Agenda Item D.1 DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM Meeting Date: January 19, 2010

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1 Agenda Item D.1 DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM Meeting Date: January 19, 2010 TO: FROM: CONTACT: Mayor and Councilmembers Vyto Adomaitis, RDA, Neighborhood Services & Public Safety Director Claudia Dato, Management Analyst, RDA, Neighborhood Services & Public Safety Department SUBJECT: Proposed Fire Station No. 10 RECOMMENDATION: A. Authorize staff to conduct the necessary environmental studies for siting Fire Station 10 (FS10) and return to Council for consideration of certification for the CEQA document and policy decision on whether to identify 7952 Hollister Avenue as the location for FS10. B. Allocate $25,000 from the Public Administration Development Fees Fund to cover preliminary environmental assessment and survey work. C. Authorize the City Attorney to draft a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in consultation with the County of Santa Barbara to address the cooperative funding and development of Fire Station 10 ( FS10. ) D. Direct staff to include FS10 in the City s Strategic Plan and Capital Improvements Program as a priority Public Works project. E. Authorize staff to solicit Requests for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQs/RFPs) for the purpose of hiring a design/architectural consultant. F. Direct staff as to the method for Council involvement in the development of FS10. BACKGROUND: The City of Goleta receives fire protection services from the Santa Barbara County Fire Protection District which is administered by the County Fire Department. The need to locate a fire station on the west end of Goleta has long been identified and documented as a priority by the Fire District, the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Goleta. The justification for such a site was identified even prior to City incorporation by the County in the Goleta Community Plan.

2 Meeting Date: January 19, 2010 As a part of incorporation, the City also committed to providing the Fire District a location for a fire station in Western Goleta, as memorialized in a June 2002 letter to the County from then Mayor Margaret Connell (see Attachment 1). The Fire District s obligations to provide fire services in Goleta have led the County to identify construction of FS10 on the County Five Year Capital Improvement Plan for the year However, given the County s on-going fiscal situation, the financing of the development of the fire station is not resolved. Although the Fire District has an obligation to provide adequate fire services to the unincorporated areas and the City of Goleta, the City has a shared interest in protecting its citizens and providing for public safety. In terms of environmental review, the lack of adequate fire protection services is now a Class I environmental impact, generally defined as a significant adverse impact that remains significant after mitigation. The only remedy for this impact is development of a new fire station in Western Goleta. For these reasons, the City is cooperating with the expedited development of this project based on the community need that exist. The Public Facilities (PF) Element of the City s adopted General Plan articulates the deficiencies that exist for the west-end of the City (see Attachment 2 for applicable Policies). This is significant considering the underserved area contains a number of dense housing developments, a large resort hotel and an oil and gas processing facility. The guiding PF objective is stated as follows: Policy PF3: Public Safety Services and facilities [GP] Objective: Ensure that adequate fire and police services and facilities are available to meet the needs of both existing and new development in the city as well as service demands from outside Goleta s boundaries. The General Plan goes on to provide more specific policies and implementation actions, including PF 3.1 which speaks to the firefighter-to-population ratio and response time formulas established for adequate fire protection coverage. Service in Western Goleta does not meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines. PF3.2 further addresses this deficiency by calling for a new fire station (FS10) to serve the western area of the City. On February 19, 2008, the Council received a report from the Planning and Environmental Services Department concerning FS10 and authorized staff to evaluate potential sites for FS10. In December 2008, the City executed a purchase agreement for a vacant 1.3 acre site located at 7952 Hollister Avenue, which was previously home to a Standard Oil service station. Development of a new fire station in Western Goleta is not currently listed in either the City s Strategic Plan or Capital Improvement Program (CIP). 2

3 Meeting Date: January 19, 2010 DISCUSSION: The City Manager recently assigned the Redevelopment, Neighborhood Services and Public Safety Department management of the fire station development project, including the responsibility for acting on behalf of the City (as the applicant) in processing the necessary permits for potential development of a fire station. Environmental review, in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and processing of the needed City permits will be conducted by the Planning and Environmental Services Department in conjunction with the entitlement process for the project. It is important to note that final action approving the site for a fire station cannot occur until after the environmental assessment is completed and certified. Staff is seeking Council authorization to undertake the steps necessary for CEQA compliance. The following preliminary action items and milestones have been identified for the project: Council authorization for staff to pursue a feasibility analysis of siting a new fire station on City-owned property located at 7952 Hollister Avenue, including special studies by qualified consultants (e.g. archaeological, biological, etc); Completion of preliminary design and project description, in sufficient detail for CEQA analysis; Upon completion of the above feasibility analysis and environmental review, selection of a site for the new fire station; Adoption of City-County MOU for development and financing of the fire station based on a yet-to-be determined cost sharing and financing program; Processing of a Development Plan application with approvals needed from Design Review Board, Planning Commission and City Council; and Approval of a Coastal Development Permit or waiver by the Coastal Commission for FS10. It should be noted that regardless of whether 7952 Hollister Avenue is ultimately selected for development of a fire station, completion of site remediation by Chevron needs to proceed, including environmental review of this activity by the City, and procurement of needed City and County Fire permits and Coastal Commission permit or waiver; Recently, the County Fire Department reiterated its support of the subject property for the proposed FS10 and the willingness to work diligently, collaboratively and expeditiously with the City in the preparation of an MOU to provide for the development of the proposed fire station. The MOU will need to address a multitude of components including financing of the project, design standards, and contract award and management, cooperative rights, allowable costs, decision authority of financing, design and construction issues, liability, operation obligations, property rights transfer and reversionary interests. Most of these issues have not previously been discussed with the Council. 3

4 Meeting Date: January 19, 2010 Prior to Council making a final decision on the siting of the fire station, further studies need to be conducted to complete the environmental assessment. This environmental analysis (CEQA compliance) is also needed for remediation work to proceed. The understanding of site resources and constraints learned through this analysis will also help inform the design process. Once the City Council takes final action on the site selection, a project description, including site plan, preliminary design elevation drawings, as well as staffing and operational plans, will need to be drafted as part of the application package for the entitlement process. At this point, staff has issued an RFQ/RFP for both biological and archaeological site surveys and is poised to award contracts for these services upon allocation of the requested $25,000 in funding by Council. The combined cost for these studies is expected to be approximately $16,000. It is anticipated that the remaining $9,000 will be needed for other consultant services, including site surveying, and preparation of an ALTA survey and topographical map of the site. Staff also recommends Council authorize preparation and release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for design/architectural services. The award of this consultant contract and appropriation of funds for its related cost would be brought back to Council for review and approval. As noted above, the development of a preliminary plan, conceptual site plan and associated project description is an essential precursor to the CEQA analysis for the fire station and is needed for the development plan application submittal. As mentioned previously, development of a new fire station in Western Goleta is not listed in the City s Strategic Plan, nor is it identified as a priority public works project in the CIP. The Strategic Plan reflects the goals and values of the City and provides direction internally and externally on issues and projects of importance to the City Council and the community. Since the need for a new fire station has been well articulated in the City s General Plan, staff recommends this project be added into the safety section of the Strategic Plan, establishing it as a priority objective. Likewise, staff recommends that the City Council include the fire station in the City s CIP since it is a project of high priority intended to be completed within the next five-year cycle. Inclusion of the project in the CIP could have beneficial implications in terms of developing funding sources and ultimate review by the Coastal Commission since it underscores the importance and priority status of the project. Finally, Council is asked to provide direction on the Council s involvement with this process. The Council s established Public Safety Standing Committee includes, as a part of its scope fire-related matters. This committee could, therefore, be involved with initial review of all matters related to the development of the fire station. Alternatively, the Council may wish to establish a new Ad-Hoc Fire Station Development Committee that would have this topic as its sole focus. 4

5 Meeting Date: January 19, 2010 In either case it should be noted that all decisions, including adoption of the MOU, approval of the professional services agreement for the design, award of all contracts and the appropriation of any additional funds would be brought before the entire City Council for action based on the advice of the committee. Alternatively, the Council could choose not to refer this project to any committee. Should the Council choose to establish an ad-hoc committee, staff would return at the earliest opportunity with a conforming resolution. In the meantime it would be appropriate for the Council to consider appointments to the committee. Should the Council wish to have this matter remain with the Public Safety Standing Committee or retain the issue with the full Council, then no further action is required. GOLETA STRATEGIC PLAN: Development of a fire station in western Goleta is consistent with the following Goals in the Goleta Strategic Plan: Improve & Maintain City Infrastructure; and Enhance Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. ALTERNATIVES: With the exception of the proposed creation of an Ad-Hoc Fire Station Development Committee, all of the requested actions are necessary for the fire station project to proceed, but may be deferred. Deferral would delay the project. Council can also choose not to participate in this project. In such case, the design and timing of development of FS10 would be left to the County Fire District and the budgetary limitations of the County. FISCAL IMPACTS: The funding source for the recommended $25,000 in preliminary environmental design and survey work will come from Public Administration Development Fees (Fund 222) with no impact to the General Fund. Specifically the expenditure account will be The overall commitment of City financial resources and staff resources is currently unknown and will be dependent on the terms of the MOU. Moreover, the ability of the City to identify sources and timing of funding opportunities to support the City s financial commitment is also currently unknown and needs to be more fully identified prior to the MOU being approved. Reviewed By: Reviewed By: Approved By: Tim W. Giles Michelle Greene Daniel Singer City Attorney Administrative City Manager Services Director 5

6 Meeting Date: January 19, 2010 ATTACHMENTS: 1. Letter dated June 25, 2002, from then Mayor Margaret Connell to the County 2. Excerpt of General Plan Public Facilities Element Policies on Fire Services 6

7 ATTACHMENT 1 Letter dated June 25, 2002, from then Mayor Margaret Connell to the County

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10 ATTACHMENT 2 Excerpt of General Plan Public Facilities Element Policies on Fire Services

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