AgdaPkt 2016-10-17 Closed and Special Joint SA PFA

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6.1.G. - Page 1 REPORT To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the City Manager October 17, 2016 SUBJECT Agreement for Professional Services Agreement with David J. Powers & Associates, Inc. for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines for the Veterans Memorial Senior Center/YMCA Joint Project RECOMMENDATION By motion, approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Professional Services Agreement with David J. Powers & Associates, Inc. for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines for the Veterans Memorial Senior Center/YMCA Joint Project BACKGROUND The Veterans Memorial Senior Center (VMSC) is a valued community asset which houses dozens of senior clubs; hosts hundreds of free or low-fee programs each year; receives over 100,000 annual visits; and serves as a "second home" for many of our honored senior citizens in Redwood City, including our Veterans. However, the circa 1956 VMSC building is slowly deteriorating; the campus encompasses four separate buildings which segregates program participants and social interaction opportunities; and the adjacent Herkner Pool is outdated and the facility allows little flexibility due to its design. Staff has done their best to properly maintain these facilities while trying to satisfy current users and attract new constituents. Some challenges include: the number of buildings make it very costly to maintain; there is no central welcoming center; the program space has excessive wear- and-tear and is too spread out; there is no physical access from the Center to Herkner Pool; the Senior Center Annex electrical capacity is at its limit; and staff is finding it more difficult to attract younger seniors to the Center. Staff and the Senior Affairs Commission (SAC) spent two years gathering input about the needs for a replacement building, seeking user perspectives on what was working, what wasn't working, and desires for a new building. On April 26, 2010, the City Council accepted the "Senior Center Scoping Study" that included the collection of data, the consideration of program requirements, and the scope and magnitude of a new Center. Staff then considered a variety of reconstruction options, the identification of alternative locations for a future Center, conducted a site analysis to determine space requirements on the existing campus, and held numerous discussions with potential partners as we considered long term sustainability.