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MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING
CITY COUNCIL
OF THE
CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
P.O. Box 711 (City Hall, 400 Grand Avenue)
South San Francisco, California 94083
Meeting to be held at:
MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
33 ARROYO DRIVE
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018
6:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER TIME: 6:01 p.m.
ROLL CALL PRESENT: Councilmembers Addiego and Gupta, Mayor Pro
Tem Matsumoto and Mayor Normandy.
EXCUSED: Councilman Garbarino.
AGENDA REVIEW
None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS - comments are limited to items on the Special Meeting Agenda.
Comments were heard during consideration of Item No. 1 below.
Study session regarding Community Civic Campus project outreach, access plan and
design concepts. (Marian Lee, Assistant City Manager and Smith Group JJR, Master
Architect)
Assistant City Manager (ACM) Lee presented the staff report regarding Community Civic Campus
project outreach, access plan and design concepts. ACM Lee stated she and the Smith Group, JJR (Smith
Group) were jointly making the presentation regarding the Community Civic Campus Project. Council
selected the Smith Group as the architect for the project earlier in the year. Staff worked closely with
Smith Group over the last several months conducting outreach, re- engaging the public, looking at the
program and validating the previously completed work. This included the important function of looking
at transportation needs, including a multi -modal approach to site access. ACM Lee continued noting that
today staff and the Smith Group would provide an update on progress and seek Council direction
regarding plans moving forward.
ACM Lee began a PowerPoint to present the update. She stated staff and the Smith Group had been
reviewing initial goals for the project. As part of this process, they had anchored their thinking to desired
ends. Coloring the review were the Measure W objectives, including responsibility to the residents to
provide essential services in a way that meets the needs of a growing and changing community. She
continued noting that the population is increasing and the community evolving with new developments.
These changes would impact public service needs. ACM Lee stated that since Measure W passed much
had been accomplished. She listed the following milestones as examples: 1) Site selection and purchase;
2) facilities division had been determined as respective separate buildings for police and fire and a joint
building for Parks and Recreation and Library; 3) the Smith Group had been selected as architect and
significant conceptual discussions had taken place; 4) Council reviewed an environmental evaluation of
the project; and 5) Program Manager Kitchell had been selected and was on board for a year. ACM Lee
stated that to this point, work had been conceptual. The next phase would include actual design. With
that, she introduced the Smith Group to continue the presentation.
Mark Roddy, the Design Director with Smith Group addressed Council. He introduced representatives
from the deign team that were present, including BSW Architects, Fehr & Pierce and Shaw Kawasaki
Architects. Mr. Roddy reviewed the current schedule and recent engagement activities. Smith Group
anticipated the project would take four (4) years, including a two (2) year design period and two (2) year
construction phase. Schematic design would come into play after a summer meeting with Council. Next
year, in 2019, that schematic design would be brought into design development and construction
documents that can be used to formulate bid requirements. To date, the focus had been one -on -one
meetings with City departments and staff impacted by the project. The Smith group also engaged in a
robust outreach program gathering input from the community to inform the design process. Mr. Roddy
continued stating that Smith Group had several meetings with Council and various City Commissions,
focus groups and neighborhood groups. Three (3) engagement meetings remained, including the Streets
Alive Parks Alive Pop -up on May 5th at Orange Memorial Park, the May 22nd Town Hall at the
Municipal Services Building (MSB) and a June study session.
Mr. Roddy highlighted the takeaways from the Commission and Advisory meetings. At the Parks and
Recreation Commission meeting, three (3) primary groups spoke, including the ballet group, the exercise
group as well as the ballroom dancers. These constituents expressed the need for wood sprung floors in
the classrooms as a safety issue. The Library Board of Trustees meeting saw high school students
requesting previously nonexistent study rooms. The Measure W Citizens' Oversight Committee was
concerned about fiscal responsibility and opportunities for fundraising. The Bicycle and Pedestrian
Advisory Committee (BPAC) raised the idea of incorporating a bike hub into the new civic campus.
Friends of the Library expressed concern about meeting the programmatic and spatial requirements for
the library as well as the amount of parking. The Cultural Arts Commission was interested in the
integration of public art. The Planning Commission had concerns regarding the fagade along El Camino
Real.
Mr. Roddy stated Smith Group met with individual focus groups and noted the majority of cultural
groups, including Hispanic and Asian groups, showed interest in a variety of spaces for cultural events as
well as for music and dance. The Smith group would be meeting with an African American Cultural
group this month. The Historical Society thought it important to have a timeless architectural expression
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 25, 2018
MINUTES PAGE 2
on the building. The seniors, literacy and the special needs groups were interested in safe and accessible
spaces. The youth group was passionate about sustainability and securing a building that was inviting
with plenty of light and open space. Mr. Roddy continued noting the Smith Group met with
neighborhoods earlier in the week. These groups were concerned about traffic, access to the site, parking
and safety in regards to bikes and pedestrians.
Mr. Roddy next reviewed preliminary site accessibility. He noted the site offers challenges to traffic in all
forms, including bicycle, pedestrian and auto. It is a convergence of two (2) of the most congested streets
in the City. Further, Centennial Way Trail touches the north end of the site and doesn't pick up again until
after Chestnut Avenue. The Smith Group believed there are incredible design opportunities to help
minimize congestion in the area. Mr. Roddy believed the SummerHill Project to the north offered
connection opportunities vis -a -vis Centennial Way. Likewise, along El Camino Real the Grand Boulevard
Improvement Project would be widening sidewalks and introducing landscaping to yield a more
pedestrian friendly environment. Crosswalks would be shortened to enhance safety and the bus and
shuttle stops would be moved to make access to the Community Center more convenient. PG &E would
be burying power lines along Antoinette Lane. This offered the opportunity to engage Centennial Way
Trail with a landscape buffer to accommodate bike and foot traffic. The working group is looking at all
kinds of options for pedestrian safety and amenities for the site.
Mr. Roddy next turned to the validation activities that had been completed. The Smith Group had been
reviewing the Public Safety work done to date, including programming meetings held with the Police
Department. The group also had numerous tours of precedent facilities. In regard to the working program,
Smith Group determined that about 43,000 to almost 47,000 sq. ft. are needed for the Police Department
as opposed to the roughly 38,500 sq. ft. originally estimated. This would require a two (2) story structure
to house the 911 call center, training classrooms and firing ranges. The Smith Group was conducting
further analysis regarding fitting the required parking onsite. Presently, 60 surface and 180 structured can
be accommodated.
In response to a question from Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto, Mr. Roddy confirmed the 60 surface parking
spaces would be for the Police Department. It was estimated that roughly 180 spaces are required for the
Police Department fleet and Police staff parking. Until full build -out is possible, larger vehicles could
remain at the Corp Yard.
Mr. Roddy continued his presentation focusing on the Fire Station. Program and design team meetings
had been held. The group also took precedent tours of other facilities, including projects in South San
Francisco, Oakland and other places. The initial program estimate was 6,700 sq. ft. Through the
validation process, the actual has been shown to require 8,800 sq. ft. to 9200 sq. ft. The Fire Station fits
on the proposed space, including 14 surface parking spaces.
Councilman Addiego observed validation showed about a 20% increase over estimates for both the Police
and Fire spaces.
Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto queried the reason for the substantial disparity between estimates and
validated figures.
ACM Lee advised the program estimates were developed by Group 4 Architects which did conceptual
work with available information. This yielded the best estimate of the space required with limited
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information. With Smith Group's particular expertise in the Public Safety space, actual functional needs
have been overlaid against current standards yielding updated numbers.
Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto stated it was brought to her attention that because of the disparity between
estimated and validated numbers, the City is sorely lacking project funding. The disparity was not all
attributable to increased construction costs, but also hinged on increased square footage numbers that
Group 4 underestimated.
ACM Lee responded that staff is studying two (2) factors contributing to the disparity and will be in a
better position to discuss these in June. However, based on current work, it appears that the original
estimates were undersized. Second, construction cost elevation has been greater than estimates.
Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto queried whether it was viable to keep the larger Police vehicles at the
Corporation Yard.
ACM Lee stated staff had been looking at every square foot of the proposed buildings during the
validation process to determine what was absolutely necessary. With that said, she introduced Jeff from
Smith Group to specifically address the needs of the Police Department structure.
Jeff of Smith Group indicated the current plan was for all large Police vehicles including SWAT to be
located on the new site. The working group discussed the possibility of the large vehicles remaining at
the Corp Yard, but nothing had been confirmed.
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto stated she was very concerned about accommodating the additional Police
vehicles population growth would require.
Jeff of the Smith Group responded that the parking needs include a 40 year growth projection, which
accommodates the needs related to population growth.
Mr. Roddy next turned to the combined Parks and Recreation and Library Building. He noted that current
combined Main Library and Parks and Recreation space at the MSB is roughly 57,000 sq. ft. The
working program for the Community Center Campus adds an additional 28,000 plus sq. ft. That's almost
a 50% increase. In the working program, we were given a program estimate of 85,500 sq. ft. and
obviously the Parks and Recreation and Library spent a lot of time working through the program.
Through the program validation process Smith Group believes an acceptable range is from an 80,500 to
85,000. Additionally, for the building to fit on the site, it has to be at least two (2) stories. Given that
amount of square footage, the working group estimated 260 parking spaces required for the building.
Accordingly, various alternative options for parking were being considered.
Mr. Roddy next presented slides depicting three (3) design alternatives. The alternatives were intended as
conceptual means of addressing some of the challenges facing the site against the newly validated
estimates. He began by displaying the preferred design which was presented with the Smith Group's
proposal in November 2017. The proposal applied primarily below grade parking. With newly validated
figures, surface and structured parking needs increased. The alternative renderings showed variations on
the original program that included less open space and a downsizing of the iconic canopy and Council
Chambers building on the corner of Chestnut Avenue and El Camino Real. Further, since below grade
parking is an expensive element, the Smith Group considered offsetting some of the costs associated with
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 25, 2018
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the square footage overages by examining above ground parking options. These renderings yielded less
opportunity for open space. The overall canopy that covered the entire building had been scaled back to
accommodate outdoor spaces between the buildings. Additionally, the plaza hardscape around the
Council Chambers had been maximized as an urban public statement with the Brise Soleil and the canopy
at that condition. The Group was also still exploring opportunities for rooftop space.
Councilman Addiego weighed in noting his disappointment at the loss of the iconic features in the
original proposal including the overarching canopy and prominent Council Chambers space. He queried
how surface parking impacted this feature.
Mr. Roddy responded that the canopy blocked sunlight to the now much needed green spaces between the
buildings it was originally proposed to cover. Trees and vegetation would not grow in the shade of the
canopy.
Councilman Addiego suggested that Smith Group consider the option of maintaining the canopy on the El
Camino Real or street side of the building, where green space was not likely to be placed.
The Smith Group agreed to the look at this possibility.
Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto observed that the new renderings were far from the grandiose plans presented
in the original proposal. In fact, she did not even recognize the modified version against the original.
In response to a question from Mayor Normandy regarding parking, Mr. Roddy advised 260 plus cars had
to be placed on the site to accommodate the Parks and Recreation, Library and Council Chamber
functions.
Councilman Addiego noted the proposed parking structure appeared to overshadow the rendering of the
Civic Center.
Mr. Roddy confirmed the scale of the parking structure. He further advised that considering higher
density buildings would be a means of claiming open space. He conceptualized a roof element that might
serve as a third story and offer flexibility in this regard.
Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto queried the point of this suggestion, observing that Parks and Recreation
classes would not be held on the roof.
Councilman Addiego stated the modified renderings lacked the sophistication that dominated the design
that the Smith Group presented at the November meeting for selection of architect. Particularly the
canopy that ran the length of two (2) football fields over the length of the buildings yielded an iconic
presence and grand statement about the City. He simply did not see the same statement in the drawings
presented this evening. He understood realities dictated these modified proposals, and that parking to
accommodate the buildings' functions was largely driving the changes.
Mayor Pro Tern Matsumoto commented on the fluid nature of Library and Parks and Recreation
programming. It was not an 8 -5 business, but rather spanned the course of the day on a rotating basis.
Additionally multimodal transportation should be considered and might address some of the parking
concerns.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 25, 2018
MINUTES PAGE 5
Mr. Roddy agreed noting that Centennial Trail offers perfect bicycle and pedestrian access to the
proposed site, which allows for the parking to be positioned at 262 spaces.
Councilman Gupta echoed concerns regarding the loss of sophisticated design elements with the move to
surface and structured parking necessitated by the validation studies. He queried whether alternative
parking sites had been considered. For example, he suggested the current MSB site could be used as a
parking facility to service the campus.
Mr. Roddy stated he was not prepared with solutions this evening, but the Smith Group was studying
offsite parking options.
ACM Lee continued the presentation with respect to next steps. However, first, she reminded Council
that at an initial meeting with Council, Group 4 presented three (3) options in the form of conceptual
renderings. At that meeting, staff took direction from Council and the option with structured parking next
to the Police facility was selected. That parking structure was intended to meet the needs of the Library,
Parks and Recreation and Police Departments. At the time, there was some discussion that this might not
be ideal due to the need for a secure space for Police parking. After that direction, the concept of tucking
parking underground where feasible was encouraged. The direction formulated that way. ACM Lee
continued noting that when the direction was overlaid with the Smith Group's iconic canopied design, it
wasn't possible to tuck as much parking underground as necessary to accommodate the scale of the
proposal. At this point, staff is in the process of studying options to permit capture of the iconic features
of the proposal while accommodating cost concerns that came to light as result of the validation process
and parking needs that became apparent with overlay against the design. ACM Lee then showed slides
depicting initial renderings designed to balance these factors. There would be several upcoming meetings
to review these issues and settle on a design.
Mayor Pro Tem Matsumoto stated she was on the same page as Councilman Addiego — no canopy, no
project. Otherwise, Council could have gone with the other architect. Whatever it took to figure it out,
she wanted staff and the architect to make it work.
Councilman Addiego thanked ACM Lee for the clarification because he felt as if he now understood
what the Smith Group was trying to accomplish in the slides it displayed this evening. He was
disappointed with some of the design adjustments that might have to be made and queried when Council
could expect a realistic financial sense of the project.
ACM Lee advised staff would be in a position to present more firm information at the June 13, 2018
study session.
Mayor Normandy thanked ACM Lee and the Smith Group and invited public comment.
Resident Linda Mathiesen addressed Council. She explained the difficulties she experiences crossing the
street at El Camino Real at Chestnut Avenue while assisting adult students with special needs from the
South San Francisco Unified School District Program at the former Baden High School site. She opined
the traffic congestion in this area would only get worse with placement of the Civic Center site at that
intersection. She encouraged Council to think about these issues when planning the site.
Resident Mina Richardson addressed Council. She noted concern over the Civic Center Campus budget
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 25, 2018
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that was raised at a recent meeting of the Measure W Citizens' Oversight Committee. She noted a
significant shortage and hoped Council would not manage Measure W funding like the School District
managed Measure J funding.
ADJOURNMENT
Being no further business, Mayor Normandy adjourned the meeting at 6:54 p.m.
Submitted: Appr ved:
'sta artinelli Clerk Liza No andy, Mayor
City of t an Francisco City of South San Francisco
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 25, 2018
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