Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Four-Year Agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture, with Compensation Not-to-Exceed $2,767,000, Including Contingencies, as Technical Consultants for City-Led Adaptation Projects, Including a Long-term Adaptation Plan, the Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project; and Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project.
These actions are statutorily exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061(b)(3), the general rule that CEQA only applies to actions that have the potential to cause a significant impact on the environment, 15308 (actions by regulatory agencies for protection of the environment) and 15183 (projects consistent with a community plan, general plan or zoning). (Public Works 31041520)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this agenda item is to request that City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a multi-year agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture in an amount not-to-exceed $2,767,000, including contingencies, as Technical Consultants for the following three City-led adaptation projects:
• Long-term Adaptation Plan;
• Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project; and
• Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project.
As a regional and beyond issue, the City of Alameda (City) is partnering with the San Leandro Bay-Oakland Alameda Estuary Adaptation Working Group (Working Group) on these projects. The sub-regional adaptation webpage is www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationWorkingGroup <http://www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationWorkingGroup>.
CMG Landscape Architecture was selected through a Request for Proposals process and the agreement is primarily funded by grants with matches from the General Fund and Measure BB, previously approved by City Council.
BACKGROUND
Sea Level Rise Hazards: The rate of sea level rise is dependent on global carbon dioxide emissions and other factors so although the exact timeframe and rise of the San Francisco Bay is uncertain, the City is following guidance from the State of California to plan for approximately 3.5 feet above today's high tide to estimate future sea level rise. More long-term scenarios will also be considered consistent with adaptation best practices. California’s latest Climate Change Assessment for the San Francisco Bay Area Region Report states that “Even with high levels of emissions reductions, research now suggests that at least 2 meters [6.6 feet] of sea level rise is inevitable over the next several centuries due to the lag of sea level rise in response to increasing global temperature.” (Climate Change Assessment for the San Francisco Bay Area Region Report, Page 7.)
With 3.5 feet of sea level rise, the northern shoreline at the foot of Mariner Square Drive is likely to overtop on a daily basis as well as sections of the Oakland shoreline, especially by Lake Merritt. On Bay Farm Island, there are several points along the shoreline susceptible to coastal flooding at the 100-year event. At mid-century water levels or during extreme weather events, overtopping and seawall failure will likely occur at these locations, which may lead to inundation of adjacent neighborhoods and public spaces. These grants are based on a sub-regional approach (further detail below) based on the understanding that sea level rise impacts all neighboring cities, not simply Alameda. For example, these adaptation projects will also allow the City of Oakland to prepare a sea level rise strategy for the downtown area as part of a regional strategy to address rising water levels in the San Francisco Bay, and to coordinate with the Oakland’s broader climate adaptation efforts.
Sub-regional Approach: The City is pursuing a sub-regional approach to adaptation in partnership with the Working Group, which includes key stakeholders such as the Port of Oakland, the City of Oakland, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and community-based organizations (Community Partners). The Working Group is coordinating flood and adaptation projects so as to protect and restore water and air quality, habitat, recreation and community resilience and vitality within the San Leandro Operational Landscape Unit (OLU), as defined by the San Francisco Estuary Institute’s (SFEI) San Francisco Bay Shoreline Adaptation Atlas. The San Leandro OLU is one of 30 OLUs in the Bay Area, and stretches from the Bay Bridge touchdown to Oyster Bay in San Leandro. The San Leandro OLU also includes critical regional infrastructure such as the Oakland International Airport, Oakland Coliseum, State Routes 61 and 260, Capital Corridor, I-880 freeway, Coast Guard Island, industrial and commercial development, and residential neighborhoods. A sub-regional approach will help achieve expedited and consensus-driven sub-regional solutions that have a greater chance to be grant funded for the next project phases of environmental clearance, permitting, design and construction.
Working Group Objectives: The Working Group has established the below overarching preliminary objectives for adaptation projects within the San Leandro OLU. Additional objectives also may be identified through the visioning process of this effort. Working Group Objectives include the following:
• Prepare for near-term flooding as well as long-term groundwater and sea level rise;
• Identify opportunities for habitat protection and restoration, nature-based solutions and green infrastructure;
• Consider place-based sediment management strategies;
• Improve recreational access to the shoreline and air quality in impacted areas;
• Protect residents and vulnerable communities living on or near the shoreline so enhancements to the shoreline benefit those communities and do not contribute to gentrification and displacement pressures;
• Contribute to economic opportunities for local businesses and community members and improve those communities that are impacted by climate change, lack of infrastructure and disinvestment;
• Advocate for training and skill development to support underserved communities and work through institutional barriers to hiring local residents and small local minority-owned businesses; and
• Serve as a model for successful sub-regional adaptation work and advance the Working Group’s collective agendas.
City Council Actions: These three City-led adaptation projects, Long-term Adaptation Plan, Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project and Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project, are the result of a multi-year collaborative effort directed by City Council as shown below:
• In August 2008, City Council adopted the Storm Drain Master Plan, which identifies stormwater infrastructure at risk due to sea level rise and storm drains in need of capacity upgrades;
• In September 2019, City Council adopted the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP), which lists Bay Farm Island and the Oakland-Alameda Estuary as high-priority project areas for adaptation;
• In June 2020, City Council approved the mid-cycle capital budget, which included allocating $350,000 from the General Fund for the Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project, a portion of which was expended for initial studies and grant writing;
• In November 2020, City Council accepted the report: “City of Alameda, The Response of the Shallow Groundwater Layer and Contaminants to Sea Level Rise”, which states that the areas at risk of future flooding increase by up to 25 percent when considering emergent groundwater;
• In June 2021, City Council adopted the two-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2021-2023, which included the Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project for $200,000 from Measure BB and the Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project for $100,000 from Local Stormwater Fees for initial studies and grant writing;
• In May 2022, City Council approved the mid-cycle capital budget, which included the Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project local grant match in the amount of $500,000 from the General Fund;
• In June 2022, City Council adopted the Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan, which called out the need for a sub-regional Long-term Adaptation Plan;
• In June 2022, City Council adopted a resolution accepting Caltrans state funding for the Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project totaling $425,000 in grant monies and $75,000 in local match monies;
• In December 2022, City Council adopted a resolution accepting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant funding for the Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project totaling $1.5 million and $500,000 in local match monies; and
• In June 2023, City Council accepted the grant funding from the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP) totaling $300,000 and from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) totaling $540,000 for the Long-term Adaptation Plan, and also approved the Greenbelt Alliance agreement totaling $254,000 as Community Partners to lead the stakeholder engagement process for the City-led adaptation projects.
The purpose of this agenda item is to request City Council approval of an agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture as the technical consultant team for the three City-led adaptation projects further described below.
DISCUSSION
In spring 2023, BCDC issued a study that states adaptation efforts in the SF Bay Area are expected to cost over $100 billion. Alameda County has the highest anticipated costs at $22 billion with several Caltrans highways, Port of Oakland and the Oakland International Airport. The City is working at a sub-regional level in partnership with City/Port of Oakland, Caltrans, East Bay Regional Park District and other Project Partners to streamline planning efforts to combine strengths so as to best protect our communities and combined assets. By onboarding the CMG Landscape Architecture consultants, which is the purpose of this agenda item, it allows the subject matter experts to move forward with envisioning transformative solutions for the sub-region to best protect the area for the long term. Once the sub-regional adaptation planning efforts are completed, it positions the Oakland-Alameda area well for further grant funding and other revenue strategies to design, permit and construct the adaptation needs that are consistent with our community values.
Working Group Projects: The City, on behalf of the Working Group, is leading three adaptation projects. These projects will be developed in coordination with one another and with the Project Partners who include the Working Group, community partners: Greenbelt Alliance as stakeholder engagement consultant, Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA), SFEI as the Scientific Advisor and a consultant. Project Partners will prepare and review draft materials, participate in meetings, and work together to conduct outreach and engagement activities. The following projects are expected to take up to two years to complete using an inclusive and equitable planning process:
Long-term Adaptation Plan (Federal funding through SFEP and NFWF): Develop a Long-term Adaptation Plan, which includes a review of existing vulnerability assessments, a final vision and a prioritization framework. The goal is to protect shoreline communities throughout the San Leandro OLU from expected sea level and groundwater rise and liquefaction, enhance transportation and recreation corridors and bay access, reduce flood exposure, create or restore marsh, upland and transitional habitat with nature-based solutions, and improve air quality. The Plan will detail key steps and actions to take as the shoreline changes, identifying trigger points and costs for each of the outlined pathways. The planning process will use a decision-making process to ensure all stakeholder voices are heard with two rounds of community engagement. The project also will include project coordination with sub-regional partners, sub-regional governance options and regional agency liaising. Webpage: www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationLongTermPlan <http://www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationLongTermPlan>
Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project (Caltrans state funding and local match): The consultant team will review existing conditions including conducting site visits, refining base maps and documentation. After analyzing alternatives and conducting community outreach, the consultant team will develop a design concept equivalent to ten percent design in coordination with the Project Partners to protect both the downtown Oakland/Jack London Square shoreline and Alameda’s northern shoreline near Marina Village from expected sea level rise and to reduce the impacts of flooding. The project also will include green infrastructure alternatives for the project watershed drainage area to reduce both shoreline and inland flooding. In addition to two rounds of community engagement, an advisory committee of key agency staff including permitting and regulatory compliance staff will be engaged to ensure a comprehensive approach. The goal is to ensure long-term use of a multi-modal transportation system, including the Posey/Webster Tubes, the San Francisco Bay Trail and the adjacent diverse communities and disadvantaged populations in west Alameda and Oakland. Webpage: www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationEstuary <http://www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationEstuary>
Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project (FEMA federal funding and local match): This project is a long-term plan with a short-term project for Bay Farm Island’s northern shoreline area, which is between Bay Farm Island Bridge and north of the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal. The long-term plan is to develop a long-term groundwater and sea level rise adaptation strategy and a design concept equivalent to ten percent design for Bay Farm Island. This design will implement nature-based solutions and green infrastructure, address liquefaction risk and provide co-benefits for wildlife habitat and sequestering carbon while also enhancing shoreline access and recreation, including replacing/relocating the wooden bicycle/pedestrian bridge. The short-term priority project is focused on the northern shoreline area of Bay Farm Island and builds on the initial concept work to develop detailed design drawings with up to 30 percent design drawings and will advance the permitting process. The project includes an existing conditions analysis with geotechnical site investigations, a feasibility analysis with multiple potential alternatives as well as two rounds of community engagement. Webpage: www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationBayFarmIsland <http://www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationBayFarmIsland>
These three adaptation projects will be developed in coordination with other Working Group projects such as the Caltrans’ Doolittle Drive/State Route 61 projects, the Port of Oakland’s Adaptation Vulnerability Assessment and Plan, the City of Oakland’s Estuary Park Renovation and Expansion Project, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Bay Trail Gap Closure Project, the City’s De-Pave Park Master Plan, BCDC’s Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan, and other adaptation efforts by the Working Group.
Technical Consultant Request for Proposal (RFP) Process: Through a competitive RFP process and City Council approval, a consultant was identified to coordinate these three adaptation projects and meet the Working Group objectives previously described. On behalf of the Working Group, City staff issued an Adaptation Technical Consultants RFP on May 2, 2023. After a submittal period of 49 days, the City received eight timely submitted proposals on June 20, 2023 from the following consultant teams: Mithun, Terraphase, Bionic, HDR, WRT, AECOM, Wood Rodgers and CMG Landscape Architecture. The Selection Committee reviewed the proposals and selected CMG Landscape Architecture as the most qualified firm after interviews with the top three teams: WRT, AECOM and CMG Landscape Architecture. The Selection Committee consisted of representatives from the City of Alameda (two), City of Oakland, East Bay Regional Park District, Caltrans, Port of Oakland and CASA.
CMG Landscape Architecture is working on the design of De-Pave Park, created the De-Pave Park Vision Plan with input from local key stakeholders, and provided the landscape architecture design for the 2014 Alameda Point Town Center and Waterfront Precise Plan. Adaptation plans for other communities include the San Francisco Waterfront Resilience Program, the Treasure Island Adaptive Management Plan and Waterfront Parks, the Greater New Orleans Water Urban Water Plan, and Living with Water Houston. The sub-consultants on the CMG Landscape Architecture team include Pathways Climate Institute, Moffatt & Nichol, ESA, Schaaf & Wheeler, Earth Mechanics, Inc. and NHA Advisors. Pathways Climate Institute will draw on their knowledge through their work on the FEMA San Francisco Bay Coastal Study, Adapting to Rising Tides, Resilient by Design, regional groundwater research, and the Extreme Precipitation Study with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Moffatt & Nichol have completed marine and shoreline studies for Estuary Park, the Lake Merritt Bridge and Estuary Channel Trails, Bay Farm Island and the Oakland Airport. Schaaf & Wheeler completed the 2014 Sea Level Rise Study for Alameda, the Alameda Storm Drain Master Plan, Bay Farm Island Levee Analysis and Alameda Point Storm Drain Alternatives Study. NHA Advisors is among the leading national and Bay Area Climate Change and Hazard Mitigation funding and governance advisors.
ALTERNATIVES
• Authorize execution of the service provider agreement as recommended by staff;
• Authorize execution of the service provider agreement with revisions determined necessary by the City Council; and
• Not approve the execution of the service provider agreement, and direct staff to proceed with a different approach.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The three adaptation projects total $3,690,000 with grant funds contributing $2,765,000, or 72 percent, and local match monies funding the remaining $925,000, or 28 percent (Table 1). The maximum Consultant Team budget is $2,667,000, or 72 percent of the total project budgets. The purpose of this agenda item is to authorize execution of the consultant agreement, which is for an amount not-to-exceed $2,767,000 and includes contingencies of $105,000. The remaining project monies will be for the Community Partners at $323,500, or nine (9) percent, Scientific Advisor at $35,000, or one (1) percent, and City staff at $344,500 or nine (9) percent of the total project budgets. The budget also has a contingency of $320,000, or nine (9) percent, and the consultant budget will include $105,000 of contingencies. City Council previously appropriated $850,000 from the General Fund for the Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project as part of the mid-cycle budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 (Reso. No. 15918) and appropriated $75,000 from Measure BB funding for the Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project as part of the mid-year update for FY 2022-23. City Council also accepted the grants for the three adaptation projects.
Table 1: Adaptation Project Funding
|
Sources |
Amount |
|
SFEP Grant (Long-term Adaptation Plan) |
$300,000 |
|
NFWF Grant (Long-term Adaptation Plan) |
$540,000 |
|
Caltrans Grant (Oakland-Alameda Estuary Project) |
$425,000 |
|
Measure BB Local Match |
$75,000 |
|
FEMA Grant (Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project) |
$1,500,000 |
|
General Fund Local Match |
$850,000 |
|
Subtotal Grant Sources |
$2,765,000 |
|
Subtotal Local Sources |
$925,000 |
|
Total Sources |
$3,690,000 |
|
Uses |
|
|
Long-Term Adaptation Plan |
|
|
Consultant Team |
$599,500 |
|
City Staff |
$20,500 |
|
Community Partners |
$185,000 |
|
Scientific Advisor |
$35,000 |
|
Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project |
|
|
Consultant Team |
$391,500 |
|
Community Partners |
$108,500 |
|
Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project |
|
|
Consultant Team |
$1,676,000 |
|
City Staff |
$324,000 |
|
Community Partners |
$30,000 |
|
Subtotal Consultant Team |
$2,667,000 |
|
Subtotal City Staff |
$344,500 |
|
Subtotal Community Partners |
$323,500 |
|
Subtotal Scientific Advisor |
$35,000 |
|
Contingency |
$320,000 |
|
Total Uses |
$3,690,000 |
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code, and the City's General Plan as follows:
Conservation and Climate Action (CC-3) - Coordinated Regional and Local Planning
c. State and Regional Funding. Advocate for and support state and regional efforts to provide funding for greenhouse gas reduction, transportation improvements, affordable housing, and climate change adaptation at the local level.
d. Sustainable Communities Strategy. Maintain consistency between the City’s General Plan, Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan, and Municipal Code and the regional Sustainable Communities Strategy.
(CC-19) Sea Level Rise Protection
a. Flood Protection Maps. Work with regional agencies to regularly update the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan with projected inundation zones for years 2070 and 2100 consistent with the most up to date guidance from the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) for sea level rise in California.
b. Contaminated Lands. Identify and map contaminated lands at risk of inundation from rising groundwater and flood inundation and identify actions to mitigate the risk of mobilizing contaminants.
c. Land Planning. Prioritize areas of little or no flood risk for new flood-incompatible development (i.e. housing and commercial development) in new plans or zoning decisions.
d. Shoreline Habitat and Buffer Lands. Identify, preserve, and restore existing undeveloped areas susceptible to sea level rise to reduce flood risk, enhance biodiversity, and improve water quality. Maintain and restore existing natural features (i.e. marsh, vegetation, sills, etc.) between new development and the shore to allow for marsh or beach migration.
e. Conservation Easements. Consider use of conservation easements to maintain private lands for shoreline and beach migration.
f. Nature Based Flood Control Systems. When designing new flood control systems where none currently exist, prioritize use of nature based flood control systems, such as horizontal levees, marsh lands, or beach restoration.
(CC-21) Adaptation Pathway Master Plan
Develop an adaptation pathway master plan that includes updated vulnerability studies, groundwater rise studies and other data collection as needed to identify the range of shoreline protection, groundwater management and adaptation strategies over time from short- to long-term as well as land use, building and infrastructure design standards needed to help Alameda and the entire San Leandro Bay and Oakland-Alameda Estuary area adapt to rising sea and groundwater levels. The plan should include economic analysis and cost estimates to facilitate the development of funding strategies and regional cooperation.
(CC-22) Critical Public Assets
a. Stormwater System. Identify funding sources to improve the public stormwater infrastructure and ensure it meets current needs and is prepared for the effects of sea level rise and climate change.
b. Sewer System. Protect vulnerable wastewater systems and facilities to minimize disruption to the systems following ground shaking and extreme weather events.
c. Electric System. Ensure electrical infrastructure is flood-proofed or elevated. Where possible, move assets out of the hazard zone.
b. Transportation. Work with Caltrans and the Alameda County Transportation Commission to identify funding to adapt the regional and local roadways in Alameda.
(CC-23) Rising Groundwater
a. Infrastructure and Access. Develop plans and strategies to protect and/or relocate critical infrastructure and maintain access to impacted property.
b. Building Codes. Prepare and adopt revised zoning and building codes to increase resilience of new buildings against the impacts of rising groundwater.
c. Annual Review. Annually monitor groundwater levels and progress on specific strategies to mitigate impacts.
d. Data. Collect new data, add groundwater monitoring wells, analyze additional contaminants and potential landfill risks, update liquefaction zones and continue to refine the quality of the groundwater model.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
These actions are statutorily exempt from environmental review under CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the general rule that CEQA only applies to actions that have the potential to cause a significant impact on the environment. As a separate and independent basis, these actions are also exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15308 (actions by regulatory agencies for protection of the environment) and 15183 (projects consistent with a community plan, general plan or zoning). None of the exceptions in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply.
CLIMATE IMPACT
The project will improve the resiliency to the impacts of climate change as described in detail in the Discussion section of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute a four-year agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture for $2,767,000, including contingencies as technical consultants for City-led adaptation projects.
Respectfully submitted,
Allen Tai, Acting Director of Planning, Building and Transportation
By,
Danielle Mieler, Sustainability and Resilience Manager
Gail Payne, Project Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. CMG Landscape Architecture Agreement
cc: Erin Smith, Public Works Director