PROPOSAL FOR CONTRACTURAL SERVICES FOR
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA’S
BUILDING & SAFETY DIVISION
PROPOSAL # BS 24-25-21
City of Santa Clarita
March 11, 2025
Scott Fazekas & Associates, Inc.
2 Corporate Park, Suite 206, Irvine, CA 92606-5103 • 949/475-2901 • FAX 949/475-2560 • [email protected]
An Equal Opportunity Employer
1 PART I TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
Cover Letter
March 11, 2025
City of Santa Clarita, Purchasing
Attn: Jaclyn Abston
23920 Valencia Boulevard
Suite 120
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Subject: Proposal for Contractural Services for City of Santa Clarita’s Building & Safety Division Proposal # BS 24-25-21 Plan Review Services for the City of Santa Clarita
Dear Ms. Abston:
Scott Fazekas & Associates, Inc. (SFA) appreciates the opportunity to submit this Proposal for Building Plan Review Services to the City of Santa Clarita. SFA has a great team that can offer Building Plan Check services as requested in the RFP in a timely manner, via digital and/or paper plan review. The Scope of Work proposed by SFA covers comprehensive building, architectural, structural and fire-life safety, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, energy, disabled access, green building and City ordinance and policy reviews consistent with the administrative protocols as directed by the City’s Building Official. All projects produce typed plan check correction lists, in the format requested by the City with each submittal and resubmittal until final approval and transmittal to the City of Santa Clarita. Since SFA is currently providing plan review services to the City of Santa Clarita, we believe our familiarity with the City allows us the ability to provide the necessary awareness of specific circumstances unique to the City. Our team acts as an extension of the City staff uploading/downloading plans and corrections lists into the City’s Accela program.
Founded in 1996 by Scott Fazekas as a California Corporation. We are located at 2 Corporate Park, Suite 206, Irvine, CA 92606. The phone number is 949-475-2901. SFA is financially stable with zero debt. We exclusively serve municipal building departments with zero private sector work to avoid any potential conflict of interest. SFA’s primary service is building plan review operating only out of one location where the engineers can discuss concerns with plans that have unique difficulties to navigate. Scott Fazekas, President, is intimately involved daily with our plan check staff to oversee the final product to our clients. We have performed over 250,000 plan reviews and have provided plan check services which have included every type of construction and occupancy group in the building spectrum. Several notable projects are provided in this proposal with their information and reference contacts.
SFA provides customized services to its clients by aligning the jurisdiction’s policies, protocols, ordinances, interpretations and administrative document formats with internal processes. This results in services which are tailored to the specific needs of your City by using customized agency data lists of unique and critical items that the City of Santa Clarita requires as part of the review process.
2 Corporate Park, Suite 206, Irvine, CA 92606-5103 • 949/475-2901 • FAX 949/475-2560 • [email protected]
An Equal Opportunity Employer
2 SFA proposes to provide Building Plan Check Services with a plan check staff comprised of all licensed professionals with tenure specifically in building safety plan review including architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, CASps, LEED APs and ICC Plans Examiners. We have one newer Plan Cheeck Engineer who has his E.I.T. and is working under the supervision of senior staff. Not only are SFA’s staff experienced but they have experience and history with the City of Santa Clarita. All proposed services will be provided from one SFA office. Each individual of the plan review team has many years of diverse and relevant experience, allowing efficient scheduling and execution of plan review for every type of project that the City may encounter.
Resumes for each plan check engineer are provided, documenting their experience, licenses and certifications. As stated previously, SFA utilizes a simple organizational structure in which Scott Fazekas oversees the quality and consistency of the plan review team interacting personally with each engineer on their projects.
SFA has accessed all Addendums to the RFP and acknowledges having read them as required in the RFP.
The following Proposal provided for your consideration remains valid for 180 days after submittal (including the proposed price) as required by the terms in the RFP. The terms of the RFP, including acceptance of the Professional Services Agreement and insurance requirements, have been reviewed and we agree to the terms stated. SFA looks forward to being considered as a resource which will allow us to continue to serve the City’s building plan review needs.
The undersigned below is the owner and will be the person to contact regarding this Proposal and all services which may be provided to the City of Santa Clarita throughout the term of the Agreement, if selected again as your Consultant.
Sincerely,
SCOTT FAZEKAS & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Scott R. Fazekas, AIA, NCARB, CBO, LEED AP, CASp
President
3 Table of Contents
PART I TECHNICAL PROPOSAL ........................................................................................................ 1 Cover Letter ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1 Introduction (Section 1) ................................................................................................................... 4 2 Analysis (Section 2) ......................................................................................................................... 4 3 Objective, Scope, Nature of Proposed Program (Section 3) ............................................................ 5 4 Work Program (Section 4) ............................................................................................................... 6
4.1 Turnaround Time .................................................................................................................. 6
4.2 Tailored Plan Check Services Approach .............................................................................. 6
4.3 Agency Information List ...................................................................................................... 6
4.4 Transmittal Form .................................................................................................................. 7
4.5 Correction List ...................................................................................................................... 7
4.6 SFA Plan Log System ........................................................................................................... 7
4.7 Customer Service.................................................................................................................. 8 5 Methodology (Section 5) ................................................................................................................. 8
5.1 Plan Assignment/Routing ..................................................................................................... 8
5.2 Status, Tracking and Reports ................................................................................................ 8
5.3 Plan Review .......................................................................................................................... 9
5.4 Electronic Plan Check .......................................................................................................... 9
5.5 Correction List Format ......................................................................................................... 9
5.6 Communication with City .................................................................................................. 10
5.7 Plan Review Logout and Delivery ..................................................................................... 10
5.8 Staff Training ...................................................................................................................... 10
5.9 Applicant Questionnaire ..................................................................................................... 11 6 Project Management (Section 6) .................................................................................................... 11 7 Assigned Personnel & Qualifications (Section 7) .......................................................................... 11
7.1 SFA Proposed Staffing & Project Organization ................................................................. 11
7.2 SFA Personnel .................................................................................................................... 11
7.3 SFA Organization Chart & Personnel Resumes ................................................................. 15 8 Schedule (Section 8) ...................................................................................................................... 25 9 Program Monitoring (Section 9) .................................................................................................... 25
9.1 SFA’s Method of Meeting Time Schedules ........................................................................ 26
9.2 Managing Time Schedules ................................................................................................. 26
9.3 Resource Allocation............................................................................................................ 26 10 City Resources (Section 10)........................................................................................................... 27 11 Subcontractors (Section 11) ........................................................................................................... 27 12 Contractor Capability and References (Section 12) ....................................................................... 28
12.1 SFA’S Project Experience ................................................................................................... 28
12.2 Other Types of Projects Reviewed by SFA ........................................................................ 33
12.3 Client References................................................................................................................ 34
12.4 Client Reference Letters ..................................................................................................... 35 13 Alternative Proposals (Section 13) ................................................................................................ 42 14 Conflict of Interest (Section 14) .................................................................................................... 42 15 Additional Data (Section 15) ......................................................................................................... 42
4 1 Introduction (Section 1)
Scott Fazekas is the sole owner of SFA and has been in the Building Consulting Services field for over 50 years. He formed SFA to offer building safety services exclusively to governmental agencies and has been providing building plan review services since 1996. SFA has performed hundred’s of thousands of plan reviews which have included every type of construction and occupancy group in the building spectrum. SFA has also encountered many unique administrative policies and processes in working with the building officials in client jurisdictions which may have arisen due to tight project scheduling, application of alternate design methods or simply due to unique project characteristics. SFA tailors services to the needs of the City.
SFA does not subcontract out building plan review services and retains full-time staff who work in our office, not remotely. SFA has numerous, solid, municipal references beyond the references provided in the Reference Section, if desired. All references listed in the Reference Section are for current clients and reflect on-going work which shows SFA’s experience with other cities for the same plan check services offered to the City of Santa Clarita.
SFA does not perform any work for the private sector so no conflict of interest can result, allowing SFA staff to be objective in the enforcement of regulations. The owner, Scott Fazekas, will be actively involved with ensuring that quality services are delivered to the City of Santa Clarita, and will be the primary contact for all communication with the City.
SFA’s Quality Features
• Objectivity - Exclusively serving municipalities for zero conflict of interest. • Fast turnaround times: First Reviews in 10 working days and rechecks in 5 working days. • Electronic plan submittal and review.
• Experience of individual plan check staff in this field. • Excellent references by numerous municipalities.
• Quality Control measures practiced to ensure a quality work product. • Municipal experience in building safety and familiarity with all internal and external agency and division needs.
• Excellent Customer Service as ambassadors of the City. • SFA’s team downloads/uploads all plans and Correction Lists in Accela acting as an extension of City staff.
SFA incorporates several internal procedures which will: 1) ensure better communication with the client agencies and the applicants; 2) achieve plan reviews which are more consistent with the specific policies and needs of the individual municipal client; and 3) enhance internal organization and processing. 2 Analysis (Section 2)
Problem solving for projects with unique issues requires a combination of code knowledge and an attitude of wanting to find solutions for barriers to a proposed project. Scott Fazekas has over 50 years in building safety, has served as Building Official in over 20 jurisdictions and has been
5 instrumental in solving unique obstacles to a wide range of projects. He has taught numerous code classes, served on many committees and participated in finding solutions for a wide range of unique projects. He often consults on code and administrative issues for Cities even on projects that are not SFA reviews. He has processed numerous Alternate Methods and Materials Requests (AM&MRs) over the years for both simple and complex projects. Code interpretations and thorough code history and understanding of the code intent are the route to finding solutions.
SFA has decades of experience interfacing with all the agencies that a Building Division will encounter. These range from other reviewing agencies such as Health, Fire, Planning and Engineering Departments to interfacing with other entities that affect how Building Divisions interpret and process projects such as CalOSHA, Public Utilities, School Districts, Sanitation Districts, California Mines & Geology, Division of the State Architect, Housing & Community Development, Office of Statewide Health, Planning & Development, State Water Quality Control Board, Building Standards Commission (BSC), County Assessor, County Recorders and the Architect’s, Engineer’s and Contractor’s Licensing Boards.
Part of the plan review process is to ensure that applications and plans match and contain the necessary documentation of scope of work, occupancy group, use, heights and areas, number of stories, construction types and if sprinklered. This information is not only used in the plan review process but is important to have in the City archives and for producing the Certificates of Occupancy.
3 Objective, Scope, Nature of Proposed Program (Section 3) The Scope of Work proposed by SFA covers all the codes mandated for enforcement by the Building Department. SFA will perform building, accessibility, structural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, use and occupancy classification, general building heights and area, construction type, foundation and other relevant plan review for buildings and structures for compliance with applicable Federal and State laws, building and safety codes and City ordinances. SFA will also review and approve building revisions to plans required during construction. The scope and areas of these codes are as follows:
California Building Code, 2022 Edition (and whatever Edition goes into effect as mandated by State Law)
California Mechanical Code, 2022 Edition
California Plumbing Code, 2022 Edition
California Electrical Code, 2022 Edition
California Energy Code, 2022 Edition
California Residential Code, 2022
All California Adopted Codes
All California Statutes which mandate local enforcement
6 All related State and Local Codes adopted by the City of Santa Clarita, as well as future adopted codes and ordinances during the term of the contract
City Policies
City Interpretations
4 Work Program (Section 4)
SFA proposes to provide Building Plan Check Services with ICC Certified Plans Examiners and licensed professionals from SFA’s office. All of SFA plan check engineers are licensed Professional Civil or Structural Engineers or Architects. All projects produce typed plan check correction lists with each submittal and resubmittal until final approval and transmittal to the City of Santa Clarita via the City’s Accela program. The plan review staff are always available to answer any technical questions of the City and applicant/design team regarding corrections, codes and regulations to encourage complete resubmittals.
4.1 Turnaround Time
Small to Large Multi-family residential and commercial, TI’s and other non-residential projects:
10 Business Days first review, 5 days recheck.
Extra Large Multi-family residential and commercial projects will be done in 15 working days or as agreed upon with the Building Official.
Phone Calls will be returned in 2-4 hours.
SFA has worked with our client cities on numerous projects which have required preliminary meetings, condensed schedules, phased reviews and tight goals on permit issuance deadlines and would continue to do that with the City of Santa Clarita.
SFA’s process ensures due dates are always honored by assigning work to the engineers quickly upon receipt from the City and closely tracking the plan review process as defined in this Section.
4.2 Tailored Plan Check Services Approach
SFA provides a plan review service which is tailored to the specific needs of Santa Clarita. This is accomplished by following the Agency Information List.
4.3 Agency Information List
SFA provides a plan review service which is tailored to the specific needs of each client by using a customized Agency Information List which documents policies, interpretations, ordinances, routing, and communication rules, etc. Whenever the City wishes to implement a change or addition to the list, SFA will update the list and distribute it to all plan check staff on their computer to notify them of the change and it is also updated on a paper copy of the Agency Information List for initial read. When technical directives are added to the Agency Information List, these items are often incorporated into the Santa Clarita Correction List Template, insuring that specific critical items are incorporated in each review when applicable.
7 4.4 Transmittal Form
SFA's Transmittal Form is tailored for use specifically with building plan checks. Serving to document enclosures, it also serves as a good communication tool to alert the permit technician of items which are critical at the permit issuance stage. Some examples are 1) when special inspection is required, 2) when another agency approval is necessary, 3) if the building official was involved in an interpretation and should be given a chance to review the project, and 4) if additional review fees are due as well as other topics. This form works in conjunction with the Agency Information List and establishes a clear working relationship between SFA and the City of Santa Clarita.
4.5 Correction List
In order for the plan checks to reflect the City’s specific administrative preferences, policies, interpretations and routing protocols, SFA uses a customized, City of Santa Clarita Correction List Template which ensures that specific requirements requested by the City are always flagged.
Separate from the City’s specific template, SFA has both Residential and Commercial standard correction lists which are continually being updated. They provide good review guidelines with referenced code sections that aid in compiling the final Correction List. SFA shares our Correction Lists with City staff.
4.6 SFA Plan Log System
The SFA Plan Log System is a software designed specifically for SFA that provides centralized data management for the plan review process. This allows SFA to:
A. Login – Record all information associated with each project B. Generate Reports
1. Scheduling – Efficiently assign plans based on plan checker workloads
2. Productivity – Measure and monitor plan review efficiency
3. Capacity – Monitor the workload capacity of each plan reviewer C. Status to City
D. Track – Plan review progress throughout the plan review process E. Logout – Route completed plans back to the City
Some additional features of the SFA Plan Log System are:
• Fee calculation and tracking for all hourly projects such as revisions or deferred submittals.
• Automated invoice generation to help prevent clerical and mathematical errors. • A Scheduling Report is generated daily which displays the currently assigned workload for each plan checker and all projects received that day. This report is used to ensure each project has the proper time available to complete a proper review. This process also serves to identify projects experiencing delays with numerous re-checks so they can be addressed.
• Maintains all SFA holiday and vacation calendars to ensure assigned workloads are accurate and achievable.
8 • A Due Report is generated nightly and delivered as a reminder, to each plan checker containing all the projects due the next day to ensure deadlines are achieved. • A Status Report is generated which includes the turnaround time for all projects.
This serves as a double check that projects do not go out late. • Advanced search features which help streamline projects by assigning projects at the same address to the same plan checker who performed previous reviews. • Customizable fee structure and review schedules for each client with automated generation of fees and due dates to prevent clerical and mathematical errors.
4.7 Customer Service
SFA prides itself on providing top notch “the applicant always comes first” service. SFA’s Customer Service starts with providing plan reviews that are consistent, technically thorough, competent, clearly written, constructive and timely. From start to finish, due dates are transparent and the plan check engineers are available to discuss and clarify any questions in a professional and courteous manner once the Corrections are received by the Applicant through the City. When the plan check engineers see solutions, they will articulate suggestions. Plan Check Engineers at SFA have the goal of moving each project as quickly as possible through to approval while achieving code compliance. SFA delivered 38% of plan reviews early based on data collected over the past four years. Plan review correction lists are a critical communication tool with the applicants and ensures corrections are clearly defined to the applicant to minimize rechecks and maximize applicant satisfaction.
The SFA Office Administrators are dedicated to providing customer service to the City. During normal business hours, in addition to logging and routing all incoming and outgoing plan reviews, the Administrative staff provide phone coverage, meeting coordination and routing calls to plan review engineers.
5 Methodology (Section 5)
5.1 Plan Assignment/Routing
After plans have been logged in, the SFA Plan Log will recommend plan reviewer assignments based on previous reviewer history for rechecks and plan checker capacity for initial reviews.
Plans are promptly routed to the plan check engineer with an assignment tag and the due date, so the engineer can schedule their time accordingly.
5.2 Status, Tracking and Reports
The details, status and progress of each plan review is tracked in the SFA Plan Log and can be provided to the City when needed.
Upon City request SFA can generate specific reports from the SFA Plan Log System. This allows for full transparency of the plan review process. The reports include information such as:
• Plans uploaded/downloaded from Accela as the date received, reviewed, checked, notified and also how shipped if paper
• Tracking status
9 • Plan Check Engineer’s name, contact information, where and how to respond and resubmit for recheck
• Correction Lists uploaded/downloaded from Accela
• Special Notes to flag unique project-specific items.
Using the City’s Accela program, SFA is able to allow for a smooth flow of the plan review process, becoming part of the City team.
5.3 Plan Review
The paper plans as well as the Accela received plans are distributed by the administrative staff to the assigned plan check engineer’s office and tagged with a due date and any unique notations specific to each project. This is done within 24 hours of intake. The plan check engineer reviews the City Application paperwork and compares the scope of the application with the plans. The review will incorporate any items from the Santa Clarita Correction List Template that apply, as well as applicable policies from the Santa Clarita Agency Information List. Once the direction and scope are clear and any City-specific issues that apply are understood, the comprehensive review of the plan is done. The plan check engineer will use the appropriate SFA Standard Correction List as a guide to ensure that a quality review results. The SFA Standard Correction List is extensive and updated every three years and at mid-cycle (18 months) in accordance with the California Code update cycle. The end product will result in a Correction List that clearly states what areas need to be addressed including references to code sections, ordinances and/or city policies. In the case of rechecks, all resolved issues are deleted from the corrections and unresolved issues retain the initial correction(s) that are not yet resolved with a follow-up correction in bold as to why specifically it remains unresolved.
5.4 Electronic Plan Check
SFA has significant experience providing electronic plan check services with multiple different municipality software, Accela, Bluebeam, web-based options, VPNs and other processes. Each Plan Check Engineer has a dedicated electronic plan review station equipped with dual 43" 4K monitors. Bluebeam Revu is our primary software but also use City web- based options as needed.
SFA uses Digital Signatures for plan reviews performed electronically. The digital signature provides authenticity and trusted 3rd party verification that the signature was issued by SFA.
The digital signature provides integrity protection; ensuring that no modifications were made to the plan after the signature was applied. The digital signature also provides non- repudiation; proving that SFA is the only entity that could have generated the signature.
5.5 Correction List Format
During the plan review process corrections are written to cite specific issues and where appropriate, identify the location on the plans where the conditions apply as well as the code section. To enhance fairness to the designer with the Correction List, the format is such that upon recheck, all the corrections which are resolved by the designer’s response are deleted/dropped from the list; only the unresolved items remain. The initial corrections that are unresolved remain in light font for reference with the follow-up correction clarification as to what remains outstanding and why, typed in bold font. This lets the designer (and owner) see that it is not a new correction that was added but was simply not resolved by the designer, and why.
10 5.6 Communication with City
During the plan review process SFA has multiple mediums with which to communicate with the City. The method selected is intended to be the most convenient, timely, efficient and inclusive to all relevant parties. SFA lists the communication tools currently being utilized in daily operations:
• In person meeting with City at City Hall or SFA offices • Zoom or Teams meetings
• Conference call dial-ins
• Combination of Bluebeam shared on-line viewing with conference call to discuss plans. • Phone
• Fax
• Email and pdf
Considerations such as the location(s), number of participants and complexity of the subject matter play a role in how the method of interaction is selected.
Preliminary meetings may be virtual or in person. SFA attends meetings in City Hall when requested by City Staff. Phone consultations are available to the City on any topic, regardless of whether or not it’s for a project worked on by SFA. Code issues are addressed as a courtesy with no charge. SFA is always available to answer technical questions to the public, including inquiries regarding building and safety codes and regulations.
SFA’s plan check staff work in SFA’s Irvine office, not remotely. Staff regularly take phone calls throughout the day in real time.
5.7 Plan Review Logout and Delivery
During the plan review process the applicant and/or design team will resolve corrections through the resubmittal and recheck process and will continue this process until applicant has shown compliance with all applicable codes, ordinances, state and federal laws as well as City Policies and Interpretations. SFA will return the plans via UPS if paper and through Accela if electronic.
When plans are final Digital plans will be stamped and locked or unlocked as requested by the City depending on internal administrative processing preference. The stamp indicates the plans have been “reviewed for code compliance”. Digital final plans will be downloaded to Accela and the City notified. If paper plans, the plan will then be logged out/approved and couriered back to the City.
5.8 Staff Training
SFA has multiple ways to maintain ongoing training to stay updated on continuously changing codes and statutes that affect the building industry. All staff attend code update classes at every three-year code update cycle as well as annual Calbo Ed Week classes. We participate in monthly ICC Chapter Meetings in more than one region and regularly participate in the Orange Empire Chapter’s Code Committee which addresses new and critical code interpretation issues.
SFA also has regular in-house staff meetings to summarize industry trends and promote uniformity of plan review practices. Having all plan check staff working in one office location also promotes ongoing dialogue and information sharing on a daily basis.
11 5.9 Applicant Questionnaire
SFA provides Applicant Questionnaires on our website at scottfazekasandassociates.com for the design/developer team to complete after the review process is complete. This allows follow-up of any potential process issues but also lets the plan check team know they’re open to receiving comments. This is available, if requested by the City.
6 Project Management (Section 6)
Scott Fazekas is a hands-on manager with many years experience in the building consulting field. His model for a successful relationship with our clients is to be personally involved in the daily plan check operations. He is in the office 5 days a week and readily available to plan check staff to answer any questions that arise during the work day. His personal devotion to the daily schedules contributes to the overall quality of the plan check done by the company. He is available to the City every day should they wish to contact him regarding any project that SFA is reviewing. This has been a successful model for the company for 29 years.
7 Assigned Personnel & Qualifications (Section 7)
7.1 SFA Proposed Staffing & Project Organization
The plan check engineers available to the City of Santa Clarita are all licensed professional architects or engineers, each of which performs comprehensive building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, energy, disabled access, green building and City ordinance and policy reviews consistent with the administrative protocols as directed by the City’s Building Official. Our newest Plan Check Engineer is an E.I.T. and is training under the supervision of senior staff.
The SFA plan review team are trained in the format required by the City for plan review and are available on an as-needed basis to receive, schedule and deliver on-schedule plan reviews.
SFA’s activities in professional organizations are represented in the resumes of Scott Fazekas and the team of plan check engineers. Mr. Fazekas has served on committees, and lectured at seminars, for the two primary organizations which represent building safety professionals: I.C.C. and Calbo. He served four years on I.C.B.O.’s General Design Code Development Committee which then became the Structural Code Review Committee in 1999. He also served six years on the ANSI A117 Committee which develops the accessibility standards used in the federal and state access regulations. One of SFA’s senior plan check engineers, Ganesh Rao, S.E., has developed and instructed the Calbo Structural Code Update Seminar for the C.B.C.
Additionally, Vic Penera, S.E., served as Chairman of the I.B.C. Structural Code Development Committee and was involved in the drafting of the 2000 I.B.C. structural provisions. Brett Archibald, one of SFA’s plan check engineers, took the initiative in developing both a commercial and a residential checklist for the 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022 California Codes. This has been shared with local I.C.C. Chapters and client agencies. Staying abreast of the code industry is key to SFA’s philosophy of serving as a highly-trained extension of the City’s staff.
7.2 SFA Personnel
The following are brief bios on the SFA Engineers that would be available to work on City of Santa Clarita plan reviews.
12 Scott Fazekas, Project Manager
Name Qualifications Type of Review Work
Scott R. Fazekas, President
AIA, NCARB, CBO,
CASp LEED AP
Registered Architect, CA
Colorado, Nevada, NCARB
Certified Plans Examiner
ICC/Calbo
Certified Building Inspector,
ICC/Calbo
LEED Accredited Professional,
USGBC
Certified Access Specialist
(CASp) DSA
Certified Building Official, ICC
Building, Plumbing,
Mechanical, Electrical, T24
Energy, Accessibility,
CalGreen
Scott Fazekas, as Principal and Project Manager, will be responsible for the administration of services and seeing that services are tailored to the specific needs of the Agency. He has managed consulting plan check and building safety services for over 36 years. He will also perform plan reviews and assign which employees will work on each given project. Mr. Fazekas is Past President of the Orange Empire Chapter of I.C.C. and has served on the Code Development and Education Committees. He also serves in the capacity of Building Official for two cities and stays abreast of changing regulatory trends.
Mr. Fazekas has a hands-on approach for managing all of SFA’s clients. He is available personally for questions from Building Officials and other City staff as well as applicants and interacts daily with all of SFA’s plan check engineers relating to code questions or other difficult issues that may arise during the course of a plan check.
Ganesh Rao, S.E. Registered Structural Engineer,
CA
Registered Professional
Engineer, CA
Certified Plans Examiner,
ICC/Calbo
Building, Plumbing,
Mechanical, Electrical, T24
Energy, Accessibility,
CalGreen
Mr. Rao has diverse design experience of wood, concrete, masonry and steel in low, mid and high-rise structures of varying occupancy groups. Now focused on plan review, he brings a thorough knowledge of current structural code provisions. He has worked for SFA for 26 years.
Vic Penera, S.E. Registered Structural Engineer,
CA
California Structural Engineers
Association of Southern
California
American Society of Civil
Engineers;
Building, Plumbing,
Mechanical, Electrical, T24
Energy, Accessibility,
CalGreen
13 Name Qualifications Type of Review Work
International Conference of
Building Officials
Vic Penera was previously with the City of Los Angeles Building Safety with experience in both plan review and supervision. He has worked for SFA for 25 years.
Kam Chitalia, S.E., CBO
CASp
Registered Civil Engineer, CA
Registered Structural Engineer,
CA
Certified Access Specialist,
CASp
Certified Plans Examiner, ICC
Building & Structural,
Plumbing, Mechanical,
Electrical T24 Energy,
Accessibility, CalGreen
Kam Chitalia joined SFA in 2019. He has provided comprehensive plan check services for all of SFA’s client agencies. His reviews include checking for compliance with all state and local codes, ordinances, regulations and City-specific policies. He has 32 years of building safety experience with City of Irvine and SFA and 5 years in the private sector in structural design.
Brett Archibald, P.E.
CASp
Registered Civil Engineer, CA
Certified Plans Examiner, ICC
Certified Mechanical Inspector,
ICC
International Code Council
American Society of Civil
Engineers
Build it Green Certification,
CA
Certified Access Specialist,
CASp
Building, Plumbing,
Mechanical, Electrical, T24
Energy, Accessibility,
CalGreen
Brett Archibald has 21 years’ experience in residential and commercial plan review. He is responsible for keeping SFA’s Correction Lists updated at each Code adoption cycle and is the lead person for Energy Code updates. He is also the primary person in working with IT services and working with client’s software and file transfer protocol needs.
Peter Tang, P.E. Licensed Civil Engineer, CA Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, T24
Energy, Accessibility,
CalGreen
Peter Tang joined SFA after having spent sixteen years in structural design. His expertise in wood-framed structures and rack design has made him a valuable resource. Peter has 20 years’ experience in residential and commercial plan review.
14 Name Qualifications Type of Review Work
Kyle Tonokawa, P.E.
CASp
Registered Civil Engineer, CA
Certified Access Specialist,
CASP
Building, Plumbing,
Mechanical, Electrical, T24
Energy Accessibility,
CalGreen
Kyle Tonokawa joined SFA in 2018. He has plan checked and approved plans, design calculations and reports for various commercial and residential buildings and developments for compliance with the California Building Code, State Title 24 Accessibility, ADA and Energy requirements. He has 33 years of combined experience with L.A. City, Anaheim and Irvine Building Departments.
Randy Buck, Electrical IAEI Professional Member Electrical Review Randy Buck provides specialized electrical plan review for all types of commercial and industrial and residential buildings. He worked as Chief Electrical Inspector and then Chief Inspector in the City of Costa Mesa and now works for SFA reviewing Electrical plans and consulting with the plan check staff on electrical code. Mr. Buck is a past President, International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI).
15 7.3 SFA Organization Chart & Personnel Resumes
16 SCOTT R. FAZEKAS
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Architecture, California State Polytechnic University, 1980 Supplementary Structural Course Work, California State University, Fullerton, 1984
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Licensed Architect, California, C-19012, Colorado, Nevada, NCARB
CERTIFICATIONS
LEED Accredited Professional, LEED
Certified Access Specialist, DSA CASp-063
Certified Building Official, I.C.C. 808505-CB
Certified Plans Examiner, I.C.C., C.B.C. 808505-K-6
Certified Building Inspector, I.C.C., C.B.C. 808505-K-1
EXPERIENCE
Mr. Fazekas is President of Scott Fazekas & Associates, Inc. (SFA) which provides building official, building plan check and building inspection services to governmental agencies. He has interfaced with architects, engineers, designers, contractors, plan checkers, inspectors, developers and building owners to achieve code compliant building construction through the application of local, state, and federal codes and regulations.
Mr. Fazekas has 50 years of progressive experience working in and for building departments. Prior to starting SFA, he was employed by BSI Consultants, Inc. (currently Bureau Veritas) as a Senior Vice President and Division Manager of the Building Safety D ivision. He was responsible for starting, developing and managing the Building Safety Division for 11 years. During that time, he served as building official in California and Washington jurisdictions and oversaw plan review services for more than one hu ndred client agencies. He also founded and served as President of Employment Systems Inc., which was a corporation dedicated to municipal staffing needs. Before his term with BSI, he spent 13 years working for the building divisions in the Cities of Newpo rt Beach and Costa Mesa where he worked his way through all levels in the departments from clerk to permit technician, inspector and plan check engineer.
Mr. Fazekas has plan checked buildings which encompass the full spectrum of building types and occupancy groups and has served as building official for over twenty jurisdictions through long term and interim contract arrangements. He has also contributed to both the design and code enforcement professions by regularly lecturing at code-related seminars and classes for Calbo and ICC. He served six years on the American Institute of Architects Building Performance and Regulations Committee where he, as AIA’s representative, voted on the ANSI A117.1 Disabled Access Standards. He also served four years on I.C.B.O.'s General Design/Structural Review Committee and on the Orange Empire Chapter of I.C.B.O.'s Code Change Committee. He has served on the local Orang e Empire Chapter of ICC’s Board and was President in 2005. He has served as both contract and interim Building Official for over 20 jurisdictions during his last 38 years in the private sector.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Institute of Architects (A.I.A.)
International Code Council (I.C.C.)
California Building Officials (CALBO)
Certified Access Specialist Institute (CASI)
17 GANESH M. RAO
EDUCATION
Masters of Science in Civil Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Bangalore University, India
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Registered Structural Engineer in California S4471
Registered Professional Engineer in California C52721
Certified Plans Examiner, I.C.C. 1136557-60
EXPERIENCE
Mr. Rao has been a building plan check engineer in SFA’s Irvine office since 1998. He reviews both commercial and residential plans for compliance with model codes and local ordinances. He has a total of 29 years of progressively involved engineering experience.
Prior to his employment with SFA, Mr. Rao spent eight years in the design field with experience in California, Nevada and Hawaii designing wood, steel concrete and post-tensioned low, mid and high-rise structures. Occupancies which he has performed design work for have included retail, medical, office resort, bridge, industrial, schools, parking structure and hangar facilities.
Some of Mr. Rao’s notable projects include two Amazon Fulfillment Facilities of 5 -story Type I construction; Education First private school campus with some historic building re -use and new on-campus housing for students; the Ontario Event Center, numerous mixed-use mid -rise structures with parking, retail and housing complexes, many with snow loads in Mammoth Lakes; large-scale cannabis grow farms as well as processing facilities; a 45,000 sf residence in the desert with an airplane wing-like roof using finite element analysis in the design; the Great Wolf Water Park & Resort in Garden Grove with a 10 -story hi-rise hotel; elderly care facilities; ambulatory surgery centers; and the Tustin Blimp Hangar evaluation re -use project. He has recently worked on th e 62 -acre World Energy Paramount project. This project is a biofuel manufacturing/processing facility with extensive overhead process piping as well as administrative and industrial buildings.
Mr. Rao has experience in a variety of geographic regions. His design experience includes projects in California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii and the Territory of Guam. His plan review experience has been in California, Nevada and Colorado. Mr. R ao has reviewed plans for code compliance for residential, tenant improvement, low to mid-rise, tilt-up warehouses, etc. Projects included a three-dimensional finite element analysis of space frame for a mall in the Territory of Guam; Disney Building in B urbank utilizing Haunch moment connections; seismic retrofit of Mattel Distribution Center; an aircraft hangar; and Sony Technology Center in San Diego. Projects also included design and detailing of antenna structures ranging from 30 feet monopole to 400 - foot latticed tower.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
International Code Council (ICC)
18 VICTOR A. PENERA
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, California State University, San Diego 1968 Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, 1970 Supplementary Structural Course Work, California State University, Los Angeles, 1973-76
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Registered Structural Engineer, California 1976, S2083
Registered Professional Engineer, California 1971, C21629
EXPERIENCE
Mr. Penera joined SFA in April 2000 as a member of its plan check engineering staff after completing 30 years of service with the City of Los Angeles.
Having worked four years in the Department of Public Works and 26 years in Building and Safety with the City of Los Angeles, Mr. Penera has substantial experience in both design and plan checking of structural systems. In the 26 years he spent with LA Dep artment of Building and Safety, he plan checked a wide spectrum of structures, occupancies and uses; from simple, wood- frame, single family room additions to complex, high-rise, steel office buildings.
During the last three years of his career with Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, Mr.
Penera served as the Deputy Superintendent of Building in charge of the Engineering Bureau. As Chief of the Engineering Bureau, Mr. Penera oversaw a staff of 175 engineers, technicians and clerical staff responsible for the checking for compliance of state and local regulations related to building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and zoning issues.
During this term in management, he oversaw ordinance adoption, council presentations, counter processes, programs for large scale preliminary review meetings, proprietary product listings, tracking and approvals and Alternate Methods and Materials Requests (AM&MRs).
During his time with SFA, Mr. Penera has performed comprehensive plan reviews of the full range of construction and occupancy types of both small to large scale projects. His career experience, credentials as a structural engineer and management experience have honed his abilities as a plan check engineer.
Mr. Penera was active in the development of the first International Building Code (IBC). For one year, he served on the Steering Committee for the development of the first draft of the IBC and for two years served as Chairman of the Structural Subcommitte e to draft the structural engineering chapters (Chapters 16-26) of the proposed IBC.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOC) American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
International Conference of Building Officials (ICC)
19 KAM CHITALIA
EDUCATION
Masters of Science, Civil Engineering, Clemson University, South Carolina Bachelors of Science, Civil Engineering, Bombay University, Bombay, India
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Structural Engineer, California (S3661)
Civil Engineer, California (C40594)
CERTIFICATIONS
ICC Certified Building Official (858212)
ICC Certified Plans Examiner (858212-06)
Certified Access Specialist (CASp-959)
Building Official Leadership Academy (BOLA) Graduate
Certified Post-Disaster Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluator Certified Post-Disaster Assessment Program (SAP) Coordinator
EXPERIENCE
Mr. Chitalia is a Building Plan Check Engineer with Scott Fazekas & Associates, Inc. (SFA) where he provides comprehensive plan check services for all SFA’s client agencies. His reviews include checking for compliance with all state & local codes, ordinan ces, regulations and City -specific policies.
Mr. Chitalia’s career began in 1984 where he worked in the private sector in structural design firms for 5-1/2 years where he designed multi-story buildings of steel, masonry, concrete and wood. In 1989, he began his career with the City of Irvine. His p ositions ranged from Associate Engineer to Senior Engineer to Principal Engineer, and he ultimately became the Chief Building Official/Manager of Building & Safety. During his 20 years of progressively responsible roles, he reviewed OSHPD projects for the State, complex multi -story structures including hi -rises, shopping centers, fire stations, condos, apartments, parking structures and churches. During a 9 - year period as Principal, he supervised in -house staff that managed reviews of over $12 billion valuation. As Building Official, he interacted with local Fire (OCFA), Water District (IRWD), and County Health (OCHCA) and supervised over 80 staff members.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
California Building Officials (CALBO)
International Code Council (ICC), Orange Empire Chapter Certified Access Specialist Institute (CASI)
20 KYLE B. TONOKAWA
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, California State Polytechnic University, 1985
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Registered Civil Engineer, CA (C43738)
CERTIFICATION
Certified Access Specialist (CASp), DSA CASp-0642
EXPERIENCE
Mr. Tonokawa is a plan check engineer in SFA’s Irvine office. He provides plan reviews of all types of construction and occupancy groups. Through his 33 years of municipal building department career, he has gained diverse experience in zoning reviews, te sting of proprietary construction products and listing, grading reviews and geotechnical report reviews and management of plan check staff in addition to comprehensive plan review responsibilities.
Mr. Tonokawa began his career in 1985 as a plan check engineer with the City of Los Angeles where he worked for 13 years providing building, zoning and grading plan reviews. He then spent nine (9) years as Senior Plan Check Engineer with the City of Anahe im where he handled major projects, as well as code interpretation resolutions and project flow and scheduling. His most recent position before joining SFA was 11 years in the City of Irvine as Senior Plan Check Engineer where, in addition to complex plan reviews, he handled staff training, inter-departmental representation and interfacing with consultants in providing plan review services. He was also responsible for the implementation, coordination and daily operation of Irvine’s Tidemark permitting system and its later upgrades.
Mr. Tonokawa has reviewed numerous mid and hi-rise structures in his career. His reviews have included wrap-around mid-rise condos around parking structures, industrial complexes, hazardous material storage & processing, assembly buildings, private school s, churches, apartment complexes, offices, retail complexes & malls, essential services facilities and oil refinery projects.
Some of Mr. Tonokawa’s large projects are as follows: Twin 20-Story Office Towers in the Irvine Spectrum, 15 -Story Marriott Hotel at the Irvine Broadcom Campus, 997 -Unit Park Plate Apartments and Parking Garage, Tower of Terror at Disneyland, Garden Walk Shopping Mall at Disneyland, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland, 77th Street LA Police Facility, and World Energy Paramount 62-Acre Bio Fuel Processing Facility.
During his term in Los Angeles, he was responsible for reviewing and working with applicants & manufacturers to determine test protocols for proprietary products. He reviewed test data for a range of proprietary products such as sprayed fireproofing, engi neered lumber products, viscous seismic dampers and roofing products.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Calbo - Post Disaster Safety Assessment Evaluator
California Office of Emergency Services - Essential Engineering Duties International Code Council, (I.C.C.)
21 PETER K. TANG
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Engineering, California State Polytechnic University, 1994
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Registered Civil Engineer, California, C59691
EXPERIENCE
Mr. Tang has been a plan check engineer in SFA’s Irvine office for 18 years. He reviews both residential and commercial plans for compliance with model codes and ordinances. With a background in forensic investigations on wood-framed structures, he is particularly well versed in wood structures.
Over an 18-yr. period, Mr. Tang has been exposed to a variety of engineering design assignments with three different structural design firms. He was employed by Seismic, Inc. in Pomona; Ficcadenti & Waggoner Structural Engineers in Irvine; and John A. Mar tin Structural Engineers in Los Angeles.
Mr. Tang has been an excellent supervisor to junior plan checkers in the area of wood framing.
His expertise in rack design has also made him a valuable resource in the review of increasingly large rack systems.
In his engineering design years, Mr. Tang was a project designer on Fresno State’s Savemart Center, a steel and concrete sports area; the Pacific Grand Resort, a steel conference center in Huntington Beach; the Westpark Tiempo Community in Irvine, a seismi c retrofit of homes; and the Casa Gateway Condos in Pacific Palisades, a seismic evaluation of 3-story homes.
Through our current contract with the City of Norwalk, Mr. Tang worked in-house at the City one day per week for almost 8 years. He worked with applicants to answer code questions and to resolve plan check issues for both his projects as well as those of other SFA plan reviewers. His personality allowed him to be a successful ambassador.
Mr. Tang is uniquely familiar with the specialized needs of SFA’s clients when it comes to electronic submittal. His long tenure with different software systems has made him effective at troubleshooting areas which can be improved when new systems or chan ges occur. He interacts with our client cities and assists in the submittal process with our other engineers when necessary.
22 BRETT A. ARCHIBALD
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, California State San Diego, 2002 Structural Emphasis in Course Work
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Registered Civil Engineer, California, C69206
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Plans Examiner, I.C.C. 5114159-60
Certified Mechanical Inspector, I.C.C. 5114159-41
Build It Green Certification, CA
Certified Access Specialist, DSA CASP-122
EXPERIENCE
Mr. Archibald is one of SFA’s professional staff in the Irvine office. He has 19 years of experience with SFA reviewing both residential and commercial projects. He is responsible for tracking changes in T-24 Energy Regulation and updating all staff.
Mr. Archibald started internship with SFA during college summer breaks and immediately started full-time upon graduation in 2002. He has performed reviews of all construction types and occupancy groups during his tenure including new structures, additions and alterations.
Mr. Archibald has experience in plan checking a variety of projects including single and multi - family housing, tenant improvements, new commercial and industrial buildings, seismic retrofits, tilt-up warehouses, etc. These projects involved structural sys tems such as wood framing, light gauge steel, moment frames, cantilever columns, concrete and masonry.
Mr. Archibald has taken the lead role of developing and updating SFA’s Commercial & Residential Standard Correction Lists used by the entire plan check team. He has also been the key plan check engineer to follow all the T-24 energy updates and is the “go to” person for energy questions. As a CASp, he also maintains updated training as a CASI member.
Mr. Archibald interacts with client cities on implementing electronic plan reviews as well as doing data entries in the client’s tracking system such as Accela or Eden or EnerGov when needed. He has been instrumental in assisting clients in the process of implementing digital plan review for plan intake and review. He is also SFA’s key representative when client’s software systems change and protocols change or when SFA is initiating services with a new client.
Mr. Archibald has also been instrumental in helping to establish tailored documentation for some of SFA’s newer clients or clients which are modifying procedures or policies. His computer skills have assisted in the coordination of SFA processing with the needs of clients.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
International Code Council (ICC)
Certified Access Specialist Institute (CASI)
23 THADDEUS FRIESS
EDUCATION
Benedictine College, Civil Engineering
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Engineer in Training, EIT, California
EXPERIENCE
Mr. Friess is currently a Plans Examiner and has his E.I.T. in California after recently finishing his coursework at Benedictine College with a degree in Civil Engineering prior to joining SFA. Under the supervision of senior members of the firm and it’s President, Scott Fazekas, Thad has performed many reviews on residential projects from basic single-family additions, ADUs and to larger new SFR single family residences. His knowledge base continues to grow as his experience deepens.
His seminar training coursework has covered code analysis, means of egress, heights and areas, T- 24 Energy and both 11-A and 11-B Access Regulations.
He has systematically studied, and become familiarized with plumbing, mechanical and electrical code provisions relating to residential by studying check lists and code content. He has also done seminars on T-24 energy regulations.
Prior to joining SFA, he worked for a construction company during his school years, which gave him familiarity with actual construction practices.
Mr. Friess’ youth offers the benefits of extreme familiarity with computers and their programs.
Todays’ world requires computer skills and he has the advantage of having used computers through his entire school career. He is familiar with all forms of electronic plan review approving and delivering of these plans and is also very familiar with Bluebeam which most of SFA electronic plans are read in.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
National Society of Professional Engineers
24 RANDY BUCK
EDUCATION
Electrical Engineering, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA Whitworth College, Spokane, WA
EXPERIENCE
Mr. Buck works for SFA to provide electrical plan review services on large or complex projects and interfaces with all plan check staff as-needed on unique electrical code issues. He has worked for SFA since his retirement from Costa Mesa in 2017.
Mr. Buck has worked in the electrical industry for the past 40 years, starting as an electrician, electrical contractor and then entering the public sector as an electrical inspector for the City of Costa Mesa. He retired after 30 years of service as the Chief Inspector and Electrical Plan Checker for Costa Mesa. He presently teaches electrical code and ordinances for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
During his 30-year tenure with the City of Costa Mesa, he plan checked and inspected the electrical on large multi -family residential complexes and numerous commercial facilities. Some notable projects were the Segerstrom Concert Hall which was a large, c omplex project on an extremely tight timeframe; Triangle Square which had large fault current, generator and an EM lighting system; and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) which had large dynamometers which were unique, custom, one-of-a-kind equipment for their test facility.
Prior to his experience with the Costa Mesa Building Division, Mr. Buck worked for two Electrical Contractor firms: Foster Electric & Engineering and Walker Electric. He worked 4 years with Foster Electric doing oil refinery hazardous location installati ons, restaurants and industrial food processing conveyors. With Walker Electric, he worked for 6 years doing large residential complexes up to 750 units, subterranean parking, tennis courts, a community building with racquetball courts, gym, streams, and pool.
Along with his present duties performing plan reviews with SFA, Mr. Buck teaches at the NJATC (IBEW Training Building) in Santa Ana. The program he teaches is accredited for Santiago Canyon Community College. His coursework covers compliance, calculations, and interpretation with the Electrical Code.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI), Past President IAEI Professional Member #6034372
25 8 Schedule (Section 8)
SFA proposes the timeframes in the following table to perform plan check services for the City of Santa Clarita.
Plan Check Services SFA Timeframe for
Delivery
Alterations &/or Additions 10 Working Days
Solar or ESS Systems and EVCS 5 Working Days
Single-Family Dwellings 10 Working Days
Multi-Tenant Dwellings 10 Working Days
Commercial Tenant Improvements 10 Working Days
Subsequent & resubmitted plan check; all plan review types 5 Working Days Expedited Plan Check As agreed upon
Field Revisions for permitted projects which are under
construction: 3-5 Working Days
9 Program Monitoring (Section 9)
The following flow chart illustrates how SFA views, routes, and communicates during the plan review process from beginning to completion. The sections that follow provide additional details of SFA’s process.
26 9.1 SFA’s Method of Meeting Time Schedules
SFA will meet or exceed the City’s expectations for turnaround times. Internally we shorten the turn around time to 8 workings days maximum instead of 10 working days. Reports are provided each month in order to prepare the invoices, showing which projects were completed during the previous month. Additional reports are available as requested by the City. Any additional duties requested by the City would meet the agreed upon time frame expectations of the City.
SFA has worked with our clients on numerous projects which have required preliminary meetings, condensed schedules, phased reviews, and tight goals on permit issuance deadlines.
A Daily Turnaround Report is run and reviewed by management to verify that all deadlines are being met or exceeded.
As shown in the following chart, SFA has performed over 33,000 reviews in the previous 4 years, during that time 38% of the reviews have been completed prior to the committed due date, 62% on the due date and 0% late. SFA’s commitment to its clients to deliver plan review services on time is unparalleled.
9.2 Managing Time Schedules
Scott Fazekas, President of SFA, will personally be managing the time schedule and assures the City of Santa Clarita that he will make sure all deadlines are met.
9.3 Resource Allocation
The SFA admin staff performs all non-plan check related activities to enable plan check engineers to efficiently focus only on plan review. SFA’s engineers all work in the same office; none work remotely. This enhances coordination, communication, consistency in application of interpretations and team building.
27 All of SFA plan check engineers are hourly, not salaried, so they are compensated at 1.5 rate for all overtime worked. This structure allows SFA the depth of resources when assignments are received to have any or all engineers do overtime in order to always meet the deadline. This equates to approximately two and a half Full Time Employee’s always being available for increased demand. The SFA Capacity chart above accounts for the current work load; the excess capacity shown is capacity to perform plan check services above and beyond the current work load to provide additional plan review services to the City. 10 City Resources (Section 10)
It is the ultimate goal of SFA to reduce or eliminate the effort by City staff needed in the plan review process. Since SFA works at the pleasure and direction of the City, the City has the right to determine what, if any, involvement they have. SFA is simply an extension of the City staff as an as-needed resource. Some information and effort required of the City to perform services that would help SFA perform plan review services more efficiently would be as follows:
• Copies of Code Adoption Ordinance.
• Copies of, or verbal explanation of, any written Policies on Code Interpretations. • Copies of any administrative policies on plan routing with applicants. • List of City contacts, roles, phone numbers, etc. to allow efficient interfacing for communication and coordination between SFA and City staff when necessary. • Copies of Application Forms with each plan review assigned to SFA by the City. • Respond to occasional phone calls by Plan Check Engineers on project-specific questions.
11 Subcontractors (Section 11)
SFA does not use subcontractors.
28 12 Contractor Capability and References (Section 12)
12.1 SFA’S Project Experience
SFA primarily specializes in proving building plan review services exclusively to governmental agencies. SFA has performed over 250,000 building plan reviews and 40,000 for clients in the past 5 years. Several notable projects are provided with the information and reference contacts as requested in the RFP are listed below.
Mercy House Motel Conversion to Transitional Housing
2274 Newport Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA
Plan Check Engineer: Kam Chitalia, S.E.
Start Date: 9/26/22
Final Date: 12/13/22
City Contact: Ziad Doudar, Building Official
(714) 754-5614
email address: [email protected]
Mercy Housing was doing this project to meet the City’s need to provide homeless shelter housing by a court ordered date. The City contacted SFA prior to the plan submittal to do a site visit, expslain the parameters and schedule and to work out a strategy for the plans to be in three phases to get construction started as soon as possible. Scheduling and access regulations were key issues. The project was initially built as a split-level Motel 6 with a pool deck, front offices, dining room and both open and underground parking. The 3 phases achieved approval through timely reviews and resubmittals with communication between all parties. This project involved public funds so despite having been built initially pre-1991, access compliance had to be addressed.
World Energy Paramount (WEP)
Bio-Fuel Manufacturing
14700 Downey Avenue, Paramount, CA
Plan Check Engineer, Ganesh Rao, S.E., Kam Chitalia, S.E., Kyle Tonokawa, P.E.
Start Date: 10/5/2022
Final Date: In Process/Not Completely Approved Yet; approx. 100 phases
City Contact: John King, Community Development Director (562) 220-2049
email address: [email protected]
World Energy Paramount (WEP) is a 62-acre site being developed as a bio-fuel processing facility. It is the first facility in California by WEP. There are two large structural engineering firms providing designs and they are coordinated through WEP’s engineer who is the City’s contact for all interfacing needs. Flour Corporation and Air Products, Inc. are the two firms.
29 The project scope is 1) remediation of contaminated soil and grading; 2) developing staging structures for an anticipated 3-year development phase; 3) developing 1- to 4 story factory structures including vessels up to 75 ft. high; and 4) developing a site-wide network of structures, towers and poles approximately 70 ft. high supporting bio-fuel piping with a total weight of approximately 600,000 tons. Due to soils conditions and ground water table at approximately 40 ft deep, 70 ft deep caissons have created challenges. Also, challenges to work through involved multiple easement abandonments and having agreements recorded for several separate parcels that make up the 62 acres. To accommodate WEP’s unique scheduling preferences, most structures are phased with foundation only and superstructures done separately. To date, SFA has received 232 plan check applications for this site. Many phases are approved but this is an on-going phased project.
Alexan Apartments and Parking Garage
34 E. Santa Clara Street, Arcadia, CA
Plan Check Engineer, Ganesh Rao, S.E.
Start Date: 5/1/23
Final Date: In Process/Not Approved Yet
City Contact: Ken Fields, Building Official
(626) 574-5420
email address: [email protected]
Alexan Apartments is a new 319-unit apartment building with underground parking consisting of 330,113 sq. ft. building area. It had a valuation of $74 million. It included a pool, spa and restaurant. The parking garage and podium were Type 1-A construction and the apartments on the podium were Type III-A construction. Some of the key issues on this project due to height and scale/area were 1) Fire Walls for separating areas to comply with allowable area; 2) the 3- hour garage separation by using 510 CBC exceptions; and 3) building height to grade since apartments are on top of the raised podium. Also, the “occupied roof deck” provisions apply to this project on the 5th level which is a relatively new code provision/exception. For disabled access in an elevator apartment Chapter 11-A had many adaptable feature requirements and the project also has some live-work units which also trigger Chapter 11-B access regulations for the public accommodation portions of the units. At this point after only the initial review has been performed. It is possible this project may be publicly funded and accessibility scope is yet to be resolved regarding accessibility issues.
On the structural side, the Type III-A residential is wood framed with Fire Retardant Treated wood (FRT) which decreases structural wood values due to Type A construction as well as FRT.
The settlement/dimensional change with 4 stories of wood presented the need for the engineer to address dimensional change issues as well.
30 Cinema West 12-Plex Theater
1490 E. 2nd Street, Beaumont, CA
Plan Check Engineer, Ganesh Rao, S.E.
Start Date: 6/28/2019
Final Date: 10/11/2019
City Contact: Sara Retmier, Building Official
(951) 769-8517
email address: [email protected]
Cinema West was Type III-B Sprinklered, 12-plex, A-1 occupancy of 39,866 sq. ft. It had a valuation of $8.9 million. This project was part of a larger development which included about 6 other big box retail, fitness center and restaurants which were at different stages of construction.
The developer had not contacted Southern California Gas regarding a known easement and had found a high-pressure gas line with grading equipment. They were shut down temporarily and during that time accurate location of the line being determined also put a hold on their Theater project until resolved. This was worked through between the City, the architect and SFA.
The project went through two corrections and was approved on the third. Some of the key points unique to this project were high 40 ft. ceilings and high storefront glazing. There were some partitions designed as hanging partitions. The view angles for accessible Chapter 11-B viewing needed to be demonstrated. Also, the layout involved seismic isolation between some areas so seismic joints were necessary. Also, handrails and stepped aisles per 1029 CBC were addressed.
The building was built as a concrete tilt-up with stepped roof diaphragms. A number of corrections occurred on the diaphragm design, concrete out-of-plane wall anchorage at the roof as well as the wall foundation connections. There were also some fire protection details for the Type I Hood in the kitchen that were addressed in the corrections.
4-Level Parking Structure
15336 Newport Avenue, Tustin, CA
Plan Check Engineer, Kyle Tonokawa, P.E.
Start Date: 6/24/2019
Final Date: 9/13/2019
City Contact: Mariam Madjlessi, Building Official
(714) 573-3109
email address: [email protected]
Schools First Federal Credit Union is the owner who was building this to go with their adjacent 3 story office building which SFA had also previously reviewed. It was built as Type 1-B construction, S-2 occupancy and 291,089 sq. ft. providing 921 parking stalls. It had a valuation
31 of $13.5 million. While it was titled 4-story, it was 4 levels of parking but qualified as a 3-story structure from a code perspective with an occupied parking deck roof.
Some of the key issues that were addressed in the reviews were 1) it was in a liquefaction zone and required 50 ft. deep borings by the soils engineer; 2) the foundation design for moment frame; 3) one of the grade beam designs; and 4) rooftop solar array configurations not meeting 503 C.B.C and some exit travel distance questions. There were also some issues with undersized electrical conductors and equipment. The project required 2 reviews with corrections and was approved on the 3rd submittal.
Mixed Use 5-Story
10201 Garden Grove Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA
Plan Check Engineer, Ganesh Rao, S.E.
Start Date: 1/5/2023
Final Date: In Process/Not Final Yet
City Contact: David Dent, Deputy Director of Community Development/Building Official (714) 741-5343
email address: [email protected]
This 5-story included a Type 1-A, S-2 occupancy parking garage with podium construction, floors 1-3 above as commercial occupancies of A-3, B, M and U occupancies and floors 4 and 5 as residential R-2 occupancies. It also included an occupied roof as well. Floors 1-5 above the podium were Type III-A construction. The project was 207,349 sq. ft. in area with a valuation of $25 million. This project had its complete initial review and has not yet been resubmitted.
This project had issues with 1) mis-labeled sprinkler design type; 2) roof top occupancy egress; 3) possible access parking requirement count due to the commercial physical therapy tenants; 4) access compliance for both residential and commercial occupancies (Chapters 11-A and 11-B, C.B.C.); 5) conflicts in the soils report with the design for the intended loads from construction type and number of proposed stories; and 6) collector design for concrete shear walls.
The following Reference Projects will highlight 3 projects that are “essential services” facilities and therefor subject to statutory requirements for the design team, who can plan check them, and that they meet the more restrictive occupancy category code for structural design. The third project is a parking garage.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department – Tustin
1382 Bell Ave., Tustin
Plan Check Engineer: Ganesh Rao, SE
City Contact: Mariam Madjlessi, Building Official
(714) 573-3109
[email protected]
This project was in an existing Tilt-up Type III-B, sprinklered building of 119,382 sf. It was developed to have 2 stories and 1 mezzanine for a Sheriff’s Station. Scope included parking
32 upgrades, fencing, exterior patio, new generators, mezzanine, and a tenant improvement from warehouse to an essential services facility. The occupancy changed from S-1 to A/B/F-1/S-2.
There were preliminary meetings to address phased construction as well as the structural viability since the building required a seismic upgrade to meet an Occupancy Category Code IV instead of II which represents a 50% seismic design increase. This is unique to essential services facilities. This project went through a total of five reviews over a period of four months.
The design method required bracing and stabilizing some of the existing structure to gain compliance with the structural requirements. It involved a combination of: 1) tall sheet steel shear walls with AISI interpretations on S400-15 standards; 2) concrete precast shear walls which needed addressed since “ordinary” precast shear walls were not allowed in Seismic Design Category C per ASCE Table 12.2-1; and 3) roof diaphragm attachments to walls for out- of-plane anchorage.
This plan review progressed well. The initial preliminary meeting contributed to the design and review team being on the same page about the structural challenges which needed resolved.
Fire Station & Storage Building – Costa Mesa
2803 Royal Palm Dr., Costa Mesa
Plan Check Engineer: Ganesh Rao, SE
City Contact: Ziad Doudar, Building Official
(714) 754-5604
[email protected]
This project was a new building on a site of a previous fire station. It was a 1-story, type VB, sprinklered construction fire station. As with the OCSD project, it also required complying with Occupancy Category Code IV requirements.
The structural materials consisted of concrete piers, concrete and masonry shear walls, and plywood shear walls, some of which were designed to resist masonry loads. It also used steel girders supported on the masonry walls. This project had a generator, fuel tank and transformer which required structural calculations and anchorage since these equipment components also required Category IV anchorage design.
Occupancy separation between the engine bay and sleeping quarters was required since the International Codes no longer group the entire fire station into a B-occupancy. The accessible route from the parking lot to the public entrance was allowed via the public sidewalk. While technically not allowed by Ch. 11-B access regulations, Public Works clarified that the City could commit to the sidewalk not being removed due to street widening or other reasons, making the alternative design an option.
This Fire Station is in operation now.
33 Parking Structure – Irvine
Irvine Center Drive & Antivo, Irvine
Plan Check Engineer: Kyle Tonokawa, PE
City Contact: Jesse Cardoza, Building Official, Community Development Director (714) 724-6377
[email protected]
This project was a 4-story, Type II-B sprinklered parking garage of an S-2 occupancy group. It was 164,490 sf with a valuation of $8,832,976. The parking structure was wrapped by an apartment complex which was reviewed as a separate phase; however, the apartment and garage egress plans were reviewed together.
There were issues with separating the concrete parking structure from the wood framed apartments. Seismic drift separation and fire wall construction were addressed and some additional concrete fire walls were required to complete the fire separation. There were also trash chutes in the garage that served the apartments, requiring fire rated opening protections.
The structural system consisted of both moment frames and shear walls which warranted a rigidity analysis. The different lateral systems presented the need for detailing to transfer lateral loads. Also, distribution of some of the shear wall loads transferred into some of the ramp diaphragms which created connections at varying elevations. Sloped footings for shear walls also needed addressed so as not to exceed 1 in 10 slope.
Vehicle barriers at exterior walls consisted of both masonry and steel cables which initially lacked design. Also, there were sump pumps required for drainage discharge at the lowest level.
This project went through three reviews and was approved on the third.
12.2 Other Types of Projects Reviewed by SFA
Some projects worth noting to illustrate a broad range of experience are as follows:
• New undergraduate dormitory 96,200k SF housing facility • New mixed use 10 story residential and indoor water park with retail • New Assisted living Facilities
• New Ambulatory Surgery Centers and Multiple OSHPD 3's • Multiple residential buildings (apartments and condos) 3 to 5 stories with podium construction and parking below
• Mixed use office, retail and housing facilities
• Multiple Cannabis Buildings including agriculture, packaging, retail and extraction • Multi-story parking structures
• OCSD Sheriff’s facility remodel upgrading to Occupancy Category Code IV • Multiple large warehouses
• Multiple multi-story office buildings
34 • Fire Stations
• Municipal Event Centers
• Private School Buildings
• Large 5 story Distribution Hub Buildings 4 and 5 Story with multi-million sq. ft. areas • Three- and Four-Story mini-storage facilities
• Multifamily and Multistory residential projects
• Storage racks and large-scale conveyor structures
• Elderly Care and Child Care Facilities
• Blimp Hangars at MCAS Tustin - Evaluation and Re-Use
12.3 Client References
Listed below are References for SFA. SFA provides plan review services for all of them.
Agency: CITY OF PARAMOUNT
Reference: John King, Community Development Director
(562) 220-2049
email address: [email protected];
Term: 2021 to present
Service: Plan Review & Building Official
Agency: CITY OF BEAUMONT
Reference: Sara Retmier, CBO, Building Official
(951) 769-8517
email address: [email protected]
Term: 1997 to present
Service: Plan Review
Agency: CITY OF ARCADIA
Reference: Ken Fields, Building Official
(626) 574-5420
email address: [email protected]
Term: 1999 to present
Service: Plan Review
Agency: CITY OF WHITTIER
Reference: Adam Tekunoff, CBO, Building Official
(562) 567-9320
email address: [email protected]
Term: 2018 to pressent
Service: Plan Review
35 Agency: CITY OF TUSTIN
Reference: Mariam Madjlessi, P.E., Building Official
(714) 573-3109
Email address: [email protected]
Term: 1998 to present
Service: Plan Review
Agency: CITY OF GARDEN GROVE
Reference: David Dent, Architect, Deputy Community Dev. Dir., Building Official (714) 741-5343
email address: [email protected]
Term: 2021 to present
Service: Plan Review
Agency: CITY OF SANTA ANA
Reference: Jason Kwak, P.E., CBO, Building Official
(714) 647-5866
email address: [email protected]
Term: 2005 to present
Service: Plan Review
12.4 Client Reference Letters
Included on the following pages
36 37
38 39
40 41
42 13 Alternative Proposals (Section 13)
There are no alternative proposals at this time.
14 Conflict of Interest (Section 14)
SFA does not do any private design work. This allows us to focus on the building plan review services that we offer. No conflict of interest can arise.
15 Additional Data (Section 15)
Since SFA only provides plan review services. We feel that our company can truly be an extension of your building department. Our experienced staff of many years with the ability to tailor the requirements of each city to their specific needs makes our company unique. Our sophisticated plan log program allows us to print each night a scheduling report that shows the workload of the entire staff. This report is reviewed by our assignment manager to ensure that each engineer’s workload for the days of the report are appropriate and achievable. We constantly monitor workload so as to always make our deadlines.
Many checks and balances are in place to keep any plans from going late. We pride ourselves on delivering a quality service that our clients can rely on and appreciate