Title
Adopt a Resolution Approving and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Consulting Services Agreement with Good City Company in an Amount Not to Exceed $1,800,000 for Preparation of the Bay Fair TOD Development Plan, Specific Plan Update, and Related Environmental Documents; and to Appropriate Funding for Said Agreement (MTC Priority Development Area Grant Funded)
Staffreport
COUNCIL PRIORITY
• Housing and Homelessness
• Infrastructure
• Sustainability & Resiliency
• Community & Business Development
SUMMARY
Staff recommends that a multi-disciplinary team led by Good City Company be awarded a contract to prepare the Bay Fair Transit-oriented Development (TOD) Plan, Specific Plan Update, and related environmental documents. The scope of work would advance the City’s goals to transition the area around the Bay Fair BART station into a dynamic, mixed-use TOD and implement numerous policies and programs from the City’s certified 2023-2031 Housing Element.
The CSA with Good City Company sets a not to exceed amount of $1,800,000, which is entirely funded through two competitive Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Priority Development Area (PDA) grants.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager to execute a Consulting Services Agreement and finalize the scope of work with Good City Company in an amount not to exceed $1,800,000 for the preparation of the Bay Fair transit-oriented Development (TOD) Plan, Specific Plan Update, and related environmental documents.
BACKGROUND
In 2014, the City received a highly competitive $440,000 Priority Development Area (PDA) planning grant from MTC to prepare the Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan and related Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The City also contributed local funds and in-kind contributions along with contributions from BART, Madison Marquette (prior owner of the Bayfair Center) and Alameda County. The Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan area covers 154 acres surrounding Bay Fair BART station.
The Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan was adopted in 2018 and amended in 2020. Together, the Specific Plan and implementing B-TOD Zoning (2021) promote the long-term sustainability and vibrancy of the Bay Fair area by:
• Addressing long-term changes in market trends affecting retail generally and regional malls specifically;
• Addressing barriers to development and streamlining the development review process to attract private investment;
• Providing greater access to public funding targeted to TOD areas, including One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) funds; and
• Addressing displacement pressures and providing protections for existing naturally occurring affordable housing at mobile home parks in the plan area.
Since the Specific Plan and B-TOD Zoning were adopted, the State, regional, and local policy framework has evolved significantly, including:
• Plan Bay Area 2050 regional long-range plan and related implementation;
• State housing legislation related to 6th Cycle Housing Elements, objective development standards, streamlined review of housing projects, and parking reforms;
• AB2923 and BART’s 10-Year Transit-Oriented Development Work Plan;
• San Leandro’s 2021 Climate Action Plan and 2023 General Plan Environmental Justice Element; and
• San Leandro’s Certified 2023-2031 Housing Element, and related EIR that evaluated up to 5,000 housing units and 375,000 sq. ft. of office in the Bay Fair TOD Area.
In October 2022, MTC adopted a Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Policy that incentivizes local governments to plan for areas within a half-mile of existing and planned transit stops and stations in alignment with Plan Bay Area 2050. The TOC Policy establishes:
• Minimum residential and commercial office densities for new development that can be averaged to respond to local context and community input;
• Affordable housing production, preservation and protection, and stabilizing businesses to prevent displacement;
• Parking management; and
• Transit station access.
In December 2022, MTC released a Call for Projects for PDA Planning Grants open to local governments with one or more PDA. Staff submitted two applications for the Bay Fair TOD PDA by the February 23, 2023 deadline. A Council Resolution authorizing the grant proposals was adopted on April 3, 2023. On June 28, 2023, the MTC Commission approved funding for the City’s $1,800,000 grant request.
ANALYSIS
Consulting Services Agreement
The City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional consulting services on September 27, 2023 and received eight proposals by the October 30, 2023 deadline. A multi-department staff team evaluated the proposals with input from BART staff and private property owner stakeholders and selected the multi-disciplinary team led by Good City Company, which possess the necessary quality, fitness, capacity, experience and expertise to provide the services sought by the City.
The selected team has ample experience working on complicated TOD projects throughout the Bay Area and several team members have worked directly with the City of San Leandro. The team includes a comprehensive range of technical staff and subconsultants, including Good City Company, ARUP, BKF, and EPS.
Scope of Work
The scope of work includes preparation of a Development Plan for the Bay Fair TOD, which would:
• Establish an updated multi-modal circulation network of complete streets, developable blocks, and green infrastructure and utility plans;
• Analyze parking needs at the district scale, including BART parking replacement, and provide strategies to implement Travel Demand Management & Parking programs;
• Prepare a detailed development design plan and parcelization plan that will define future blocks for development and prepare the BART TOD site for a competitive proposal process; and
• Develop conceptual designs and cost estimates for key district-scale infrastructure needed to remove major physical barriers in the plan area and catalyze the full development potential of the Bay Fair TOD, including a new complete street crossing over the Estudillo Canal and ADA access across the BART station.
The scope of work also includes preparation of Specific Plan Amendments to update the Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan, General Plan, and Zoning Code to incorporate the detailed studies, strategies, and development plans to ensure consistency across all policy documents and provide for development streamlining. The Specific Plan Amendment scope includes environmental review that will build from the Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan EIR and 2023-2031 Housing Element EIR to evaluate additional capacity that would result from the proposed amendments, allowing for streamlined development project review.
Applicable General Plan Policies
The above grant-funded activities would advance General Plan Policy LU-8.10, which calls for transforming the area around the Bay Fair BART station into a dynamic new transit-oriented development area. They would also implement numerous policies and programs from the City’s certified 2023-2031 Housing Element, including Action 8.1, which calls for continuing to implement the Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan and commits the City to working closely with BART to find funds and resources to facilitate pre-development work.
Financial Impacts
This program will be cost neutral because grant funding will cover all expenses on a reimbursement basis. This program requires an appropriation of funding in the FY2024 adopted budget. The EDEN account number for this project is:
• 150-41-121 - $1,800,000 (MTC PDA Grant)
ATTACHMENTS:
Att A: Resolution CSA Good City Company
Att B: CSA Good City Company with Draft Scope of Work
PREPARED BY: Avalon Schultz, AICP, Assistant Director, Community Development Department