PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to request Council authorization for the City Manager to enter into a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Kaku Associates to perform a traffic study of the project application submitted as Planned Development #2003-1, aka:  The Platt Project.

 

BACKGROUND & ANALYSIS:

On June 12, 2003, PW, LLC submitted a Planned Development application to construct a project in the area know as the North Triangle portion of the Media District.  This project is bounded on the north by Alameda Avenue, on the east by Lima Street, on the south by Olive Avenue and on the west by the State Route 134 freeway off-ramp.  On April 22, 2003, the City Council denied a previous application by this applicant on the same site.  The applicant, therefore, has submitted four different development scenarios to be considered by the public and the City in processing this new application.  As stated in a letter by the applicant, they are submitting these various development scenarios in an effort to begin processing the appropriate environmental review and also to allow the environmental review to analyze different possible developments for the site.  The applicant intends on meeting with the community to eventually select one scenario for consideration by the Council.

 

Staff has preliminarily reviewed the project applications and determined that consultants will be necessary to perform the required environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

 

Staff was able to complete a contract with Impact Sciences for the environmental review, minus the traffic study, on a sole-source basis because of the firm�s previous experience in this project area.  Much of the background research will be used again.

 

For the traffic study however, staff is of the opinion that a different firm is necessary to perform the appropriate environmental review.  Staff is recommending that the contract for this traffic study be sole-sourced to Kaku Associates based on the firm�s experience and their involvement with the neighborhood protection study for the immediate area.  Kaku is a highly respected firm in the area of transportation analysis and is familiar with Burbank and the surrounding areas.  Staff is confident that a request for proposals process would not have produced a more qualified firm.

 

After an initial review of the project, staff has determined that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be required.  The project will follow CEQA guidelines as well as Burbank standards in obtaining community input into the scope of the EIR as well as responding to any questions and concerns about the proposed project.  Specifically, at least two community meetings and two public hearings will be held over the course of the environmental review of this project.