This study session is prior to the Regular Los Altos City Council Meeting

Sometimes study session permit public comments, sometimes not.  There is no voting, no action taken except sometimes to report back to City Council.

 

DATE: May 22, 2012

AGENDA ITEM # S.S \

AGENDA REPORT

TO: City Council

FROM: James Walgren, Assistant City Manager SUBJECT: Civic Center Campus improvements RECOMMENDATION:

Provide direction regarding how to proceed with the identified Civic Center Campus improvements, renovation or repairs

SUMMARY:

Estimated Fiscal Impact:

Amount: To be determined based on project scope

Budgeted: No

Public Hearing Notice: Not applicable

Previous Council Consideration: January 2008 through April2012

CEQA Status: Certified Environmental Impact Report

BACKGROUND

The City Council initiated the Community Center Master Plan to study how best to proceed with renovating the 18-acre Civic Center Campus. This effort officially began in January

2008 by contracting with Anderson Brule Architects to develop the Master Plan. Anderson Brule Architects were selected following a competitive RFP process based on both their architectural experience and their public outreach and facilitation skills. The Master Plan included an 18-month information collection and needs assessment effort and extensive public outreach including stakeholder interviews, opinion surveys, focus group input, several public workshops and design charrettes.

In June 2009, the City Council approved the Master Plan in concept, subject to the completion of the Environmental Impact Report for the project. At that time, the 28- member Council-appointed Advisory Committee and the project management Core Team were disbanded. In March 2010, Council certified the Environmental Impact Report and formally approved the Master Plan.

DISCUSSION

Following an extensive public-speaking outreach effort, a second resident survey was conducted in March 2012 by Godbe Research to measure potential resident support for a bond measure to finance implementation of the Master Plan. The survey reached over 400 registered Los Altos voters. While the results of the survey were fairly strong, representing over 55% voter support, it did not indicate the 70% level of support needed for a successful bond measure. Poll results were presented to Council at its April 10, 2012 regular meeting and were noted to be similar to the 2008 results compiled prior to the Master Plan development.

The March 2012 Poll results were valuable in assessing priorities, but did not negate the existing and pressing need to replace or repair Civic Center facilities. Nor did they negate the valuable data that was collected and corroborated through the Master Plan process. The needs assessment data and the community expectation input remain important to determining next steps in addressing the aging Civic Center facilities.

Given the evident need to replace the Hillview Recreation Center, and repair and expand City Hall and the Police Station, the need for developing alternative approaches is a logical next step. To begin this discussion, staff has identified four alternatives that are noted below:

1. Leave the Civic Center facilities as-is for a period of one to three years and re­

attempt public financing for the entire Master Plan

Advantages

• Allows for preservation of the unified and integrated Master Plan design that anticipates future growth, recreation programming and community needs

Disadvantages

• It seems unlikely that voter sentiment to public financing of the large-scale Master

Plan will change in the near future

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Civic Center Campus improvements Page2

• If the economic climate improves in the near-term, the current positive bidding environment will likely not continue

2. Repair the Hillview Recreation Center for short-tenn use

Advantages
• Allows for addressing the immediate repair needs of the recreation center
• Cost will be lower than renovating or replacing the facility
Disadvantages
• Does not address the current and future operational and facility needs of community programs as revealed in the overall Master Plan
• Allows for modifications that only address the public safety deficiencies at a cost of approximately $2,000,000 (i.e., new roof system and water line replacement, new safety glass, plumbing and dry rot repair, and bringing the multipurpose kitchen up to minimum health codes)

3. Renovate the Hillview Recreation Center for the near future

Advantages
• Utilizes a common approach towards building modernization
• Provides for more substantial structural and reconditioning changes which replicates a new building experience
Disadvantages
• Does not address the current and future operational and facility needs of community programs as revealed in the overall Master Plan
• At an approximate cost of $10,000,000, it is not cost-effective over the long-term

4. Replace the Hillview Recreation Center with a new purpose-designed facility

Advantages
• Will more adequately meet the expressed needs of the community for recreation, education and social opportunities
• A modern, attractive facility will generate revenue through expanded programs and rentals
• Assuming square footage is adjusted to be less than the 50,000 square feet the Master Plan calls for, the total cost could approximate $25M versus $10M for a renovated school facility
• The poll results in both 2008 and 2012 showed support for a bond measure in the
$30M range
Disadvantages
• A smaller facility may not fully meet the current and emerging needs of area residents
• This will most likely require voter-approved funding to move forward

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Civic Center Campus improvements Page 3

Other Facilities

If the existing City Hall and Police Department facilities were renovated and expanded, they could be quite attractive. Both of these buildings are structurally sound and could be brought up to functional needs and meet accessibility, energy and safety code requirements. Square footage could be gained by adding onto the buildings or constructing a stand-alone multi-purpose building, with perhaps new Council Chambers, on the campus. In conjunction with the construction of the intersection redesign and site landscape and hardscape improvements, this could achieve an attractive and functional Civic Center more readily integrated with the downtown. Funding for these facility improvements may be possible with the use of existing City reserves.

Next Steps

The next step could be to contract with an architectural fum to develop actual architectural proposals and cost estimates for the various alternatives. It is anticipated that this could be a design-build contract that would then lead to physical upgrading and /or redevelopment of the campus. With Council direction on the preferred approach, staff would return with a work program and a public outreach schedule.

FISCAL IMPACT

The cost of improvements, depending upon the alternative selected and the square footage to be renovated or constructed, could range from approximately $2M to $25M. Of course, these amounts will be further refined as part of a design process.
Funding of the preferred approach could be achieved through a combination of a voter­ approved bond measure, use of cash reserves, internal financing and/ or a joint fmancing strategy with the Town of Los Altos Hills.

PUBLIC CONTACT

Extensive public contact was conducted throughout the Master Plan development. This process would be repeated for the next phase of planning for Civic Center Campus improvements.
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