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Receipt and Filing of the Report from OLIN regarding the Parks Plan.
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Meeting Date: September 3, 2024
Contact Person/Dept.: Adam Ferguson/ PRCS Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6685
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (08/30/2024); (E-mail) Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department Updates (08/30/2024)
Department Approval: Ted Stevens, PRCS Director (08/30/2024)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Commission receive and file the report from OLIN regarding the Parks Plan.
BACKGROUND
At the City Council Meeting on May 8, 2023, the City Council directed staff to proceed with an expedited request for proposals (RFP) for a feasibility study for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park. At that same meeting, discussion about a parks master plan occurred and the need to analyze all the parks in Culver City for resources, amenities, and improvements. City Council directed staff to proceed with a parks master plan in conjunction with the feasibility study for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park.
On July 6, 2023, the Parks Recreation and Community Services Commission (PRCSC) created an Ad Hoc Parks Master Plan Subcommittee to assist staff throughout the process of finalizing a parks master plan consultant and appointed PRCSC Chair Palvi Mohammed and PRCSC Member Crystal Alexander.
RFP #2345 was posted on Planet Bids on June 29, 2023, and bids were due on July 27, 2023. These dates were simultaneous with the RFP for the feasibility study. Four bidders submitted a proposal:
1. OLIN, $726,187
2. Design Workshop, $725,650
3. SWA, $648,580
4. Mardena Construction, $545,000
Staff reviewed and scored the proposals. Evaluation criteria included demonstrated understanding of the project’s objectives, scope, and goals; qualifications and experience with similar projects; cost; efforts to service underrepresented populations and disabled communities; and efforts to identify and apply creative, non-traditional, and diverse opportunities for community engagement. OLIN was rated highest overall based on the criteria. In addition to staff, the PRCSC Ad Hoc Master Plan Subcommittee, retiring PRCS Director Armando Abrego, and current PRCS Director Ted Stevens reviewed the proposals and gave recommendations. On December 11, 2023, the City Council approved OLIN to be the consultant for the Parks Plan.
OLIN’s Company Beliefs and Mission Statement
OLIN is dedicated to shaping cities as resilient centers of cultural vibrancy, public health, and natural integrity. In an effort to provide opportunities to all residents, neighbors, and the city at large, the company is dedicated to exploring four key areas in the City’s park system: 1) Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, 2) Equity, 3) Park Access, and 4) Climate, Water, and Biodiversity. In order to incorporate these areas throughout the planning process, OLIN utilizes various projects through community engagement, attention to the City’s priorities, and collaborative conversations.
These efforts are encompassed in OLIN’s mission statement which is “to create places that enhance life-places human and ecological well-being at the very center of our culture.”
OLIN’s Experience
Since its founding in 1976 in Philadelphia, OLIN has witnessed and experienced a great evolution of thought and practice to landscape architecture. Having expanded to a 108-person sub-charter organization, today OLIN has offices in Philadelphia and in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles office has an expansive list of projects that the company has overseen. Most recently, the company completed the Los Angeles County LA River Master Plan that encompassed all 51-miles of the LA River, The Rio Hondo Confluence Area Plan, the LA Department of Water and Power Stormwater Capture Master Plan, and the East San Fernando Valley Parks Stormwater Capture Program. OLIN’s experience shows a strong ability to work across scales from pocket parks to larger regional parks. This specifically can be seen with their two legacy projects- the J. Paul Getty Center and the Playa Vista Master Plan. Through their work, they have revealed a strong understanding of the challenges with a large-scale landscape design and planning project and the importance of informative decision-making. They also have extensive experience dealing with Southern California’s climate and creating long-term goals that incorporate future trends specific to climate concerns in the area.
Scope of Work
OLIN has separated its scope of work into eight tasks:
• Task One: Project Management and Administration
• Task Two: Outreach and Engagement
• Task Three: Vision, Goals, and Objectives
• Task Four: Analyze Existing Conditions
• Task Five: Needs Assessment
• Task Six: Plan Recommendations
• Task Seven: Draft Plan Document
• Task Eight: Final Plan Document
Through these tasks, OLIN has incorporated outreach techniques such as equity-focused engagement pop-up events, youth-focused engagement sessions, and in-person and virtual community meetings at a variety of times and locations in the city. They have included an overall vision of the project that examines themes of sustainability, inclusion, equity, environmental stewardship, fire safety, preservation, and historical and cultural character.
OLIN estimates that the project will be completed by early 2025. For the project schedule, OLIN divided the schedule into four specific time frames:
• Information Gathering
• Early Ideas
• Draft Plan
• Final Plan
During the information gathering section of the project, OLIN held three community meetings with the public. At the meetings, the public was able to ask questions directly to the OLIN project team and express any concerns they have for changes to the parks and/or current amenities and conditions. The meetings included interactive boards of each park in Culver City allowing participants to leave comments pertaining to each park. Attendees also were given the opportunity to express thoughts on the current PRCS program offerings by sharing PRCS programs they use the most and what PRCS programs they would like to see offered. Two of the meetings were in-person and held at the following locations and times:
• Syd Kronenthal Park on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM.
• El Marino Park on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, from 6:30 PM-8:30 PM.
A virtual meeting was also held on Thursday, May 2, 2024, via Zoom.
In addition to the community meetings, OLIN has been reviewing documents and plans from Culver City. These include but are not limited to:
• The Feasibility Study for Veterans Memorial Park and Bill Botts Fields
• The Culver City Draft General Plan 2045
• The Stormwater Quality Master Plan
• 2023 Culver City and Culver City Unified School District Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
• 2019 Turf Consultant’s Report on Park Fields in Culver City
• 2022 Geotechnical Design Report Regrading of Little League Baseball Fields Culver City Park
• 2009 Parks and Recreation Master Plan
OLIN has also met with staff in various City departments including Parks, Recreation and Community Services, Advanced Planning, and Public Works. In addition, OLIN has met with the Culver City Arts Foundation.
Throughout the summer, OLIN planned pop-up events at various locations in the City in order to received feedback from the public. These locations included:
• The Farmer’s Market in Downtown Culver City
• Dances for the Developmentally Disabled (DDD) at the Senior Center
• Love Local x Helms Market in the Arts District
• Movies in the Park at Fox Hills Park
• Fiesta La Ballona
OLIN also offered a Virtual Lunch Update on the Parks Plan at 12:00 PM on July 23, 2024.
DISCUSSION
OLIN is currently in the final weeks of the early ideas section of the project schedule. As part of the draft plan timeline, two community meetings are scheduled to introduce the draft of the plan to the public at the following locations and times:
• Culver West Alexander Park on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM.
• Lindberg Park on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, from 6:30 PM-8:30 PM.
A virtual meeting to introduce the draft of the plan is scheduled for October 3, 2024, from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM.
Also, OLIN will be presenting the draft plan to the Planning Commission as well.
The report (Attachment 1) will be presented by members of the OLIN project team and will provide an update with where they are in the process for the Parks Plan and what they have learned thus far.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The agreement with OLIN and the unexpected contingency costs are for an amount not-to-exceed $750,000. The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 includes sufficient funding for these services in CIP No. PP023 (Parks Master Plan/42080000.730100.PP023).
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2024-08-14 - ATT 1 Parks Plan Update Presentation
MOTIONS
That the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission:
Receive and file the report from OLIN regarding the Parks Plan.