City Council Meeting: June 13,
2006
Agenda Item: 1-A
To: Mayor and City Council
From:
Subject: Professional Services Contract For Citywide
Update of the Historic Resources Inventory
Recommended
Action
It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Jones & Stokes Associates for professional services in an amount not to exceed $280,000, including contingency, to prepare a comprehensive Citywide update to the City’s Historic Resources Inventory to be completed within 24 months from project initiation.
Executive
Summary
The City’s existing
Historic Resources Inventory (Inventory) currently contains approximately 1300 historically
significant properties, derived from surveys conducted between 1983 and 1993
and area updates in 1994, 1997, 2002, and 2004.
While this existing survey information is a strong foundation for the
project, survey methodology over the years has been inconsistent as technology
and historic preservation practices and State guidelines have evolved. Therefore, the goal of the Citywide update is
to achieve a uniform level of survey evaluation for the entire City. A 24-month timeframe for completion has been
established for the project. As noted earlier, the cost for the Citywide
Inventory update will not exceed $280,000.
Discussion
The forthcoming
Citywide update to the City’s Historic Resources Inventory will involve an
intensive-level historic survey of all structures in the City built through
1968 in order to augment, refine, and standardize the existing Inventory. In
addition to evaluating previously-identified resources and building typologies,
new resources and typologies will be thoroughly evaluated as a part of this
project.
The resulting updated
Inventory will be a vital tool for land use planning in the City, including
implementation of the City’s 2002 Historic Preservation Element. The Inventory
will also be an important tool for evaluating proposed alterations to identified
properties and demolition permit requests involving buildings over 40 years of
age, and may be used by the City’s Landmarks Commission to prioritize
designation initiatives and to assess project proposals that have the potential
to impact neighborhood character and historic continuity.
The Citywide Update will consist
of five primary project components:
● Development of an appropriate Historical
Context Statement for the entire City and for sub-areas of the City based on review
of previously-adopted context statements, additional research, interviews and
survey results. These context statements will link the City’s built environment
to significant aspects and broad patterns of the City’s history and cultural
development.
● The consultant team will conduct a reconnaissance
survey of all structures in the City built through 1968 (approximately 11,350
properties). This phase of the project will enable the consultant team to
reassess the approximately 1,300 properties already listed on the City’s
Historic Resources Inventory, and identify additional resources worthy of
further research that were not documented in earlier surveys.
● Following survey work in the field and
further research, the consultant team will prepare Inventory forms for both
previously-identified and newly-identified resources. These Inventory forms will serve as primary
records for properties identified on the Historic Resources Inventory and will
be accessible to the staff and members of the public through an Inventory
database that will be accessible through the internet.
● The final component of the project consists
of a community outreach and education program. Several educational forums and
community meetings are planned to coincide with significant project milestones
in order to increase general community awareness of the goals and importance of
the Citywide Update and to educate affected property owners.
Following completion
of the Citywide update, on-going survey work to ensure that the entire
Inventory remains current within a five-year period will be necessary in order
to remain current under California State Office of Historic Preservation
guidelines.
Previous Council Actions
On June
21, 2005, the City Council adopted the FY2005-06 City Budget and approved a
one-time $140,000 allocation of funding with an additional allocation of
$140,000 in the FY 2006-07 City Budget for the Citywide update to the City’s
Historic Resources Inventory. The Council
also authorized funding for a full time, two-year limited-term Associate
Planner to provide sufficient staff resources to manage the Citywide Update
project. The initial hiring process for
this position was completed last February.
Contractor/Consultant Selection
A Request for Proposals was distributed to thirteen firms
specializing in historic resource evaluation and preservation planning. The
City received proposals from two firms. After
reviewing both firms’ proposals, conducting interviews, checking references,
and reviewing requested supplemental information, staff identified the firm of Jones
& Stokes Associates as most qualified and capable of completing the
project. Jones & Stokes Associates
was chosen due to the thoroughness and clarity of their proposal, their familiarity
with
Budget/Financial
Impact
The
contract amount with Jones & Stokes Associates will not exceed $280,000,
including contingency. Funds are
available in account 01266.555060 in the amount of $140,000 for FY 2005-06 and
$140,000 for FY 2006-07. The FY 2005-06
monies will be encumbered through contracts this year, with spending to
commence in FY 2006-07.
Prepared
by:
Roxanne
Tanemori, Associate Planner
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Approved: |
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Forwarded to Council: |
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Interim
Director Planning
& Community Development Department |
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P. City Manager |