Item 6.2
Consulting Services Agreement
with First Carbon Solutions for the
O’Connell Lane Residential Project EIR
2 Hillside Area Plan - Background
• 1989 | Measure B required preparation of the Hillside Area Plan (HAP) and established 16 planning goals to guide future preservation and development efforts
• July 25, 1995 | The current HAP adopted with detailed policy guidance on future development including a requirement that a Specific Plan be prepared prior to any development taking place in hillside lands designated “Agricultural” as of July 17, 1989
• 1996 | Measure II ratified the 53 Development policies in the HAP and required any changes be subject to voter approval
3 Hillside Area - Background
• 2020 | Calibr approached City with two residential developments:
§ O’Connell Lane Residential Project
§ Agricultural General Plan and Zoning
§ Appian Way Project
§ R-6000 Residential General Plan and Zoning
• 2021 | City hired consultant to prepare Specific Plan • 2022-2024 | Calibr subsequently requested:
§ Process Appian Way Project separately as it did not require preparation of Specific Plan
§ Pause preparation of the Specific Plan; applicant indicated they would submit a draft Specific Plan for City review
4 Proposed Project
Received O’Connell Land Residential Project application development within the Hillside Area Plan Area (Feb 2026) § Draft Specific Plan, referred to as the Union City Hillside Specific Plan (“UCHSP”), focused on the lands included in the Project scope;
§ Related General Plan and Zoning Map/Text Amendments to implement the UCHSP (AG-26-001, AT-26-001, A-26-001);
§ Tentative Tract Map to accommodate up to 403 single-family and multi-family residential units clustered on 57 acres (TTM26-001); and § Development Agreement
5 Proposed Project
Additional project components:
§ On- and off-site infrastructure to support the new development including upgrades to O’Connell Lane and a new water tank in Fremont;
§ Approximately 1,047 acres within Union City and
approximately 158 acres within Fremont offered for dedication to East Bay Regional Park District (“EBRPD”); and
§ A new EBRPD recreational staging area in Fremont and
related access road.
6 Proposed Project
7 CEQA Consultant Selection
§ EIR required to evaluate the project consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
§ The City requested a proposal from two well-qualified firms on the City’s pre-qualified Consultant List
§ Staff recommends First Carbon Solutions’ proposal
8 Status and Next Steps
§ Staff completed an initial review of the application and provided comments regarding completeness in May
§ Next steps
§ Begin assessing the draft Specific Plan, GP and Zoning Amendments, and other project components for
consistency with the City’s General Plan, the HAP, and
other relevant policies
§ Initiate the environmental review process
§ Community engagement
9 Fiscal Impact
• No impact to the General Fund
• Calibr will pay for preparation of EIR
• Calibr will also pay for City staff’s time to manage
consultant and environmental process
10 Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt:
Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Consulting Services Agreement, in a form approved by the City Attorney, with First Carbon Solutions, in the not to exceed amount of $527,946 for environmental review services and to prepare an EIR in conformance with CEQA for the O’Connell Lane Residential Project