AGENDA ITEM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CARLO TOMAINO
CITY MANAGER
BY: CARLOS LUIS
ACTING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:
title
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH PLACEWORKS TO PREPARE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) ANALYSIS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
summary
Summary:
In late 2025, the City Council authorized staff to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a qualified professional planning firm to undertake the environmental analysis pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the City’s Opportunities Study Area (“OSA”) project. The RFP requested a specific analysis consisting of a Program Environmental Report (EIR) for the OSA. In short, the PEIR would analyze the potential environmental impacts of the new land uses, densities, and development intensities that the OSA would establish throughout the proposed overlay zones. Through the PEIR, future development projects could tier from the PEIR and streamline the CEQA review process. After a comprehensive and competitive process, staff recommends the City Council award a contract to PlaceWorks, which would be responsible for the preparation of the CEQA analysis. The City Council would consider authorizing the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with PlaceWorks to provide professional services for the preparation of the CEQA analysis associated with the Opportunity Study Area Project, for a not-to-exceed amount of $500,000.
Strategic Plan Goal(s):
Goal No. 1 Financial Stability: Ensure the City’s long-term financial stability and resilience.
Goal No. 3 Economic Development: Improve the local economy, support local businesses, and create a vibrant downtown core.
Goal No. 4 Infrastructure: Maintain and Improve the City’s physical infrastructure, waste system, and recreational spaces.
recommendation
Recommendation:
Authorize the City Manager to enter into a Professional Services Agreement with PlaceWorks, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $500,000.
body
Fiscal Impact:
The City’s adopted Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operating Budget includes sufficient funds in the Contract Services line account (Account No. 100-47-5400). The term for the proposed professional service agreement is for one-year with an option to extend for an additional year; the proposed contract not-to-exceed amount is $500,000.
Background:
Since initiating the OSA project in late 2024, City staff and PlaceWorks prepared an Economic Feasibility Study, conducted outreach with local stakeholders, mapped and defined the boundaries of the OSA. Current OSA-related efforts include preparing existing infrastructure studies, and drafting recommended land uses, creating development standards, and developing design guidelines. Staff and PlaceWorks are currently working on finalizing draft land uses, creating development standards, and updating design guidelines for the OSA. The ongoing efforts represent the development of the technical components of the OSA that will provide clarity to future developers and staff that will inform future development applications.
At the October 28, 2025, meeting, the City Council approved the release of a Request for Proposal for a CEQA services for the OSA project. The City Council unanimously approved the circulation of a Request for Proposals to identify qualified professional planning firms that would undertake the City’s requested analysis. The PEIR would need to prepare various technical studies including air quality, noise, traffic, transportation, water, infrastructure, biological, and geological in order to analyze environmental impacts as part of the OSA. These technical studies would inform the preparation of the Initial Study, as the Initial Study will rely on the technical studies in evaluating environmental impacts of development scenarios within the OSA as required by CEQA and by State Law.
The team would draft a PEIR incorporating all information presented through the technical reports and public outreach. The draft PEIR would analyze potential impacts from implementation of the proposed project and construction and operation of the proposed project. For each identified environmental impact, the consultant would provide a set of feasible mitigation measures for the project to minimize impacts. The team would prepare a Final PEIR along with a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) for the mitigation measures identified in the PEIR. The team would then present the Final PEIR and MMRP to the City Council for certification consideration.
Analysis:
CEQA is a State mandated review required for all planning projects. For the OSA, the City is looking for a highly experienced professional planning firm with expertise in preparing PEIRs that would analyze possible development scenarios under the OSA draft land uses and development standards. The City’s intent is to steamline barriers to development by undertaking the environmental impact analysis so that future developers can utilize the PEIR for future projects under CEQA. In developing criteria to select a qualified firm, staff specifically sought firms with demonstrated experience in environmental work. Staff’s goal was to identify several firms with a high level of expertise to support the City’s OSA Project and a PEIR that would facilitate future development and be legally defensible.
Selection Process
The City received four proposals in response to the RFP. Given the technical expertise required for the CEQA Analysis, staff took additional time to consider carefully and review the merits of each proposal. Staff formed a Selection Committee comprised of the Acting Director of Community Development, the Associate Planner, and Associate Public Works Engineer. The Selection Committee interviewed all four firms to assess their professional experience preparing a technical environmental analysis. Staff engaged in discussions regarding experience to ensure the selected firm met the City’s expectations for this project.
PlaceWorks Qualifications and Experience
After concluding the process, the Selection Committee determined that PlaceWorks is the firm best qualified to undertake the CEQA process as outlined in RFP. PlaceWorks is a highly regarded and well-respected firm with extensive experience working with communities preparing CEQA documents. For this project, PlaceWorks proposed a project team comprised of senior representatives with extensive experience working on large-scale CEQA projects. The PlaceWorks team includes Malia Durand, Managing Principal of Environmental Services and Dina El Chammas Gass, PE, QSD, who will serve as the Project Manager. The PlaceWorks team is further supported by staff at various levels and subconsultants, including Fehr & Peers, Fuscoe Engineering, HANA Resources, and LGC Geotechnical to assist with transportation, infrastructure, biological, historical, and archeological resources, and fault line geological issues respectively as outlined in the proposal (Attachment A).
As mentioned, PlaceWorks has worked on a variety of PEIRs and EIRs for other similar projects. Example projects include the Upton Newport EIR in Newport Beach, the Long Beach Mixed-Use along Pacific Coast Highway, the Irwindale Gateway Specific Plan EIR, the Southeast Long Beach Specific Plan and EIR, among many other projects. Overall, PlaceWorks has an extensive record of delivering high quality environmental analysis projects.
Summary of Proposed OSA Project Workplan
As outlined in the proposal, PlaceWorks will undertake a variety of tasks in support of the CEQA analysis for the City’s OSA project. Tasks include preparation of a project description, technical analysis as required by CEQA guidelines, PEIR scoping and outreach, drafting of the Initial Study, PEIR preparation, tribal consultation, circulating PEIR for public review, preparing responses to comments, preparing mitigation monitoring and report program, and preparing findings of fact/Statement of Overriding Consideration.
Placeworks will also prepare a Notice of Determination for the PEIR. The preparation of the PEIR would also require public outreach and consultation with the Native American Tribes. The public outreach would consist of hosting scoping meetings soliciting public comments on the suggested environmental issues to be addressed in the PEIR. Public outreach events could include interactive meetings, planning charrettes, open forums, workshops, and presentations. The lead agency and consultant team would prepare and coordinate tribal consultation pursuant to Senat Bill (SB) 18 and Assembly Bill (AB) 52.
PlaceWorks will work closely with City staff to ensure the PEIR delivered to the City is legally defensible, accurate, and useful to decisions makers. PlaceWorks has recognized the importance of the PEIR removing barriers to future development and will work to prepare a comprehensive PEIR that will analyze the potential environmental impacts of the OSAs. PlaceWorks PEIR will also provide the framework for future development project CEQA tiering and streamlining.
PlaceWorks is also the consultant preparing the OSA. The firm has a great understanding of the City’s priority with the OSA and how the CEQA analysis could help to advance the OSA’s planning efforts. Having the groundwork necessary for the CEQA analysis could potentially assist with the proposed timeline for the CEQA analysis which is anticipated to take at least 18 months. However, staff’s goal is to actively work with PlaceWorks to reduce the amount of time required to complete the CEQA document.
Recommendation:
As noted, the City spent the last several months undertaking the creation of the OSAs, including, establishing project boundaries, drafting land uses and development standards that are reflective of the economic feasibility study prepared for the project. Through the RFP process, the Selection Committee spent time carefully considering and reviewing each proposal to determine which firms could help the City accomplish its goals. Each firm went through a highly competitive process and the Selection Committee concluded that PlaceWorks is best positioned to prepare the environmental analysis for OSA Project.
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with PlaceWorks to provide professional services for the preparation of the CEQA analysis associated with the Opportunity Study Area Project, for a not-to-exceed amount of $500,000.
Reviewed for Fiscal Impact:
_________________________
Siamlu Cox
Attachments:
A. PlaceWorks Proposal
B. Professional Services Agreement with PlaceWorks