Introduction

The City of Alhambra is requesting qualified firms to respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP) to serve as a consulting City Architect/Urban Designer to provide professional architectural design review services, including administration and staffing of the City's Design Review Board (DRB).

Purpose and Overview

The City of Alhambra is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit and select a qualified firm to serve as a consulting City Architect/Urban Designer to provide professional architectural design review services. Under the direction of the Community Development Director, or their designee, the consultant will provide the range of expertise needed to assist with the design review and approval process for projects processed through the Planning Division, as well as the administration and staffing of the City's Design Review Board (DRB). The consultant is expected to review architecture and design for residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities and improvements, including signage, throughout the City. The consultant is expected to facilitate and promote high-quality and consistent urban design that enhances the character of the City by engaging in a review process which evaluates subjects such as:

• Compliance with Required Findings
• Site Planning
• Building Design
• Landscape Design
• Context and Compatibility
• Authenticity and Consistency in Architectural Styles
• Massing, Scale, and Articulations
• Colors and Material Finishes
• Semi-Private and Public Spaces
• Pedestrian and Circulation Elements
• Off-Site or On-Site Amenities

Through the provision of services, the consultant will contribute toward progress with the achievement toward the City's goals of:

• Furthering compatibility, cohesiveness, and consistency in urban design throughout the City;
• Consistently applying community design concepts to site planning, landscape architecture, and architecture;
• Maintaining the City's land use and development standards;
• Encouraging flexibility in design to accommodate a range of uses and foster economic development;
• Promoting high-quality standards to preserve and enhance community character, appearance, and identity; and
• Streamlining the development process.

The proposed term of the contract to provide the requested scope of services will be for five (5) years, with the potential option to extend the professional services contract for two (2) additional terms, each for five (5) years. The volume of work will be determined by the number and type of applications submitted to the City of Alhambra which require design review.

Project Scope

Architectural Design Review

The consultant will serve as the City Architect/Urban Designer and provide architectural design review assistance to Planning Division staff throughout the design review process, from pre-submittal inquiry to meetings of the Design Review Board (DRB), for all development projects requiring design review and approval. The consultant will review and evaluate architectural and site design components of proposed residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and mixed-use development projects to ensure development proposals align with the goals and policies of the City's General Plan, Zoning Code, Specific Plans, and applicable Design Guidelines. The consultant is expected to fulfill the following tasks, roles, and responsibilities:

• Receive project plans and submissions from City staff via e-mail and/or through the City's Citizen Access Portal hosted by Tyler Technology;
• Review and comment on project plans and submissions within a 14-day timeframe through reports that are in a memo or full format that may include narrative or matrix layout of review comments, revisions, recommendations, and conditions of approval, in addition to plan mark-ups and/or alternate or suggestive graphics/illustrations, in a manner that provides clear and concise direction to project applicants;
• Communicate and hold conferences/consultations with property owners and applicants, both independently and with staff, via phone call, e-mail correspondence, and virtual or in-person meetings, to provide comments, revisions, recommendations, conditions of approval, and alternative design illustrations for project proposals;
• Engage and communicate with Planning Division staff in a collaborative fashion that encourages regular and robust exchange of information;
• Perform impromptu sketch studies to assist applicants, property owners, developers, and contractors with revising and improving development proposal designs;
• Provide office hours at City Hall according to a pre-determined schedule consistent with the City's business hours (Monday through Thursday from 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.) and maintain availability to meet with applicants and staff during these designated office hours. Office hours shall occur a minimum of two (2) days per week and shall total a minimum of 10 hours per week;
• Update project applications submitted through the City's Citizen Access Portal on a regular basis and provide updates to Planning Division staff, as needed;
• Create and maintain a system for tracking the review status for project applications, and provide Planning Division staff with access to the tracking system;
• Efficiently distribute tasks and assignments amongst the consultant team;
• Complete all tasks in a timely manner;
• Produce high-quality work products;
• Maintain availability to respond to quick calls, e-mails, and texts from staff;
• Work closely with the City's Landscape Architect consultant, as needed; and
• Review of the City's advanced planning projects, including development of residential design guidelines and objective design standards, as needed.

Design Review Board (DRB) Administration and Staffing

The consultant will serve as the City Architect/Urban Designer and provide administration and staffing for the City's Design Review Board (DRB). The DRB consists of five (5) members and meets in-person on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:30 P.M. in City Hall. The consultant is expected to fulfill the following tasks, roles, and responsibilities:

• Prepare the agenda and any required notices for each regular meeting of the DRB;
• Prepare staff reports for each item to be reviewed by the DRB in advance of the DRB meetings. Staff reports shall exhibit excellent writing quality and when applicable, incorporate the use of high-quality graphic design. Staff reports shall communicate information clearly and in a manner that is engaging and accessible to the general public;
• Prepare and deliver clear and compelling presentations on DRB agenda items to staff, board members/commissioners, elected officials, and members of the general public;
• Study and review the agenda items being reviewed at DRB meetings;
• Attend each regular meeting of the DRB in-person at City Hall on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:30 P.M. and serve as the designated staff representative and liaison between City staff and Board Members;
• Notify and provide updates to project applicants and property owners on the status of projects requiring review by the DRB; and
• Provide focused orientation and educational sessions to DRB members on the elements and principles of good design and architecture; the role of the DRB; and the DRB process.

Submission of Proposals

To receive consideration, proposals must be received by the City of Alhambra Community Development Department no later than Noon (PST) on Monday, May 8, 2023. Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed package. Proposals that are late or incomplete will be rejected. Submission requirements are detailed in Section 9, "Proposal Contents," of this RFP. It is the responsibility of the consultant to see that any proposal sent through the mail, or any other delivery method, should have sufficient time to be received by the City of Alhambra's Community Development Department before the proposal's due date and time. Postmarks and late proposals will not be accepted. Faxed or emailed proposals will also not be accepted. No exceptions will be made.

Submittal requirements are as follows:

1. Submit one (1) signed and unbound original and five (5) bound copies of the proposal on 8½" x 11" paper with section separators.
2. Submit one (1) electronic PDF format copy of all documents on a USB flash drive.

Proposals must be clearly addressed and submitted by mail or hand-delivered to the following:

City of Alhambra - Community Development Department
ATTN: Maia McCurley, Senior Planner / RFP No. RFP2M23-12
111 South First Street
Alhambra, CA 91801