MEMO TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Carol Helland, Director of Planning and Community Development
SUBJECT:
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Redmond 2050 - Consultant Support: Visioning and Environmental Review
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
The purpose of this briefing is to review the scope of work and budget for the Redmond 2050 professional service contracts (Land Use Visioning and SEPA) in advance of City Council authorization of contract execution.
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II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Carol Helland, Director 425-556-2107
Beverly Mesa-Zendt, AICP, Interim Deputy Director 425-556-2416
Beckye Frey, Senior Planner 425-556-2750
Caroline Chapman, Senior Planner 425-556-2442
Planning and Community Development Department
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires that each Washington city and county periodically review and, if needed, revise its comprehensive plan and development regulations every eight years (RCW 36.70A.130 <http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=36.70A.130>). Comprehensive plans are the centerpiece of local planning efforts. A comprehensive plan articulates a series of goals, objectives, policies, actions, and standards that are intended to guide the day-to-day decisions of elected officials and local government staff.
The City is launching the next periodic review and update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, implementing regulations, and related functional plans and policies. Two areas that will require outside consulting services are the Community Visioning & Land Use and State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Environmental Analysis projects. Both components will launch simultaneously to ensure that environmental review will be integrated into the community’s discussion of goals and vision for the future. Collaboration between consultants and staff will also help achieve cost efficiencies.
While the community visioning and scenario development will conclude in the first quarter of 2021, environmental analysis and documentation will continue into 2022 to assist the community in identifying and managing the environmental impacts associated with implementation of the community’s vision.
A request for proposals was issued for both the community visioning and the environmental analysis with a deadline for submission of April 24, 2020. Staff teams reviewed the proposals and interviewed top consultant teams before selecting the IBI Group for the Visioning & Land Use consulting services and BERK Consulting for the SEPA consulting services.
A. IBI Group: Visioning and Land Use
The proposed PSRC VISION 2050 plan provides a renewed commitment to directing employment and population growth to Urban Centers with specific attention on intensification of areas served by high capacity transit. In order to appropriately accommodate the growth, the City and IBI Group will engage in a community visioning process to involve the public in discussions related to the following questions:
• Where Should Growth Go? Based on our growth allocation from King County, the community will provide feedback on distinct, market-based growth alternatives. Outreach will be structured so that respondents will be able to evaluate tradeoffs between land-use types, building height & bulk, and other variables when looking at their preferred growth patterns. Results may require adjusting urban center boundaries and TOD areas. The growth alternatives will then be evaluated by the SEPA process (see below).
• What should the growth look like? Once the options for where growth should go is determined, the consultants will guide the community through decisions around what that growth should look like. This will help determine the urban form for Redmond, specifically in the Urban Centers and TOD areas. Consultants will then identify and draft the potential revisions to design standards and zoning codes to be a part of the Comprehensive Plan periodic update.
Contingency funding has been identified in the budget for additional public involvement actions and regulatory code development if needed.
A detailed budget, timeline, and scope of work is more fully provided for in Attachment A.
B. BERK: SEPA Analysis & Environmental Review
The City will work with BERK to conduct an environmental review, analysis, and documentation for the proposed comprehensive plan updates and related updates to plans, policies, and regulations. BERK will support the initial visioning work so the results of the visioning process can become the inputs for the SEPA analysis and evaluation. This collaboration will provide a streamlined and consistent process that is both based in market-reality and connected to community feedback.
The SEPA process will also advance the completion of the Overlake Planned Action, TMP, and updated environmental baseline data for the city. Development of this work will assist the City in economic recovery efforts and provide a more comprehensive environmental review which translates to stronger sustainability outcomes.
The BERK consulting team will also assist the city is bringing our environmental review data up to date and establishing a new environmental baseline for future reviews.
Contingency funding has been identified in the budget for the potential development of planned action ordinances for the Downtown and Marymoor Village.
A detailed budget, timeline, and scope of work is more fully provided for in Attachment B.
IV. PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS HELD
July 14, 2020, Planning and Public Works Committee of the Whole
V. IMPACT
A. Service/Delivery:
N/A
B. Fiscal Note:
The total contract amount of $480,000 will be spent over multiple years. The $198,000 of funding, required for 2020, is budgeted in the current biennium and the remaining amount is obligated for 2021-2022 and will be carried forward into the next biennial budget.
NOTE: The TMP costs are not included in the table above. Those consulting services will be under a separate contract, anticipated for the Fall of 2020.
VI. ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Not at this time.
VII. TIME CONSTRAINTS
Contracts are scheduled to be executed by Council on August 18, 2020. All cities in King County are expected to have their comprehensive plans and the associated development regulations (including critical areas ordinances) updated by June 30, 2024. Staff has identified a Phase 1 package of deliverables that will include updates to the Overlake/ Urban Center Element and Overlake Planned Action, the Housing Element, and the Economic Vitality Element and related regulatory updates. Phase 1 estimated completion is late 2022.
Council authorization to execute contracts:
• Council Study Session - August 11 (if needed)
• Council Business Meeting - August 18 (authorization to execute contracts)
VIII. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: IBI Group Contract Package, with Scope of Work & Budget
Attachment B: BERK Consulting Contract Package, with Scope of Work & Budget
Attachment C: Redmond 2050: Contract Execution Powerpoint