REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Award of Agreement to Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC for Downtown Precise Plan Consultant Services and Related Budget Amendment
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara’s 2010-2035 General Plan identifies focus areas throughout the City, including the Downtown area, to promote the City’s diverse economic base and meet the demand for housing that addresses job growth in the City and region.
In August 2015, the Santa Clara City Council adopted a Strategic Objective to evaluate a Santa Clara Downtown/Super Block project. The City then hired an urban design consultant to help facilitate a series of workshops and meetings between October 2015 and November 2017, which were used to gather community input on a vision for the Downtown area’s future development. Through this process the community identified several objectives for the redevelopment of the Downtown area as a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented destination. The restoration of Franklin Street as a public right-of-way open to vehicular traffic was identified as a primary objective.
The possibility of revitalizing the City’s historic Downtown area has engaged City community members, including organizations such as Reclaiming Our Downtown and the Old Quad Resident’s Association. In response to community interest, the City Council approved the Biennial 2018/19 and 2019/20 Capital Improvement Program Budget that includes $400,000 to support the preparation of a Precise Plan that will provide guidance for new development within the Downtown area through policies, guidelines, and illustrations that implement the community vision and objectives for a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented destination. As part of this effort, the City requires a consultant to assist in the preparation of the Precise Plan.
DISCUSSION
In February 2019, the City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Downtown Precise Plan Consultant Services, using the City’s e-procurement system. A total of 75 companies viewed the RFQ and the City received proposals from four companies by the March 25, 2019 deadline:
• Dyett & Bhatia Urban & Regional Planners (Oakland, CA)
• Lisa Wise Consulting, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)
• M. Arthur Gensler, Jr. & Associates dba Gensler (Los Angeles, CA)
• Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC (San Francisco, CA)
Evaluation: A seven-member evaluation team with representation from the Community Development Department, Public Works Department, City Manager’s Office, and the Downtown Community Task Force was formed to evaluate the proposals. Each team member independently evaluated and scored the proposals.
Proposal Responsiveness: Staff determined all proposals were responsive and met the initial pass/fail review of the stated minimum qualifications.
Cover Letter and Qualifications (25% weight): A letter identifying the proposer’s firm and highlights of the proposal package. Additionally, each proposer submitted a statement of qualifications for their firm and proposed project staff including resumes and relevant project lists.
Project Approach (25% weight): The evaluation team evaluated the proposers’ project approach including the major tasks and services to be provided, and proposed subconsultants.
Draft Scope of Work (40% weight): The proposers were required to submit a draft scope of work for the project including a project schedule that outlined the timing of each task and deliverable.
References (5% weight): The proposers were required to submit with their proposal three references for similar services performed.
Cost (5% weight): Cost proposals were opened and scored at the end of the technical proposal evaluation.
Oral Presentations: On June 28, 2019, the four proposers were invited to participate in oral presentations to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the City’s requirements and introduce key personnel who would be assigned to the project.
The evaluation results are summarized in the table below.
|
Criteria |
Maximum Points |
Dyett & Bhatia |
Lisa Wise Consulting |
Gensler |
Wallace Roberts & Todd |
|
Cover Letter |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Firm Qualifications |
10 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
|
Staff Qualifications |
10 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
|
Draft Scope of Work |
40 |
27 |
29 |
32 |
33 |
|
Project Approach |
25 |
19 |
19 |
18 |
21 |
|
References |
5 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
|
Cost |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Totals |
100 |
74 |
76 |
78 |
83 |
Notice of Intended Award:
A Notice of Intended Award (NOIA) announcing the City’s recommended Consultant was published on July 1, 2019. The RFQ process included a ten-day protest period; no protests were received.
Recommendation:
Staff recommends award of agreement to Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC. The evaluation team unanimously agreed that their expertise and project approach is the most advantageous and provides the best value to the City. The Consultant’s team is comprised of industry experts in town planning, placemaking, transportation, economic development, environmental analysis, and community engagement. Additionally, their solution included the following key attributes.
• Integrated community engagement that is built upon the efforts conducted in 2015 and 2017;
• Balance between community needs and development realities;
• Pro forma financial feasibility testing of prototypical opportunities to provide an assessment of current planning parameters and the economic challenges to creating the desired development pattern; and
• Development of a plan framework that is based on good town-making principles.
References were checked with Universal Paragon Corporation (California), the City of Millbrae (California), and the Town of Windsor (California). The references checked positive.
Pending Council’s approval, the Agreement shall be executed to provide the required consulting services for the Downtown Precise Plan development. The initial term of the Agreement shall be for three years ending on September 30, 2022, with an option to extend the Agreement for an additional three-year term through September 30, 2025.
The agreement is fixed-price with payments tied to the successful completion of the milestones listed in the table below. The cost elements include the tasks from the scope of work that were identified in the RFQ, as well as the optional tasks identified by the Consultant in their RFQ response.
|
COST ELEMENTS: |
|
|
Project Initiation |
$67,025 |
|
Issue Identification and Vision |
$58,270 |
|
Financial Analysis |
$31,260 |
|
Development Scenarios/Conceptual Plans |
$74,740 |
|
Workshops |
$22,121 |
|
Draft Precise Plan Chapter Development |
$68,380 |
|
Public Services and Implementation |
$10,520 |
|
Draft Precise Plan Refinement |
$12,880 |
|
CEQA Clearance |
$72,880 |
|
Planning Commission & City Council Public Hearings |
$20,000 |
|
Reimbursable Expenses |
$14,295 |
|
Services Subtotal |
$452,371 |
|
Optional Services |
$125,975 |
|
GRAND TOTAL |
$578,346 |
Scope of Work Summary:
The Consultant shall work closely with the City and Downtown Community Task Force in the development of the Precise Plan. The Plan process shall include periodic check-ins with the City Council to report on community and Task Force input, and to receive Council feedback at key milestones in the planning process such as the completion of the market assessment; the proposed vision scenarios; and the preferred land use plan. Preparation of the Plan is anticipated to require approximately 18 months and includes the following key work program elements.
• Analysis of existing conditions;
• Development of a public outreach strategy for the planning process;
• Analysis of potential market demand for housing, commercial, office, and mixed-use development in the Precise Plan area;
• Development of three (3) long-term vision scenarios that represent the planned build out of the Plan area including, land use and development intensities, multi-modal connectivity improvements, open space plans, and streetscape and public space improvements;
• Analysis of the economic feasibility of each land use scenario, along with a summary of community input, to inform the selection of a preferred scenario;
• Design guidelines that build upon the City’s existing General Plan design policies, as well as the information gathered during the community outreach activities; and
• The Precise Plan document, including the preferred land use scenario.
The unanimous selection of the Consultant by the evaluation team reflects the expertise the Consultant demonstrated in areas reflective of the work program, including the preparation of downtown plans, conducting community engagement, real estate economics, and form-based codes and other zoning tools.
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
Funds in the amount of $400,000 were allocated for the development of a Downtown Precise Plan, including the Franklin Street restoration, in the CIP budget (CIP 539-6559). From this budget, $90,000 was spent on a non-refundable deposit for an option on the acquisition of the Franklin Street Right-of-Way easement.
The Consultant’s proposal for the scope of work requested by the City has a cost of $452,371. Additionally, the Consultant’s proposed optional tasks total $125,975. The combined total cost of the Consultant’s services is $578,346. Currently the available budget amounts to $310,000. Therefore, staff is requesting that funds in the amount of $268,346 be allocated from the Advanced Planning Reserve to cover the total cost of the Agreement.
The budget amendment below allocates funding from the Advanced Planning Reserve account to the Downtown Master Plan Capital Project in the amount of $268,346.
Budget Amendment
FY 2019/20
|
|
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
|
General Fund |
|
|
|
|
Reserve |
|
|
|
|
Advanced Planning |
$368,749 |
($268,346) |
$100,403 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transfers Out |
|
|
|
|
Transfer to the General Government Capital Fund |
$933,535 |
$268,346 |
$1,201,881 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
General Government Capital Fund |
|
|
|
|
Transfers In |
|
|
|
|
Transfer from the General Fund |
$933,535 |
$268,346 |
$1,201,881 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Downtown Master Plan Project |
$310,000 |
$268,346 |
$578,346 |
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with 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 <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC to provide Downtown Precise Plan Consultant Services for an initial three-year term ending September 30, 2022, for a maximum compensation not to exceed $578,346, subject to the annual appropriation of funds;
2. Approve the related budget amendment recognizing appropriations of an additional $268,346 in FY 2019/20 in the Downtown Master Plan Capital Improvement Project for the development of a Downtown Precise Plan funded by the General Fund Advanced Planning Reserve; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to extend the Agreement for an additional three-year period ending September 30, 2025 and increase maximum compensation in the event that additional services are required, subject to the annual appropriation of funds.
Staff
Reviewed by: Andrew Crabtree, Director of Community Development
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agreement with Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC