIS FOR RECOMMENDATION:
The California Department of Housing and Community Development awarded funds for Regional Early Action Planning to ABAG and other regional entities for technical assistance, preparation, and adoption of planning documents to accelerate housing production and facilitate compliance in implementing the sixth cycle of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment. ABAG, in turn, is issuing grants to local jurisdictions based on letters of interest for the purposes outlined above. ABAG has awarded the City of San José (City) $442,154 for the following projects:
• Senate Bill 9 Implementation: This project includes regulatory changes to allow two to four units on properties currently designated as Single-Family Residential Zoning Districts to implement the Senate Bill 9 mandate. Amount awarded: $268,154.
• Martha Gardens Specific Plan Update: This project includes updating the Martha Gardens Specific Plan, originally adopted in 2003, to facilitate additional housing development opportunities in proximity to transit and downtown. Work will include amending land use and urban design policies, increasing allowed heights and density, a boundary expansion, and rezonings to facilitate housing development.
Amount awarded: $50,000.
• Housing Element Outreach: The goal of this project is to provide community engagement and outreach support to staff from the City’s Planning and Housing departments as part of the ongoing Housing Element update process, consistent with City goals around inclusive and equitable planning and community involvement practices. Amount awarded: $74,000. • Five Wounds Urban Village Plans Update: This project will update four Urban Village plans (Five Wounds, Little Portugal, Roosevelt Park, and 24th and William Street) and will consider increasing planned housing capacities, modifications to land use plans and policies, and increases in allowed height and density. Funds will be used for the environmental analysis of the project. Amount awarded: $50,000.
Climate Smart San José: The recommendation in this memorandum has no effect on Climate Smart San José energy, water, or mobility goals.
Commission Recommendation/Input: No Commission recommendation or input is associated with this action.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 4/12/22
FILE: 22-479
ITEM: 2.11
COST AND FUNDING SOURCE:
There was no fee to submit the application and the grant was non-competitive; the award was based on a jurisdiction’s allocation of Regional Housing Needs Assessment units for the Sixth Cycle of the Housing Element Update. To streamline the procurement of consulting services, ABAG’s Executive Board has seated a Regional Planning Bench of over 90 prime consultants across 11 service categories. The Regional Planning Bench was competitively procured using a request for qualifications that contained “cooperative use” language that may expedite direct contracting between the City and consultants on the Regional Planning Bench. To reduce administrative burden, the City may elect to have ABAG retain its Regional Early Action Planning suballocations to administer consulting contracts on its behalf with firms on the Regional Planning Bench, or it can elect to have the funds disbursed directly to the City.
The City was granted an allocation of $442,154 from ABAG. Staff is requesting authorization for the City Manager or designee to negotiate and execute a grant agreement directly with ABAG for $442,154 and the flexibility to contract directly with the consultants to complete the work outlined above for a total amount of $442,154. Staff will bring forward, as necessary, a request to recognize and appropriate the grant funding as part of a future budget process after the execution of the agreement.
FOR QUESTIONS CONTACT: Ruth Cueto, Supervising Planner, (408) 535-7886