REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the First Amendment to the Cooperative Agreement between the City of Santa Clara and the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) for the Preparation of the Santa Clara Station Area Plan
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Promote and Enhance Economic, Housing and Transportation Development
BACKGROUND
Santa Clara received two funding opportunities that collectively provided $900,000 to support preparation of a Specific Plan for the Santa Clara Station Area (see Attachment 1 for a boundary map). On December 7, 2021, the City Council accepted and approved $400,000 in grant funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for the preparation of the Santa Clara Station Area Specific Plan (Award Agreement - Attachment 4). The City also received $500,000 from the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) provided from a Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) grant award (Attachment 3) to fund consultant work to develop a Station Area Specific Plan with oversight by the City of Santa Clara.
On September 13, 2022, the City Council approved a Cooperative Agreement between the City of Santa Clara and the VTA for the preparation of the Santa Clara Station Area Plan and to set agency roles and expectations for the process. At a subsequent meeting on December 6, 2022, the Council acted a second time to approve the Cooperative Agreement, with the addition of two exhibits (the Original MTC/VTA Master Funding Agreement and FTA Award Agreement).
Due to the requirements of the grant awarded to the VTA from the FTA, the procurement process was administered by the VTA. Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT) was selected as the consultant for the development of the Specific Plan, and the consultant contract was finalized in December 2023.
The purpose of the subject First Amendment to the Cooperative Agreement between the City of Santa Clara and the VTA (Attachment 2) is to integrate WRT’s scope of work and the updated MTC grant agreement, which extends the term from June 30, 2025 to December 31, 2026, into the Cooperative Agreement.
DISCUSSION
When the City entered into the Cooperative Agreement with VTA for the work on the Station Area Specific Plan, the scope of work for the Plan in the Agreement was not comprehensive. Now that a consultant, WRT, has been selected, staff is requesting the City Council amend the Agreement to integrate WRT’s detailed scope of work.
The detailed scope work that is being incorporated into the Grant Agreement can be found in Attachment 2, Exhibit A. Preparation of the specific plan kicked-off in January of 2024. The Council appointed Station Area Task Force (SATF) meets regularly to discuss plan concepts and consultant deliverables. The following milestones from the scope of work are shown below along with the latest schedule provided by the consultant WRT for the development of the plan.
• Spring 2025 - Draft land use plan developed
• Summer 2025 - Environmental analysis begins, Notice of Preparation
• Fall 2025 - Draft Specific Plan / Admin draft EIR
• Winter 2026 - Draft Specific Plan available for public review
• Spring 2026 - Public draft EIR circulates
• Summer 2026 - Refinements to Draft Plan and response to EIR comments
• Summer 2026 - Adoption hearings for Planning Commission and City Council
• Winter 2026 - Grants expire
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment. An Environmental Impact Report will be prepared through the Santa Clara Station Specific Plan process.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no cost to the City other than administrative staff time and expense.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the First Amendment to Cooperative Agreement between the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and the City of Santa Clara for the preparation of the Santa Clara Station Area Plan on the terms presented in a final form approved by the City Attorney.
Staff
Reviewed by: Afshan Hamid, Director of Community Development
Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Santa Clara Station Area Boundary Map
2. City/VTA Transit Oriented Development Cooperative Agreement First Amendment
3. MTC/VTA Master Funding Agreement Amendment No. 1
4. Federal Transit Administration Award Agreement