Title

Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Consultant Agreement with Placeworks Landscape Architects to Provide Design Services for Jean Sweeney Open Space Park, in an Amount Not to Exceed $665,828 and to Amend Project Revenue and Expenditures Budget by $465,828 from Development Impact Fees - Recreation and Parks. (Recreation and Parks 91309)

Body

To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council

From: Elizabeth D. Warmerdam, Interim City Manager

Re: Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Consultant Agreement with Placeworks Landscape Architects to Provide Design Services for Jean Sweeney Open Space Park, in an Amount Not to Exceed $665,828 and to Amend Project Revenue and Expenditures Budget by $465,828 from Development Impact Fees - Recreation and Parks

BACKGROUND

The Jean Sweeney Open Space Park (Sweeney Park) is a 22-acre park bounded by Constitution Way, Atlantic Avenue, and Sherman Street. The site is the former Alameda Beltline Railroad property that was secured by the City at its original purchase price due the advocacy efforts of long-time Alameda resident Jean Sweeney.   On July 15, 2014, the City Council approved the Sweeney Park Master Plan, which was designed pro bono by Kristoffer Köster of KKDesign through an extensive public input process.

The Sweeney Park Master Plan incorporates walking and biking trails and the Cross Alameda Trail, natural open space, picnic areas, a community garden and demonstration garden area, natural-based playgrounds, open lawn and other amenities.

There is currently $6.5 million of funding secured for the design and construction of the first two phases of Sweeney Park.  Phase 1 is the Cross Alameda Trail, funded by the Active Transportation Program grant in the amount of $2.5 million.  The design and construction documents for that phase are complete and construction is anticipated to begin by summer 2016.  A $2 million grant was secured from the Land and Water Conservation Fund with an equal city match of $2 million from the Tim Lewis Communities Development Agreement, which totals $4 million to design the park and construct Phase 2, which is approximately 1/3 of the eastern side of the park.

DISCUSSION

A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on November 12, 2015 to solicit proposals from a qualified team of consultants and firms with expertise in landscape architecture and civil engineering with experience in designing open space and active parks.  The RFP was posted on the City of Alameda website, and was emailed to over 400 relevant consulting firms using lists from the Recreation and Parks Department and the Public Works Department.  Representatives from 32 firms attended the mandatory site walk. 

The City received seven proposals, which were reviewed by a selection committee.  These proposals included the following firms:

These proposals were ranked and the top three were invited to a final selection interview on January 8, 2016.  Fees were reviewed, but the rankings were not based on fees.  The RFP stipulated a 5% Local Preference for Alameda-based firms and all teams included at least one Alameda-based firm.

The final three firms were Placeworks, MIG, and Gates & Associates.  The interview panelists were Kristoffer Köster, the Sweeney Park Master Plan architect; Jack Dybas, Public Works Project Manager II, who has a primary focus on park projects; and Amy Wooldridge, Interim Assistant City Manager.

The selection team unanimously ranked Placeworks as the top firm to design Sweeney Park, based on their comprehensive approach to the project, sustainable approach; and experience with related projects including open space, interpretive trails, natural playgrounds, community gardens, contaminated soil, and stormwater management.  The team presented the selection committee with a clear understanding of the project constraints and opportunities and put significant thought into their approach to the park design.

Placeworks is based in Berkeley, CA and serves both public and private sector clients in the fields of landscape architecture, urban design, community outreach, comprehensive planning, environmental review, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).  Previous experience includes Lakeside Green Streets at Lake Merritt; Cryer Site Park, a former industrial site in Oakland, Trancas Crossing Park and Napa Valley River Trail; Saratoga Quarry Park Master Plan and Phase 1 Design, a 65-acre woodland habitat; Ohlone Greenway Natural Play Areas and Raingardens in El Cerrito; and Wavecrest Coastal Trail Project in Half Moon Bay; among others.  The Placeworks project team includes BKF Engineers, Brookwater Irrigation Consultants, PARIKH Consultants, KPW Structural Engineers, and the Engineering Enterprise.

The Placeworks agreement scope of work includes:

•                     Design development with community input from the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Steering Committee, Community Garden Steering Committee and Recreation and Parks Commission;

•                     Developing an existing conditions report;

•                     Drafting and finalizing construction documents, specifications and cost estimate; and

•                     Construction administration.

The agreement with Placeworks includes a clause specifying that based upon Placeworks’ construction drawings, if the subsequent, lowest responsible construction bid for Phase 2 comes in more than 10% over Placework’s Engineer’s Estimate, they shall work with the City to value engineer the Project and provide revised construction drawings at no cost to the City.

The design is expected to be complete by December 2016.  Construction is anticipated to be completed by spring 2018 with a requirement for completion by October 2018 per the grant funding source requirements.

FINANCIAL IMPACT

The Placeworks consultant agreement for landscape design is $665,828 and includes construction administration.  Funds for design are included in the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Budget (91309) for Fiscal Years 2015-17 in the amount of $200,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.  An additional $465,828 will be allocated to the CIP project budget from the Development Impact Fees (DIF) - Recreation and Parks fund.

The estimated total cost to construct Phase 2 (eastern one-third of the park) is $4,000,000.  This is funded by a $2,000,000 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund plus a $2,000,000 City match from the Tim Lewis Communities Development Agreement for the Del Monte project.

MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE

This action has no effect on the Municipal Code.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

On July 15, 2014, the City of Alameda certified the Jean Sweeney Park Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) evaluating the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project.  The MND found that the park project has minimal environmental impacts, and those that do occur are related to the construction period (e.g. dust, construction traffic, etc.) Those potential impacts were identified and mitigations were adopted to minimize those impacts.in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  No further review is required for this decision to approve the design services contract for the project.

RECOMMENDATION

Recommendation to authorize the City Manager to execute a consultant agreement with Placeworks Landscape Architects to provide design services for Jean Sweeney Open Space Park, in an amount not to exceed $665,828 and to amend project revenue and expenditures budget by $465,828 from Development Impact Fees - Recreation and Parks.

Respectfully submitted,

Amy Wooldridge, Interim Assistant City Manager

Financial Impact section reviewed,

Elena Adair, Finance Director

Exhibit:

1.                     Placeworks Agreement