Agenda Item #13.7
For Council Meeting of: July 9, 2024
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: GABE OSBURN, PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR SUBJECT: PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH DUDEK – THE WOODLANDS AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
The Planning and Economic Development Department recommends that the Council, by resolution: 1) approve the Professional Services Agreement with Dudek, Encinitas, California, in the amount of $389,785, for the preparation of The Woodlands Environmental Impact Report, which is to be paid by the project applicant; and 2) amend the fiscal year 2024-25 budget to recognize revenue of $389,785 and appropriate $389,785 for the contracted services.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Woodlands project site is a 71.62-acre in-fill site that is located along both sides of Chanate Road and Cobblestone Drive, west of Hidden Valley Drive, north of Rolling Hill Drive, and east of Sycamore Avenue and Nielsen Court, in the City of Santa Rosa. The property was historically the site of a medical campus which is vacant and was sold by Sonoma County to a private developer. The applicant proposes to amend the current General Plan Land Use designation from Public/Institution to Low and Medium Density residential, and rezone the site consistent with the new land use designations, to accommodate future residential development (Project). Due to the size and anticipated potential environmental impacts, a program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared. Planning staff recommends that the Council approve a Professional Services Agreement (PSA), in substantially the form as Attachment 1, to Dudek (Consultant), and amend the fiscal year 2024-25 budget to recognize revenue of $389,785, to be paid by the project applicant, and appropriate $389,785 for the contracted services. All funds necessary to prepare the EIR will be provided by the applicant, Eddie Haddad, Chanate Development Group, LLC. The FY 2024-25 adopted budget does not include the revenue or expenditure for this proposed EIR development, therefore a budget amendment is necessary to recognize the additional revenue and appropriate the funds for this proposed expenditure.
BACKGROUND
On October 2, 2024, a Neighborhood Meeting was held at City Hall to provide an opportunity for surrounding property owners and tenants to learn about the Project and provide comments. Approximately, 150 people attended the meeting.
On July 6, 2023, the applicant submitted entitlement applications for a General Plan Amendment and Rezoning of the Project site.
On November 3, 2023, a Notice of Application was mailed to surrounding property owners and tenants to notify them of the submitted entitlement applications for the Project.
On December 19, 2023, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was sent to firms interested in preparing an EIR for the Project. The RFP was posted electronically on PlanetBids, and approximately 866 firms were notified. The City received seven responses to the RFP, and after careful review of each response Dudek was selected as the best fit for preparing the EIR. Dudek was notified on April 4, 2024, that they were selected.
The applicant is requesting a General Plan Amendment to the City’s 2035 General Plan to change the underlying land use designation of Public/Institutional to Residential Low Density, Medium Density, and Medium-Low Density and a rezone to be consistent with the land use designations. Future residential developers would need to submit entitlement permits, as appropriate, for City review and approval, and it is assumed that any subsequent California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents would tier from the EIR prepared for the Project.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
Not applicable.
ANALYSIS
The proposed PSA involves the preparation of The Woodlands EIR, which includes all required meetings, project management, acquisition of technical documents, and publishing of environmental documents as outlined in the attached scope of work and schedule.
The total cost for preparation of the EIR is $389,785, all of which will be paid for by the project applicant. The applicant will also be providing the City with 15% of the total budget for City staff’s administrative review of the EIR. In accordance with Council Policy 600-01 (Professional Services) and City Code section 3-08-110 (Award Authority), when a contract or purchase exceeds $100,000, approval must be granted by the City Council.
The FY 2024-25 adopted budget does not include the revenue to be received from the applicant nor does it include the anticipated expenditure. In order for this project to continue, a budget amendment is needed.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the preparation of the EIR will be provided in its entirety by Eddie Haddad, Chanate Development Group, LLC. The proposed budget amendment will recognize the anticipated revenue of $389,785 and appropriate an amount of $389,785 necessary to pay for the contracted services. There is no impact to the General Fund from this budget amendment.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Project Description
Resolution/Exhibit A (Agreement)
PRESENTER
Kristinae Toomians, Senior Planner
Planning & Economic Development Department
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT – THE WOODLANDS
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