REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Amendment No. 5 with Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC for Downtown Precise Plan Infrastructure Fee Services to Extend the Term until December 31, 2025
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Promote and Enhance Economic, Housing, and Transportation Development
BACKGROUND
The City has completed the planning effort to prepare a Downtown Precise Plan and Form Based Code to guide the redevelopment of the City’s former Downtown area. The Plan and Code were adopted on December 5, 2023.
The scope of work for the Downtown Precise Plan included the development of an Area Impact Fee. The City hired a consultant, Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC (WRT) who is responsible for preparing the technical documentation necessary for the development of an area development impact fee to cover the “fair share” cost of new infrastructure and public improvements serving the Precise Plan area. The purpose of this amendment is to extend an already approved contract until December 2025 so that staff can complete the impact fee for infrastructure. The infrastructure fee is related to improvements for new public streets, sidewalks, lighting, water and sewer.
The City’s initial contract with WRT has been amended four times. Amendment No. 1 was approved by the City Council in May 2021. The first amendment to the consultant contract was to add the following services to the scope of work for the Downtown Precise Plan: 1) Form Based Zoning Code and Sign Ordinance; 2) Development Impact Fee; 3) Downtown Management Entity; and 4) additional Downtown Community Task Force Meetings.
Amendment No. 2 was approved by the City Council in December 2021. The second amendment to the consultant contract added the following services to the scope of work for the Downtown Precise Plan: 1) Consultant Team Charette; 2) Added stakeholder meetings; 3) Financial Feasibility of Land Use Options analysis; 4) Financial Memo Addendum to Existing Conditions Report; 5) Context Study; and 6) Additional Downtown Community Task Force Meetings with subconsultants.
Amendment No. 3 was approved by the City Council in October 2022. The third amendment to the consultant contract was to add the following services to the scope of work for the Downtown Precise Plan 1) Project Initiation; 2) Program Confirmation; 3) City Hall Economic Assessment; 4) Criteria and Site Comparison; 5) Concept Testing and Test-Fitting; 6) Financial Evaluation; 7) Concept Refinement; 8) Final Options Report.
Amendment No. 4 was approved by the City Council in June 2023.The fourth amendment to the consultant contract was to add additional case studies of comparable city hall relocation projects around the U.S. to the scope of work for the City Hall Relocation Study.
Amendment No. 5 is now coming before Council to complete the final task in the scope of work previously approved by Council for the infrastructure fee. Once the assessment is completed, staff will bring to Council for direction and adoption of the fee at a future date. This scope of work will be completed by WRT and a subcontractor, EPS.
DISCUSSION
While a substantive portion of the scoped work for the Downtown has been completed, the development of an Area Impact Fee has not been finalized. It should also be noted that approximately $10,000 of contingency remains within the original WRT contract for preparation of the Precise Plan and Form-Based Code. However, this contingency needs to be maintained in case there are additional costs for the completion of the Area Impact Fee.
Staff is requesting that the City Council grant approval to the City Manager to amend the City’s contract with WRT to revise and extend the agreement’s termination date. This will allow staff and WRT to proceed with the development of the Area Impact Fee. This would be Amendment No. 5 to the contract with a revised termination date of December 31, 2025.
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(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the existing agreement with Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC for the Downtown Precise Plan is currently budgeted in the Downtown Master Plan project in the General Government Capital Fund.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Manager’s Office, the Finance Department and 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
Authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 5 to the Agreement with Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC (WRT) for the Downtown Specific Plan to extend the term until December 31, 2025, in a final form approved by the City Attorney.
Staff
Reviewed by: Afshan Hamid, Director, Community Development Department
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Amendment No. 5 with Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC (WRT)
2. Original Agreement and RTC 19-1006
3. Amendment No. 1 and RTC 21-667
4. Amendment No. 2
5. Amendment No. 3 and RTC 22-1204
6. Amendment No. 4 Wallace Roberts & Todd