AgdaPkt 2011-12-12 - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.1. B. - Page 1 RE PO RT To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the Cit Mana er December 12, 2011 SUBJECT Design Services Agreement with Bellecci and Associates for the Middlefield Road Underground Utility District 2011-1 and Streetscape Improvement Project RECOMMENDATION Approve, by motion, the standard form design services agreement with Bellecci and Associates for an amount not to exceed $110,000 and authorize the City Manager to increase the contract amount up to 10% if necessary. BACKGROUND Along Middlefield Road from the unincorporated border to Woodside Road the view is cluttered and unsightly with aerial communications and electrical utilities; overall, the streetscape also is in need of pedestrian and aesthetic improvements. For the past twenty years the City has participated with PG&E and other private utilities in undergrounding overhead utilities. Previous Underground Utility Districts (UUD) that the City has completed include Chestnut Street, James Avenue, and Roosevelt Avenue. Undergrounding the Middlefield Road utilities has been a long-standing vision of the City, but Rule 20A funds were not sufficient to cover the cost, until now. ANALYSIS The objective of the project is to improve the street by removing the clutter of overhead utility lines and improve the streetscape to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. The streetscape plan for the corridor, which is affected by the location of the trenches for the undergrounding portion of the work, will include shared travel lanes (cars and bicycles), better accessible sidewalks through the elimination of utility poles, high visibility crosswalks, bus turnouts and shelters, decorative street lighting, urban appropriate street trees, and improved urban connectivity. The improved thoroughfare will better serve and connect the mid-peninsula cities via public transit, bike routes, and local commuter routes. It will also create an inviting entrance into the City's downtown. After a Qualification Based Selection process and interviews with three firms during this past summer; the Community Development Department has selected Bellecci and Associates to prepare the engineering and streetscape plans for Middlefield Road. Bellecci and Associates and their team have significant experience with UUDs and streetscape designs throughout the Bay Area. The firm and their sub-consultant team also have extensive experience in the public outreach and construction mitigation process that will be crucial for the success of this project.