REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Planning and Development Department
THROUGH: SOPHIA PAGOULATOS, Planning Manager
Planning and Development Department
BY: DREW WILSON, Supervising Planner
Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Tower District Specific Plan Update:
1. Approve a consultant services agreement with Wallace, Roberts, and Todd, LLC., for professional planning and environmental analysis services related to the update of the Tower District Specific Plan in the amount of $400,000.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends City Council authorize the City Manager or designee to sign the consultant services agreement with Wallace, Roberts, and Todd, LLC. (WRT), for professional planning environmental analysis services related to the update of the Tower District Specific Plan (TDSP).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
City Council directed the Planning and Development Department to update the TDSP and funding was included in the City of Fresno’s adopted Fiscal Year 2022 Budget. Planning and Development staff is now seeking to hire a consultant to help staff update the TDSP and conduct an associated environmental assessment.
BACKGROUND
The TDSP was adopted in 1991 after an extensive community-driven process. The plan was created after community members from the Tower District expressed a desire to establish a clear vision for future development in the Tower District. The TDSP was an instrumental planning document when it was created and crafted a clear vision for the neighborhood. The plan area has undergone a lot of changes since its creation, and the community has again expressed the need to recast a vision and set forth clear implementation measures to allow the vision to become a reality. On May 27, 2021, City Council established the Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee to encourage and facilitate community involvement in the preparation and implementation of the TDSP update. Funding for the update was included in the City of Fresno’s Adopted Fiscal Year 2022 Budget.
Staff will require the assistance of a consultant team for the document update and released a request for qualifications to solicit qualified firms. Staff received four responses from AVRP, Placeworks, Seargent Town Planning, and WRT. A selection committee comprised of staff members from different departments and the chair of the Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee participated in the selection process. The selection committee reviewed the Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) and interviewed all the firms once, and three of the firms a second time. After the SOQ review and interview process, the selection committee determined WRT was most qualified to complete the project.
Therefore, staff recommends authorizing the City Manager to sign a consultant services agreement in the amount of $400,000. Execution of this agreement will allow staff to immediately commence work.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a project pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE:
Several sub-consultants have a local office and are therefore considered local pursuant to Fresno Municipal Code Section 4-109.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding from the current FY22 departmental appropriations will be used.
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit A - Consultant Services Agreement