DATE: June 28, 2016
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Development Services
SUBJECT
Title
Downtown Specific Plan Project Update
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That Council accepts this report as information only; no action is necessary.
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BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The highly anticipated Downtown Specific Plan project formally kicked off on April 3, 2015. The Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) awarded a total of $950,000 in project grant funding while $75,000 originally came from the City of Hayward. The grant funds are part of the One Bay Area Grant (“OBAG”) program, of which a portion of Priority Development Area (“PDA”) planning and implementation funds was allocated to ACTC from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for local PDA planning and implementation projects.
After delivery of substandard work products and the fact that the originally retained consultant team, led by Dyett & Bhattia, performed with no clear plan or vision for the Downtown Plan area, City staff worked with the ACTC staff to terminate the contract with Dyett & Bhatia, “for convenience.” Such decision was made due to significant delays in work product and lack of creativity and engagement by the consultant team. Formal consultant termination was effective on Monday October 19, 2015.
Since that time, City staff has worked to help secure and retain the next qualified consultant team, Lisa Wise Consulting (LWC), pursuant to the ACTC’s highly structured and complex process for retaining consultants associated with their grant fund guidelines, as dictated by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Working with ACTC’s staff has presented an incredible challenge, requiring enormous amounts of paperwork and documentation from the new consulting team, including related to contract disclosure requirements.
City staff believes execution of a new contract with LWC is imminent and that formal contract execution will occur either the week of July 4 or July 11. LWC is trying to get the last required paperwork submitted from the transportation subconsultant, Nelson/Nygaard, who recently merged with another of the subconsultants, Opticos.
A project kickoff meeting and resumption of Task Force meetings is anticipated to occur in late July. Stakeholder interviews are planned for the week of August 1 and the first workshop should occur in late August. The first joint City Council and Planning Commission meeting to discuss the project is anticipated for mid-September. Visioning and Direction Setting (Task 2) will entail the consultant team engaging with the community regarding concerns, priorities and vision for Downtown. Task 3 involves a “Design Charrette,” where community ideas are discussed and where the consultant team will plot, draw and articulate some of the ideas for formal presentation at the end of the charrette. Formation of the Specific Plan, development/code regulations and environmental impact analysis will follow.
Even though contract execution has not formally occurred, Ms. Wise and her team are already working with staff on getting the project back on track. They are anxious to get moving on the project as is the City team.
On June 10, 2016, LWC received the Award of Excellence in the category of Economic Planning and Development for the Alameda County Ashland and Cherryland Business District Specific Plan and Code Update from the American Planning Association Northern California Section.
ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT
Creating a new Specific Plan for the long-term growth and development of Downtown Hayward will clarify the community’s vision and streamline the development review process for Downtown. Such predictability and clarity will help attract and retain desired tenants and supported land uses in line with our City’s General Plan.
On April 5, 2016, Council approved a funding request for an additional $230,000 ($75,000 grant matching fund was previously approved) for the project, which will have a direct impact on the City’s General Fund in late FY 17/FY 18. In order to offset this impact, as well as provide a consistent stream of revenue to support future Policy Planning activities, staff will be presenting this fall a recommendation for a new or increased fee associated with building permits.
PUBLIC CONTACT
As reflected in Attachment I, the project will include extensive public outreach, including stakeholder interviews, workshops, a charrette, and joint City Council and Planning Commission work sessions. The project team will also reach out to Downtown building owners, commercial real estate brokers, neighborhood/homeowners’ associations, Cal State East Bay, BART, and AC Transit. Additional input will be provided by the already-formed Downtown Plan Task Force, comprised of several Hayward business owners and residents. Additionally, presentations to the Council Economic Development Committee, the Chamber of Commerce and other associated downtown business groups will occur.
City staff will be working with the consultant team to develop and utilize a dedicated project website and social media to provide updated information on Plan development as well as solicit continuous input on the project.
Prepared by: Damon Golubics, Senior Planner
Staff contact
Recommended by: David Rizk, AICP, Director of Development Services
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Approved by:
Fran David, City Manager
Attachments:
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Attachment I |
Project Scope of Work |
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