TO:City Council
FROM:Al Adam, Mayor
Mikey Taylor, Councilmember
DATE:May 7, 2024
SUBJECT: Ad Hoc City Council Campus Master Plan Committee – Plan Preliminary Design, Entitlement, and Environmental Services RECOMMENDATION:
1. Authorize advertisement of Request for Proposals/Qualifications for Preliminary Design, Entitlement, and Environmental Services for the Campus Master Plan Project.
2. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Minimal staff time to prepare staff report and Request for Proposals/Qualifications (RFP/Q) is included in the Adopted FY 2023- 24 General Fund Budget. $500,000 is included in the Adopted FY 2024-25 General Fund Capital Budget in CI 5540 Civic Arts Plaza Campus Masterplan Improvements for Preliminary Design, Entitlement, and Environmental Services.
Additional budget, if needed based on proposals, will be requested at time of award. Over the past several years, City Council has already set aside $35.0 million in General Fund Assigned Fund Balance towards the future design and construction of the project.
BACKGROUND:
The Downtown Core Master Plan (DCMP) established a vision for the downtown core and identified the initiatives the City should pursue to create an active, pedestrian-friendly area. The DCMP expanded on certain policy goals outlined in the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Specific Plan. These were further refined by a
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robust public outreach campaign, incorporating input from over 1,100 residents through multiple communication channels. On June 5, 2018, City Council endorsed the comprehensive vision for the Downtown Core Master Plan, which included the following key elements:
Redesigning the Civic Arts Plaza (CAP) to be more active and connected; to provide a “front-door” to City Hall and create a Town Square – a central event and gathering space for Thousand Oaks residents.
Expanding arts, cultural, and entertainment programming; creating a regional hub offering events and programming for participants of all ages, interests, and abilities.
Creating an entertainment and retail destination on City-owned properties; providing opportunities for outdoor dining, public art, and beautiful landscaping.
Improving walkability and the pedestrian environment.
On January 8, 2019, staff retained AECOM Inc. and began work on the Campus Master Plan to fulfill the goals outlined in the DCMP. City Council also established a CAP Campus Master Plan Ad Hoc Committee, to review draft concepts and provide guidance on plan development. On February 25, 2020, staff and the Ad Hoc Committee presented a concept to City Council, which included:
A new road configuration, with a pedestrian-friendly “Main Street” inset from Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
An expansive and activated town square area that could be programmed for a variety of uses and events.
Development of the Westside parcel for commercial and institutional uses.
After the height of the pandemic response had concluded, City Council directed staff to revise the previous Campus Master Plan concept from 2019 and develop realistic phasing opportunities as part of its Top Ten Priorities for FY 2022-23. In March 2023, staff engaged RRM Design Group (RRM) to revisit the site plan and develop a phasing strategy. RRM was asked to incorporate any necessary changes to the site plan resulting from factors that had emerged since the pandemic began, such as the introduction of The Lakes residential project and general real estate market trends for the region.
Using the 2019 AECOM design as a foundation, RRM evolved the site plan to address emerging needs, better honor market viability, avoid costly structural edits, Campus Master Plan – Preliminary Design, Entitlement, & Environmental Services May 7, 2024
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and solve other site plan issues. On November 14, 2023, staff and RRM presented an updated site plan (Attachment #1) to City Council. Additionally, City Council approved a First Amendment to the agreement with RRM to expand the scope of work to test the assumptions made in the development of the site plan.
The amended scope of work brought clarity on the outstanding questions of initial conceptual design to allow City Council to make an informed decision on how best to advance the project. Specifically, the scope of work investigated the economic viability of the Campus Master Plan program, the optimal phasing strategy for the project, the structural considerations of the existing City Hall building, and the geotechnical conditions in critical areas of the site. Since the November 14, 2023, City Council meeting, the Ad Hoc Committee has met with staff and the RRM Design team on four occasions to drive key decisions and provide general project direction. This staff report provides a summary of the key findings from the analysis performed between November 2023 and April 2024.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
Ongoing Community Feedback
Over the past six months, staff has continued its community engagement efforts to incorporate feedback into the evolving concept and maintain community awareness of the project. Since sharing the initial concept with City Council in November 2023, staff have given presentations, engaged in discussions, and held pop-ups with the following groups/locations:
California Lutheran University Campus
Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce
Wellness Festival
Ventura County Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY)
Conejo Climate Coalition
Various property owners along Thousand Oaks Boulevard
Gardens of the World
Westlake Biopartners
Amgen
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin’s Office
Supervisor Jeff Gorrell’s Office
Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks
Kiwanis Club of Thousand Oaks
Conejo Recreation and Park District
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Council on Aging
Youth Commission
Planning Commission
Open House Event in Scherr Forum (4/30) and Virtual Open House (5/1) Much of the community feedback received to date has been focused on desired uses and attractions in the Downtown area. Community preferences that have been noted in the most recent outreach campaign are consistent with the data received in the City’s pre-pandemic outreach efforts as well as the latest biennial community attitude survey. In general, there is a consistent desire for more options for dining, entertainment, cafes, boutique retail, and a variety of public spaces for community gatherings.
Several community members voiced preferences for program amenities that could be incorporated into the project during preliminary design such as Electric Vehicle charging for cars and bicycles and public restrooms near key gathering areas.
Additionally, many voiced support for both alternative modes of travel and ample parking throughout the program. These details and others will continue to be refined during the preliminary design stage of the project. Project updates, including iterations of the project visuals, have been regularly published to the City’s website at www.toaks.org/downtown.
Key Findings from Scope of Work
Geologic Constraints Evaluation
In December 2023, staff engaged Cotton, Shires & Associates (Cotton Shires) through an on-call professional services agreement, to perform a geotechnical and geologic constraints evaluation of key areas within the Campus Master Plan program. Developed properties south of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and north of the 101 Freeway have a documented history of encountering a dense volcanic rock, referred to as “blue rock”, that is difficult and costly to excavate. Blue rock was encountered during the construction of the CAP in 1994 as well as at adjacent properties.
The purpose of the geologic constraint’s evaluation was to determine if the conceptual site plan was feasible based on the soil, bedrock, and groundwater conditions of the site. Cotton Shires used six seismic refraction survey lines at various locations across the site to evaluate subsurface earth materials.
Furthermore, seven exploratory test pits were excavated from depths of 7 to 17 feet and evaluated by lab analysis.
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In summary, the conceptual site plan is feasible based on the geologic conditions observed, and blue rock was not detected in critical areas where significant grading would need to occur. The geologic conditions allow for a rear drive aisle between Oakwood Drive and the entrance to the existing parking structure. In addition to being the main access route to the existing parking structure, this drive aisle also serves as the access to the loading dock to the Scherr Forum and the Kavli Theatre turnaround. Screening the back-of-house operations near the Scherr Forum loading dock and maintaining access through the rear drive aisle was a cornerstone of the site plan developed by RRM. The geotechnical analysis also confirmed that subterranean parking would be feasible for the main building pad on the westside parcel, increasing the available parking proximal to Main Street.
Structural Analysis
In 1997, the Uniform Building Code seismic standards were significantly updated to reflect the lessons learned from the January 1994 Northridge earthquake. The CAP, constructed primarily in 1994, was built to the pre-1997 standard. The question at hand was how to construct the grand staircase, arcade, and how to repurpose the G.H. and Diane Jones reflecting pool without necessitating a broader retrofitting effort.
The grand staircase, which creates a pedestrian connection between the Kavli Theatre and Main Street, is achievable by constructing stairs on top of the landscaped terrace and removing the uppermost step, which currently forms the railing to the third-floor terrace. A structural beam that sits within the uppermost step would need to be lowered to accommodate the grand staircase but is achievable without major edits to the structure.
The arcade on the first floor, connecting Main Street to the interior lightwell was included in the program to create pedestrian permeability and increase visibility to tenant spaces that are deeper into the building. The arcade is generally achievable without triggering a larger retrofit effort but would require exterior walls and overhead supports to be added.
The conceptual site plan shows the G.H. and Diane Jones Reflecting Pool area converted to an activated event space overlooking Main Street and Thousand Oaks Boulevard. The structural analysis performed by RRM showed that the current load capacity, designed to accommodate approximately a two-foot depth of water, would not be sufficient to make the entire area occupiable. However, as shown in Attachment #2, landscape treatments could be used within the reflecting Campus Master Plan – Preliminary Design, Entitlement, & Environmental Services May 7, 2024
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pool area to reduce the occupiable area. Alternatively, a costlier edit could be made to make the entirety of the reflecting pool area occupiable. Refined costs and options could be investigated further as part of the Phase 3 design.
Site Plan – Oak Tree Preservation
The conceptual site plan minimizes oak tree disruptions while also achieving the goals of the program. The CAP and Westside property contain a total of 85 oak trees, comprised of both valley and coast live oaks. Of the 85 oak trees, 51 (60 percent) are mature, naturally-occurring valley oaks. The conceptual site plan preserves over 92 percent of the mature oaks on the property (47 of the 51).
The remaining 34 oak trees (40 percent) are coast live oaks and were planted or naturally germinated in the past thirty years, after construction of the CAP. Many of these trees are nestled in a cluster, west of the vehicular entrance to the parking structure along a gradual slope. Although many are nearly thirty years old, the trunk sizes have not developed beyond three or four inches in diameter, perhaps due to location or competition for resources in the limited space. Among this cluster, 31 juvenile coast live oak trees would need to be removed to accommodate the new drive aisle alignment. Approximately half of the 31 coast live oak trees have been identified as viable transplant candidates, while the other half would require mitigation per the City’s adopted oak tree ordinance.
The conceptual site plan has an opportunity for approximately 70 new trees to be planted in various locations.
Economic Viability
Land Economics Group, Inc. (LEG) was retained by RRM as part of their scope to analyze the market viability of the conceptual uses on the site, share pertinent lessons from other cities that recently formed or redeveloped downtowns, and inform the economics of the phasing strategy.
With regards to the market viability, approximately 25,000 square feet of retail is supportable in the Campus Plan site, with a preference for locally-owned and unique outlets. LEG recommended that nationally-recognized chains should be kept to no more than 30 percent of the available tenant spaces. Additionally, LEG recommended no additional office space beyond the adaptively reused portions of the existing City Hall is recommended. The interior tenant spaces could be used for civic and cultural uses such as a blackbox theatre, public art gallery, or satellite library location.
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LEG recommended mixed-use development with residential and ground floor commercial for the Westside parcel. Including multi-family residential increases the residual value of the Westside parcel. The commercial use viability is improved through the residential component’s built-in customer base in close proximity to the businesses.
LEG analyzed other communities that have recently undertaken downtown redevelopments as case studies to inform the City’s approach in this project. Each case study demonstrated alternative approaches to funding strategies, viability and mix of uses, and incorporation of public gathering spaces. The four case study cities were: Long Beach (CA), Redwood City (CA), Westminster (CO), and Gilbert (AZ).
The case studies provided several insights into the City’s strategy, the key highlights of which are summarized in the list below.
Successful downtowns are not built in one real estate market cycle.
Creating the City’s downtown will require several real estate cycles combined with public investment and policy support.
Downtowns for a City the size of Thousand Oaks are considerably larger than the CAP. The CAP is approximately 20 acres, whereas similar-sized cities’ downtowns are approximately 100+ acres. The CAP can be the nucleus of a downtown but to achieve a critical mass of a Downtown, policy support and reinvestment by adjacent private property owners will be necessary.
Retail is not the dominant use for the downtowns in the case study examples, but it is a necessary component that links all the other uses together.
Successful new downtowns bring in new residents, workers, and visitors who in turn drive new retail demand. This new demand elevates retail rents citywide.
Programming & Uses
Consistent with the goals of the DCMP, the conceptual program promotes pedestrian activity, creates street-level activation, and offers a variety of public gathering areas (Attachment #3).
As noted above, while retail is not the dominant use, it links all the other uses together. Like many successful downtowns, the conceptual use strategy is to Campus Master Plan – Preliminary Design, Entitlement, & Environmental Services May 7, 2024
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maximize retail on the ground floor throughout the program where it is most easily accessible to the general public. The first floor of the existing City Hall spans most of the length from The Lakes Drive to Dallas Drive and currently houses the Public Works and Community Development Departments. In the conceptual program, these spaces would be vacated by City operations after a transition to the New City Hall building, thereby allowing ground floor activation as part of the downtown program. The interior spaces of the existing City Hall that are less suited for retail tenants could be used for civic uses such as a blackbox theatre, as outlined in the LEG findings above. The upper floors of the existing City Hall could be leased out to institutional partners or other office-related uses such as a business incubation space. Attachment #4 shows the conceptual uses in various parts of the program.
Architectural Approach
The conceptual renderings are intended to show the harmony and orientation of the various uses on the conceptual site plan with some architectural direction. The ultimate design of the public areas and structures will require refinement and further community input during the design stage of the project. In developing the conceptual site plan, staff was asked to provide the RRM design team with terms that embody the community’s value that could be used as design inspiration. In reviewing the recently adopted General Plan and Visioning 2064 outreach, staff provided the design team with four terms: (1) sustainable, (2) accessible, (3) transparent, and (4) adaptable. RRM incorporated these terms into the conceptual site plan and opportunities to further develop these design inspirations will be available in the design phase of the project.
Phasing Strategy
The conceptual program would be constructed in three main phases, with the first phase comprised of the three sub-phases. In developing the phasing strategy, several key criteria influenced the sequence of events. First, a new access road to the existing parking structure would need to be constructed to preserve access for both theatres and city operations, before any grading to Dallas Drive could occur.
Second, the buildout of the main town square was advanced into Phase 1C to align with the construction of the public market building. Lastly, the remodel and adaptive reuse of the existing City Hall could only occur after city operations transition to the New City Hall building. The various components of the phasing strategy are summarized in the table on the following page.
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Phase Components
Phase 1A New Access Road, Grading, & Utilities
Phase 1B Dallas Drive Plaza, New City Hall, Main St. West of Dallas Phase 1C Town square site improvements, Main St. East of Dallas Phase 2 Private development of westside parcels
Phase 3 Adaptive reuse of existing City Hall and amphitheatre Funding Strategies
Much like the initial construction of the CAP in 1994, projects of this magnitude are generally funded through a variety of methods, including cash reserves, debt issuances, and liquidation of surplus assets. Nearly 30 years old, the CAP was constructed for $63.8 million, exclusive of soft costs; adjusted for 2024 dollars, the cost to construct the CAP today is estimated at $146.7 million.
The Campus Master Plan program is comprised of three main phases spanning several years. The table below outlines the components of each phase and their respective estimated costs.
Phase Components Estimated Cost
Phase 1A New Access Road, Grading, & Utilities $17.7M
Phase 1B Dallas Drive Plaza $6.0M
New City Hall $50.5M
Main St. West of Dallas Drive $8.9M
Phase 1C Town square site improvements, Main St. East
of Dallas Drive $19.2M
Phase 2
Private development of westside parcels. City
would receive regular lease revenue through
long-term lease or lump sum payment via sale.
Revenue to City
Phase 3 Adaptive reuse of existing City Hall and
amphitheatre. Costs potentially offset from
lease revenue.
$20.9M
Total Estimated Cost $123.2M
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The total shown in the table above does not reflect potential revenue generated by a long-term lease or sale of the Westside parcels to a private developer, nor does it include lease revenue from future tenant spaces in the existing City Hall. These revenue sources would offset the City’s up-front investment and/or annual debt service payments.
The City has set aside funds specifically for the Campus Master Plan Project annually based on General Fund surpluses to minimize the size of a potential debt issuance to construct the project. To date, $35.0 million has been assigned in the General Fund’s Fund Balance specifically for this project. The balance of the project’s costs could come from additional cash allocations from future General Fund surpluses, lease revenue bond issuance, the sale of real property, and partnership with a private developer. The City’s strong financial position provides options for which funding strategy is most beneficial to the City when the capital expenditure occurs. For example, in a low interest rate environment, the City may opt to issue debt to take advantage of favorable interest rates. Conversely, in a high interest rate environment, the City may opt to use additional cash and/or leverage real property. Staff will engage with a financial consultant to determine the viability of potential funding options and recommendations for the timing and order of funding strategies. Any recommended strategy would be informed by market conditions, in accordance with the City’s adopted financial policies, and approved by City Council.
Surplus Land Act
To construct portions of the program on the Westside parcel, the City would likely partner with a private developer either via sale or long-term land lease. Prior to the sale or lease of any publicly-owned parcels beyond five years, cities are required to comply with the provisions of the Surplus Land Act (SLA). The SLA requires that cities send out written notices of availability to appropriate public agencies and prospective affordable housing developers. Recipients of the notice would then have 60 days to indicate their interest in the purchase or lease of the surplus land.
If a recipient timely expresses interest in the purchase, the City must enter into good faith negotiations for a period of not less than 90 days. If terms of sale are not agreed upon following the good faith negotiation, the land may be otherwise leased or sold by the City.
Should City Council authorize staff to proceed with the project, staff would return to City Council at an upcoming meeting seeking authorization to issue the 60-day notice, in compliance with the SLA.
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Next Steps
Execution of the Campus Master Plan program will require several City Council actions, some of greater significance than others. Throughout the course of the project, City Council will consider various professional service awards, construction bid authorizations and awards, funding decisions, and land use decisions – all of which are opportunities to shape the project outcome. The staff recommendation marks the first step in advancing the project from the conceptual stage to the design stage.
Staff recommends authorizing City staff to advertise for Preliminary Design, Entitlement, and Environmental services and return to City Council in Fall 2024 to award an agreement. During preliminary design, staff will continue seeking community feedback on key components of the program, refine the conceptual site plan to the 30 percent design mark, and complete an environmental analysis for the conceptual program. At the conclusion of preliminary design and environmental analysis, staff will prepare an entitlement package for Planning Commission and City Council consideration.
The table below summarizes the major milestones City Council will consider leading up to the entitlement of the Campus Master Plan program.
Timeframe Action
Spring 2024 Authorization to issue 60-day notice for SLA Summer 2024 Potential negotiation period for SLA
Fall 2024 Award Preliminary Design and Env. Services Agreement Winter 2025/2026 Consider entitlement application for Campus Master Plan The recommended City Council action and staff efforts meet one of City Council’s FY 2023-24 Top Ten Priorities, “In conjunction with the ad-hoc committee and consulting team, renew community engagement on the Civic Arts Plaza renovation project. Present phasing strategy to City Council and begin planning for potential Phase 1 construction.” City Council reaffirmed its desire to advance the Campus Master Plan project at its recent goalsetting session on April 23, 2024. In addition to satisfying this longstanding City Council priority, the Campus Master Plan project also addresses other City Council priorities such as economic development, affordable housing, and furthering investments in cultural arts.
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COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
A. Create a more equitable, accessible, safe, welcoming, and inclusive government and community regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, language, education, and/or socio-economic status.
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California’s most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
J. Implement high quality revitalization projects within Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Newbury Road Areas; Develop a pedestrian-oriented, viable, and self- sustaining "Downtown;” and, continue to support production of long-term affordable housing.
PREPARED BY: Akbar Alikhan, Deputy City Manager
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – RRM Conceptual Campus Master Plan Site Plan Attachment #2 – Rooftop Terrace Concept
Attachment #3 – Conceptual Public Gathering Areas
Attachment #4 – Conceptual Program Uses
CMO:670-80\WL\H:\COMMON\City Council\Council Items\2024 Staff Reports\050724\Campus Master Plan Update Staff Report