AgdaPkt 2008-01-28 Clsd and Reg - Laserfiche WebLink

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7A previous work on the General Plan Update, but rather, will build on what has alreadfage 2 been accomplished. The General Plan is the community's determination of Redwood City's legacy. As such .it isa most significant embodiment of policies that will guide decisions made throughout the City for the next twenty years. Strategic Planning staff traditionally provide project management associated with General Plan work, however, the prospect of a New General Plan should be considered a City-wide endeavor. To support this more comprehensive approach additional resources are needed. Staff is recommending that the City hire a General PI.an consultant team to prepare both the New General Plan and the required Environmental Impact Report and technical studies. In the previous General Plan Update effort, a General Plan Committee consisting of three Council Members and two Planning Commissioners provided guidance and oversight of the work efforts. The role of the General Plan Committee is crucial and will remain intact in this new approach through regular progress meetings that will support staffs direct management of the consultant team. In turn, the General Plan Committee, supported by staff, will provide regular updates to the Planning Commission and Council throughout the process. Selection of the consultant team has been a comprehensive project in and of itself. Last May, Planning staff prepared a comprehensive request for proposal for both the New General Plan and Environmental Impact Report. The City received six proposals from well-qualified California-based consultant teams. In-depth panel interviews of the top four resulted in a clear preference. Staff strongly recommends the Hogle-Ireland led team to Council. This team is composed of an extremely well-experienced range of consultants with expertise in communication, sustainability, form-based design,and economic development. The lead firm has extensive experience in preparing General Plans and Housing Elements. City staff oversight will be headed by the Principal Planner and Planning Manager as an adjunct to the consultant team. A copy of the agreement for professional services including scope of work, budget, and schedule are provided in Attachment 1 for Council's consideration.1 Based on this recommended scope of work, the New General Plan will do the following: . Provide greater specificity than the 1990 Strategic General Plan; . Validate and reflect the General Plan Guiding Principles that were adopted by the Planning Commission. and Council in 2006; . Address the key issues facing the City and its surrounding region (land use, traffic, housing, and other issues ): . Tell a compelling, engaging story about Redwood C'ity's future; . Be supported by current, accurate, and comprehensive data; . . Be clearly organized and easy to read; . Be graphically attractive, highly visual, and user-friendly; . Provide a framework for shaping and managing the City's future growth; . Include specific and measurable implementation strategies and associated time frames, as well as an approach to implementation monitoring and reporting; . Become a living and evolving document which can change over time; 1 Staff and the consultants have spent the past two months refining the scope of services, schedule and budget.