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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRINCON CONSULTANTS, INC. (15) INSURANCE ON FILE WORK MAY PROCEED A-2023-194-29 G . UNTIL INSURANCE EXPIRES �—0-1 T CITY CLERK MAYOR DATF:sEp 0 9 CITY MANAGER Valerie Amezcua fr'r Alvaro Nunez MAYOR PRO TEM CITY ATTORNEY David Penaloza Sonia R.Canralha COIJNCILMEMBERS CITY CLERK Phil Bacerra Jennifer L.Hall Johnathan Ryan Hernandez �` - Jessie Lopez Thai Viet Phan Benjamin Vazquez CITY OF SANTA ANA 0-FOAM PLANNING AND BUILDING AGENCY .V�1�arPrA� \ 20 Civic Center Plaza e P.O.Box 1988 Santa Ana,California 92702 www.santa-ana.or August 26,2026 Rincon Consultants, Inc. 250 East 1"Street, Suite 1400 Los Angeles, California 90012 Re: Extension for Peer Review of IS/MND Class 32 Categorical Exemption and Supporting Technical Documents for 2001 East First Street Project Pursuant to Section 1 ("Scope of Services") of Agreement No. A-2023-194-21 entered into by Rincon Consultants, Inc. ("Consultant")and the City of Santa Ana, dated June 5, 2024, Consultant hereby accepts this Letter Agreement to extend its assignment for on-call environmental and planning services for the project listed above, as set by Side Letter 5 (A-2023-194-21E). Consultant shall complete the services per the proposal by June 30, 2027. Compensation is subject to Section 2 of the Agreement and the total compensation for this assignment shall not exceed $19,579.00. All other terms and conditions of said Agreement remain unchanged and in full force and effect. If you have any questions regarding this project, please contact Nancy Tran in the Planning and Building Agency at(714)667-2740 or Ntran5 cr,santa-ana.org- Sincerely, Ali Pezeshkpo r Rtncon Consultants, Inc. Executive Director Susanne Hucrta Planning&Building Agency Director APPROVED AS TO FORM: Sonia R. Carvalho City Attorney �_FLa - Melissa M. Crosthwaite Senior Assistant City Attorney SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL Vawe Amezcua ➢avid Penaloza Thai Viet Phan Beniarnin Vazquez Jessie Lopez Phil Bacerra dohnathan Ryan Hernandez Mayor Mayor Pro Tem-Ward fi Ward 1 Ward 2 Ward 3 Ward 4 Ward 5 vamezcua5santa-ana.ora dpenalozafvls V'Ina.ora than sanla-ana.or bv�ez0Qsanla-ana.oro IesslelyPez&sanla-ana.orq phacerraAsanlaana.oro WanhemandezOsanta-anaoro Rincon Consultants, Inc, 250 East 15t Street,Suite 1400 Iry Los Angeles, California 90012 December 18, 2025 Rincon Project No. 25-18582 Nancy Tran, AICP Senior Planner, Planning Division City of Santa Ana Planning and Building Agency (M-20) 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, California 92702 Submitted via email: ntran5@santa-ana.or Subject: Proposal for the Peer Review of the 2001 East First Street Class 32 Categorical Exemption and Supporting Technical Documents Dear Ms. Tran: Rincon Consultants, Inc. (Rincon)appreciates the opportunity to submit this proposal to assist the City of Santa Ana (City) with a peer review of the Class 32 Categorical Exemption (CE) and supporting technical documents for the proposed 2001 East FirstStreet Project("project"or"proposed project"), pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). We have assembled a team of highly qualified environmental professionals with extensive technical qualifications as well as in-depth knowledge of current environmental and planning laws, regulations, and standards.The proposed Rincon staff have reviewed multiple environmental planning documents for numerous municipalities throughout southern California, including EIRs and supporting technical documents. Our professionals have extensive technical training and experience with land use and planning; regulatory compliance;air quality/greenhouse gases/energy; biological resources; cultural resources and recordation; paleontological resources; geology/soils; hazards and hazardous materials; hydrology and water quality; noise; transportation; wildfire; and mitigation and problem- solving strategies. CEQA is a core business area for Rincon and our firm has provided environmental consulting services for development projects for over 30 years. Our philosophy on all projects(including professional peer review of other's CEQA documents) is to encourage close communication between the City and Applicant/Consultant team (where appropriate)to ensure technical adequacy and timely review of CEQA documents and relevant materials. This approach has enabled us to identify and avoid costly and time-consuming constraints early in the environmental review process and to minimize or avoid potential conflicts with deadlines. Project Team Rincon has a team of experienced professionals that will act as an extension of staff and provide peer review services forthe Class 32 CE and supporting technical documents. Susanne Huerta will serve as the Director-in-Charge and will provide team leadership and be in charge of the overall peer review, including coordinating the technical staff and providing comments,suggestions and edits to all of the documents. Vanessa Villanueva will serve as the primary contact to the City and the day-to-day project www.rinconconsultants.com City of Santa Ana rI a 2001 East First Strut Project CEQA Peer Review management and coordination of the peer review Comment Matrix to be provided to the City. Additionally,we have identified Rincon in-house technical staff to review thetechnical components of Class 32 CE and supporting technical documents. This will provide for coordinated review of the documents, and a timely turn-around of work products. Resumes are available upon request. Project Understanding The project site is located at 2001 East First Street in the City of Santa Ana. Currently,the 1.4-acre project site is developed with a two-story office building with associated parking and landscaping.The project involves demolition of the office building, followed by construction of 36 residential units, including 14 row townhome units and 22 interlocked townhome units. The proposed project would retain the current land use designation of District Center- Medium High (DC-3), as well as the current zoning of Arterial Commercial(C-5)with a Metro East Mixed Use(MEMU) Overlay(OZ1).The project Applicant is requesting approval of a Tentative Tract Map,Site Plan Review, along with a density bonus and parking variance for implementation of the project. Rincon understands that the project Applicant has teamed with EPD Solutions, Inc. (EPD) for preparation of an exemption checklist that demonstrates the project qualifies for a Class 32 CE for infill development and confirms eligibility for a CEQA exemption pursuantto CEQA Guidelines Sections 15332 and 15300.2.As a third-party reviewer for the City, Rincon will provide thorough peer reviews of the environmental analyses to verify compliance with CEQA requirements. Environmental Approach Rincon's peer review of the Class 32 CE and technical documents will focus on methodology and assumptions employed as part of the environmental review, adherence to regulatory standards as appropriate, and consistency with the City's General Plan and Municipal Code.The peer review will be performed in accordance with the most current tenants of CEQA and recent CEQA case law, and the professional standard of practice of care in our industry.The review will be conducted with an eye for legal defensibility, exposure of the City to liability due to any errors and/or omissions,conclusions well supported by facts, observation, analysis or explanation, and for soundness and sufficiency in supporting analyses in the Class 32 CE.The peer review will also focus on ensuring that the analysis does not include any statements that may be perceived as biased on the part of the project applicant, FCS,or City, and that there is internal consistency between the various sections within the Class 32 CE and supporting technical analyses. Our approach is further described in our scope of work below. Task 1 Project Initiation and Management Rincon will attend a kick-off call with the City of Santa Ana toformally discuss the City's objectives and project schedule. Immediately after the call, Rincon will mobilize our team to start the peer review process.As part of project initiation,we will review all project description information and plans in an effort to gain a complete understanding of the project.This will include also items like the site plan and technical documents. This task also includes coordination with the City regarding status of deliverables,as well as internal coordination and oversight of Rincon's peerreviewteam.Furthermore, this task includes two coordination meetings(virtual)with two Rincon staff,the Applicant/Consultant team,and the City to address any questions that may arise regarding our peer review comments. Over the years of our experience with peer reviews,we've found that making ourselves readily available for meetings like this help to avoid confusion and assist in facilitating a timely schedule. 2 City of Santa Ana 2001 East First Street Project CEQA Peer Review Task 2 First Round Peer Review of the Glass 32 CE and Technical Documents Rincon will review the Class 32 CE and supporting technical documents(i.e.,Round 1).Because of the interrelatedness of the Class 32 CE checklist sections that are relying on the technical analyses,each Rincon specialist assigned to reviewing the technical documents will also have a detailed understandingof CEQA, and thus,they will also reviewthe associated Class 32 CE section(s). Each specialist will also be responsible for reviewingand clearly understanding the Project Description and checking references applicable to their subject matter. Anticipated sections of the technical issue areas to be reviewed include the following: Peer Review Section/Study Reviewer Class 32 CE CEQA Specialist and Applicable Technical Specialists Traffic/Transportation Analysis Transportation Specialist Air Quality(AQ) AQ Specialist Noise Analysis Noise Specialist Preliminary Water Quality Management Plan Water Specialist If it is determined that any of the technical documents are missing, or if Rincon needs additional information in order to facilitate our review, we will notify the City immediately to determine the next appropriate steps. Review of the Class 32 CE and the technical documents will be compiled into a consolidated peer review Comments Matrix and will be provided to the City.This matrix will outline the peer review comments and highlight any technical inadequacies. Minor grammar and punctuation issues will not be noted unless there is also an issue with lack of clarity that these grammar and punctuation would fix. To meet Rincon's quality assurance/quality control policy, all peer review comments in the Comments Matrix will be reviewed by the Project Manager and Principal-in-Charge. Under Task 1, if needed, Rincon will coordinate with the City and the Applicant/Consultant team at up to two virtual meetingsto discuss the comments,suggested changes,additions,etc.tothe documents. deliverables • Comments Matrix outlining peer review comments provided on the Class 32 CE and technical documents • Each round of comments will be presented in its own column with columns for Applicant/Consultant team responses. Task 3 Second Round Peer Reviews of the Glass 32 CE and Technical Documents As part of the second round of Rincon's review(i.e., Round 2), the revised Class 32 CE and technical documents from the Applicant/Consultantteam will be provided showingall revisions intrack changes. Furthermore,the Applicant/Consultant team will provide detailed responses in the Comments Matrix explaining how and where they responded to each of the peer review comments. Rincon will review the Applicant/Consultant team responses in the Comments Matrix. If Rincon's comments are not 3 i City of Santa Ana 2001 East First Street Project CEQA Peer Review adequately addressed, which leads to additional review and comments,Rincon will contact the City to discuss how to proceed. Under Task 1, if needed, Rincon will coordinate with the Cityand the Applicant/Consultant team at up to two virtual meetings to discuss the comments,suggested changes,additions,etc.to the documents. Deliverables • Comments Matrix outlining peer review comments provided on the Class 32 CE and technical documents • Each round of comments will be presented in its own column(i.e., Round 1 and Round 2)with columns for Applicant/Consultant team responses. Assumptions • The peer review will consist of two rounds of peer review and comments(this assumes that the Applicant/Consultant team will adequately respond to all comments in the first round,the second round of peer review is only to backcheck revisions made in response to Round 1 comments) • All draft documentation will be provided together to avoid unnecessary stopping and starting as well as with the understand ingthat one technical analysis can influence another and may need to be reviewed in tandem. If provided separately, additional time and cost forthe peer review may be needed. • The Class 32 CE will be provided as thefollowing: 1) individual sections in Word format,and/or 2) compiled PDF with Figures. • Technical documents can be provided in PDF format. • Second submittal of Class 32 CE and technical documents from the Applicant/Consultant team will be provided showing all revisions in track changes. Furthermore,they will provide detailed responses in the Comments Matrix explaining how and where they responded to each of our peer review comments. • The Applicant/Consultant team will be responsible for making any revisions to the Class 32 CE and technical documents based on Rincon's comments. Additional technical analysis, if needed, is not included in this scope of work. If needed, we will immediately contact the City to discuss the next course of action. • While we believe our scope and cost estimate are reasonable,the adequacy of the Class 32 CE andtechnical documents,aswell asthe potentialcomplexityof issues,cannot be predicted with certainty.Therefore, if the efforts to complete the peer review would require additional hours, we reserve the right to renegotiate the budget in coordination with the City. • The peer reviews are limited to the analyses discussed under Task 2; if any other project- related studies need to be peer reviewed, additional time and cost for the peer review(s)may be needed. • It is assumed that the Air Quality study does not include a refined health risk assessment; Rincon will review the applicability of the assessment methodology and thresholds used, and the results and conclusions. 4 City of Santa Ana 2001 East First Street Project CEQA Peer Review Cost Estimate and Schedule Assumptions The services outlined above will be provided for cost of$19,579.A detailed breakdown of costs by task is shown in the table below. If additional review of sections and/or technical documents not outlined in the work program herein is requested,efforts will be billed on a time and materials basis, as negotiated prior to the work. Should this peer review require less budget than included in this cost estimate, the entirety of these funds will not be spent. Task Cost per Task Task 1 Project Initiation and Management $2,511 Task 2 First Round Peer Reviews $13,826 Class 32 C8 $6,804 Air Quality Analyses $1,638 Norse Analysis $1,828 Traffic/Transportation Analysis $1,728 Preliminary Water Quality Management Pfan $1,828 Task 3 Second Round Peer Reviews $3,242 Total Cost Estimate $19,579 The assignment will commence upon execution of a Professional Services Agreement and authorization to proceed. We will maintain consistent communication with the City as this project progresses to ensure timely execution of work, as feasible. While the overall schedule is out of Rincon's control, due to the unknowns regarding when the documentation will be provided and how long it will take the Applicant/Consultant team to revise per the findings of the peer review, we assume the following durations for each task/round, as follows: • First round of peer reviews will be completed within four weeks of execution of a Professional Services Agreement. This assumes all these draft documents will be provided at the same time. If provided separately, additional time for the peer review may be needed. • Second round peer reviews will be completed within three weeks of the receipt of all revised documentation. We a re confident that you will find ourteam well qua lifiedto peer review the Class32 CEand technical documents associated with this assignment and look forward to the opportunity to further discuss the City objectives and how to help facilitate the peer review and comments for this project.Thank you for considering Rincon for this assignment. Sincerely, Rincon Consultants, Inc. Ua4VJiW- Vanessa Villanueva Susanne Huerta, AICP Senior Environmental Planner/Project Manager Director-in-Charge 213-444-3482 213-797-5859 vvillanueva@rinconconsultants.com sh uerta@rinconconsultants.com 5 ACC O CERTIFICATE OF LIABILITY INSURANCE r DATE(MMID0IYYYY) 2/1/2027 1/28/2026 THIS CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED AS A MATTER OF INFORMATION ONLY AND CONFERS NO RIGHTS UPON THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER. THIS CERTIFICATE DOES NOT AFFIRMATIVELY OR NEGATIVELY AMEND, EXTEND OR ALTER THE COVERAGE AFFORDED BY THE POLICIES BELOW. 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