AGENDA TITLE:
title
Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Professional Services Agreement with RRM Design Group, a California Corporation, for the Preparation of the Downtown Specific Plan in an Amount not to Exceed $750,000 (CD)
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MEETING DATE:
July 3, 2024
PREPARED BY:
Cynthia Marsh, City Planner
recommendation
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with RRM Design Group, a California Corporation, for the preparation of the Downtown Specific Plan in an amount not to exceed $750,000.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In July 2023, the City Council allocated $750,000 in surplus General Fund dollars to develop a Downtown Specific Plan and directed staff to prepare and issue a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to qualified consultants. In the months that followed, staff began outreach with potential consulting firms, and reviewed multiple downtown plans from other cities.
In November 2023, Council approved the RFP Steering Committee and designated members to participate as follows: one designee from the Chamber of Commerce, one designee from the Downtown Business Alliance, one designee from Visit Lodi, three City staff (two from Community Development and one from Economic Development, and Mayor Pro Tempore Cameron Bregman as the Councilmember representative.
In January and March 2024, staff met with the Committee to discuss the proposed RFP scope of work, and to review the draft RFP. The proposed RFP Scope of Work included:
1. Downtown Specific Plan - establishes a link between implementing policies of the General Plan and the individual development proposals of the downtown area
2. Examination of Infrastructure Gaps and Opportunities
3. Economic Analysis of priority sites/focus areas for catalytic projects, including “Highest and Best Use,” Pro Formas, and preplanning activities for catalyst sites - quantity depending on budget
a. High level approach for business/services recruitment, industry trends specific to the downtown, and suggestions to attract types of business that create spaces and places for people to dwell. Note that the Economic Development Department will separately be preparing a citywide Economic Strategic Plan.
4. Parking/Transportation Linkages Study - including anticipated loss of regional rail station downtown, underutilized parking garage, and feasibility of railroad “quiet zone” through downtown core
5. Main Street Corridor Plan (from E. Lodi Ave. to E. Lawrence Ave.), including infill potential, a north-south multimodal path, connections across the railroad tracks, feasibility of a pedestrian railroad overpass, and approach for property owned by the railroad
6. Updated Design Guidelines, Land Use, and Objective Development Standards - TOD design guidelines were created in 2007, with an Eastside Mobility and Access Plan bordering part of downtown in 2006
7. Tools for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse, including historic sites inventory utilizing input from the San Joaquin Historical Society - the City currently has no related municipal code or sites inventory
8. High level Measurement of Jobs-Housing ratio and development of policies to address related impacts
9. Actionable implementation measures, such as finding resources to finance improvements
10. Extensive public outreach and participation from multiple City Departments, including stakeholder interviews, multi-day charettes, workshops, and focus groups
11. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Review (GPEIR VMT Update is currently underway, and includes GPA to expand DMU map)
The RFP reiterated Lodi General Plan policies supportive of the Downtown Specific Plan, including:
• LU-P16 Promote downtown as the center of tourism, business, social, and civic life by directing high intensity office uses, government, and entertainment uses to locate downtown.
• LU-P17 Establish land use regulations and development standards in the Zoning Code to reinforce Downtown’s assets and traditional development pattern. These should include:
o Extending the Downtown Mixed Use classification to parcels along Main Street on the Eastside to improve connectivity, while retaining the respective identities of downtown and the Eastside.
o Establishing maximum set-backs or build-to lines for development in areas designated Downtown Mixed Use.
o Requiring retail, eating and drinking establishments, or other similar active uses-except for sites designated Public-at the ground level. Alleyway corners shall be “wrapped” with retail uses as well.
• LU-P18 Encourage medium- and high-density residential development in downtown by permitting residential uses at upper levels; and east and northwest of downtown, as depicted on the Land Use Diagram, by identifying vacant and underutilized sites that are appropriate for redevelopment.
• LU-P19 Maintain parking regulations for downtown that are lower than elsewhere in the city, reflecting its position as a pedestrian- and transit-friendly center.
• LU-P20 Expand the Downtown Parking District to include the Downtown Mixed Use area to consolidate parking areas. Require all development within these boundaries to either meet the established off-street parking requirements or contribute an appropriate share to the Downtown Parking District.
Following the Committee’s review, the RFP was issued on March 20, 2024 and a Question & Answer session for potential consultants and subconsultants was held April 3rd with over fifty individuals in attendance. Responses to the RFP were due on April 24, 2024, and the City received eight proposals for consideration from the following consultants:
• AECOM
• Interwest Consulting Group
• JZMK
• Mintier Harnish
• Opticos
• PlaceWorks, Inc.
• RRM Design Group
• Sargent Town Planning
After an initial screening by staff, the eight proposals were reviewed by the Committee. The Committee then met twice in May to rank the proposals, first voting on the top four, and then meeting again to choose the top 3 proposals to move forward to interviews on May 22nd.
|
FIRM |
RANKING |
|
RRM Design Group |
Top 3 Interviewed; Top Choice |
|
Sargent Town Planning |
Top 3 Interviewed |
|
Opticos |
Top 3 Interviewed |
|
PlaceWorks, Inc. |
Top 4, Not Interviewed |
|
AECOM |
Not Interviewed |
|
Mintier Harnish |
Not Interviewed |
|
Interwest Consulting Group |
Not Interviewed |
|
JZMK |
Not Interviewed |
After the interviews, the Committee unanimously chose RRM Design Group as their top choice firm. The Committee determined that RRM Design Group’s written proposal rose to the top due to its high level of detail and thoughtfulness in addressing the requested Scope of Work, consideration of the budget, and the two-year completion requirement. Their in-person interview with the Committee highlighted RRM’s successful public outreach program and ability to engage with a variety of stakeholders. Staff also received three excellent references from other agencies in California that RRM had previously worked.
Based on the RFP process and the Committee’s review of all RFP responses, staff and the Committee recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with RRM Design Group, a California Corporation, for the preparation of the Downtown Specific Plan in an amount not to exceed $750,000.
STRATEGIC VISION:
1A. Downtown: Community and Economic Development.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total cost of the contract is a not to exceed amount of $750,000. There is sufficient funding available in the General Fund account.
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
General Fund surplus allocation (10095000.72450).
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John Della Monica
Community Development Director
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Scott R. Carney
City Manager