HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-16-2015 C5 Authorize Advertising - City Wayfinding Signs, Phase 1City of San Luis Obispo, Council Agenda Report, Meeting Date, Item Number
FROM: Daryl R. Grigsby, Public Works Director
Prepared By: Bridget Fraser, Senior Civil Engineer
SUBJECT: CITY WAYFINDING SIGNS- PHASE 1; SPECIFICATION NO. 90740C
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Approve plans and specifications for the "City Wayfinding Signs-Phase 1, Specification No.
90740C,” and authorize staff to advertise for construction bids.
2. Authorize the City Manager to award a contract, including or omitting the additive alternates,
if the total of the bid plus the contingency is within the available Wayfinding Program budget
at time of award.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City Wayfinding Program (Program) provides a “family” or system of uniform and cohesive
signs including entry monuments, directional signs, trail markers, building signs and other
various City identifiers that provides visitors and tourists an important “first impression” of our
City and leads them to important community destinations.
The City Wayfinding Program was developed with the assistance of RRM Design Group and
Rademaker Design and underwent extensive review by the Promotional Coordination
Committee, Cultural Heritage Committee, Architectural Review Commission, and Parks and
Recreation Commission. The Program was adopted by Council Resolution No. 10311
(Attachment 1) at the October 18, 2011 meeting (Agenda Report and the City Wayfinding
Program is available for review in the Council Reading File). Since Program adoption,
implementation has focused on installation of the directional signs as well as an entry monument
at Highland Drive. Design has also started on orientation maps for downtown as well as design
of a new City Hall Information Center to take the place of the existing kiosk on Palm Street.
Last year, nine prototype directional signs were installed in the downtown area. This allowed
staff and the public a chance to evaluate if the signage met the City’s overall signage
expectations. The prototype sign feedback also enabled staff to adjust sign designs before
moving forward with the first project. The prototypes were well received with only minor
adjustments required for the final design. Plans and specifications have been prepared for the
first phase of vehicular directional signs.
Current Project
Council previously expressed a desire to be kept informed about the Wayfinding Program.
Therefore, the plans and specifications are being presented for Council approval and
authorization to solicit bids. This project proposes to install 30 (21 in the base project and 9
potential additives) vehicular wayfinding signs directing motorist to the highest priority
June 16, 2015
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City Wayfinding Signs- Phase 1, Specification No 90740C Page 2
destinations including the Downtown, Mission, Cal Poly, Amtrak, and Airport. The signage also
emphasizes guiding visitors to downtown parking structures. Signage is focused at primary City
entry points including Highway 1 at Santa Rosa, Highway 101 northbound and southbound off
ramps, Highway 227 at Broad Street, and along arterials into the City’s core (Attachment 2).
Bid Alternates
The bid documents have been set up to include nine signs as additive bid alternates. Additive bid
alternatives can be awarded if the base bid comes in under budget. Using additive bid alternates
is a useful tool, which provides flexibility for the awarding body to make decisions based on real
costs rather than estimates and assumptions. It allows a contract to be awarded including or
omitting any of the bid alternate items, depending on the outcome of the bids and the availability
of funding. As shown in the Fiscal Impact discussion, current funding should be adequate to
support installation of 21 signs in the base project. If bids come in lower, some or all of the nine
alternate signs may be included in the award. Any alternate signs not awarded with this project
will be deferred to a future installation project if future Program funds are allocated.
Of the nine alternate signs, five are located within Caltrans right-of-way and require a Caltrans
encroachment permit. Although the application for the encroachment permit has been submitted,
recent processing times with Caltrans have varied from three weeks to three months. If the
encroachment permit is not issued by the time a contract is ready for award, these five signs will
be omitted and deferred to a future installation project.
Future Wayfinding Projects
Directional Signs. Following installation of this first phase of vehicular wayfinding signs, bid
documents will be prepared for approximately ten pedestrian wayfinding signs for downtown
and will also include any remaining vehicular wayfinding signs that may be omitted from the
current project. This will complete the installation of the highest priority signs approved for the
program. Moving forward with this future project will be contingent upon approval of additional
Wayfinding Program funds currently proposed as part of the 2015-17 Financial Plan.
Highland Monument. The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) is recipient of a
Scenic Byways Grant to construct the entry monument and is acting as lead agency for this
project. SLOCOG continues to work through required San Luis Obispo County and State
approvals with a goal of bidding the project in the winter of 2015-16, with installation in spring
of 2016. Council has approved $125,000 of City funds to support this project. Staff continues to
support SLOCOG and provide help as needed.
Downtown Orientation Maps/City Hall Information Center. The team of RRM Design Group
and Rademaker Design is currently under contract to provide conceptual designs for these two
wayfinding elements. The consultants are currently working on the project’s first design phase,
which includes researching options and preparation of concepts for public and stakeholder input.
Conceptual designs are expected to be completed in early 2016.
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City Wayfinding Signs- Phase 1, Specification No 90740C Page 3
CONCURRENCES
The City Wayfinding Program and implementation of the directional sign component has the
continued support of the Promotional Coordinating Committee who, in past years, has
contributed a significant portion of their operating budget to develop and implement the
Wayfinding Program. As noted above, Council approved the overall program in 2011.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Community Development Department has granted this project a Categorical Exemption
pursuant to Section 15303 of the CEQA Guidelines (Small Structures). A Notice of Exemption
has been filed through the Community Development Department.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City Wayfinding Sign project is identified in the 2013-15 Financial Plan, Capital
Improvement Plan, on Pages 3-267 through 3-270. There is currently a balance of $65,400
remaining in the project’s construction phase available for this project. As shown below, this
balance is sufficient to cover the base project of 21 signs at an estimated project cost of $65,100.
Additional construction funding of $155,000 is proposed in the 2015-17 Financial Plan Capital
Request to continue implementation of the Wayfinding Sign Program. If the budget is approved
as proposed, the additional funding will be available July 1, 2015, bringing the total available
construction phase balance to $220,400. This amount would be sufficient to support the total
project cost of $98,200 as well as support for construction costs of the second phase of
directional signs and the City Hall Information Center.
The project will be awarded after final adoption of the 2015-17 Financial Plan. If adequate
funding is available at time of award, it is recommended that the total project (base project plus
alternates) be awarded.
Available Budget:
Construction Phase Unencumbered Balance $65,400
Total Available Budget $65,400
Estimated Construction Costs:
Base Project - includes 21 Signs $59,200
Contingencies (10%)$5,900
Total Estimated Base Project Costs $65,100
Additive Alternates - 9 Additional Signs $30,100
Contingency for Add. Alts. (10%)$3,000
Total Additional Cost for Add. Alts.$33,100
Total Project Costs (Base Project + Add. Alternates)$98,200
Additional Funds Estimated for Additive Alternate Award:($32,800)
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City Wayfinding Signs- Phase 1, Specification No 90740C Page 4
ALTERNATIVES
Deny authorization for construction bids until after the approval of the 2015-17 Financial Plan.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution 10311- Adoption of Wayfinding Program.
2. Vicinity/Sign Location Map
AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW IN THE COUNCIL OFFICE
1. Plans and Specifications
2. Council Agenda Report-Oct. 18, 2011
3. City Wayfinding Program
t:\council agenda reports\2015\2015-06-16\city wayfinding signs phase 1 advertise (grigsby-fraser)\90740c car wayfinding signs 1a-adv.docx
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RESOLUTION NO . 10311 (2011 Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO APPROVING THE CIT Y
WAYFINDING PROGRAM INCLUDING A STANDARDIZED CITY EMBLEM AN D
APPROVING A PLAN FOR ANENTRY MONUMENT SIGN AT THE CORNER O F
HIGHLAND DRIVE AND SANTA ROSA STREET (HIGHWAY 1 )
WHEREAS,the City Council approved two Capital Improvement Program project s
City Gateways, 2007-09 FP, and Comprehensive Directional Sign Program, 2009-11 FP) whic h
include elements of a wayfinding system ; and
WHEREAS,the City of San Luis Obispo has no formal wayfinding system to direc t
visitors and tourist to the manyattractions and destinations within our community ; and
WHEREAS,the local community and visitors will benefit from a formal mor e
comprehensive wayfinding program ; and
WHEREAS,the City Manger authorized staff to combine the preliminary design phase s
of said Capital Improvement Program projects to unify designsand develop a City Wayfindin g
Program ; and
WHEREAS,the City PromotionalCoordinating Committee, at its May 11, 201 1
meeting, has recommended that City Council approvethe City Wayfinding Program as
presented ; an d
WHEREAS,the City Architectural Review Commission, at its May 16, 2011 meeting ,
has recommended that City Council approve the City Wayfinding Program including a
standardized City emblem and grant final approval to a primary monument sign at the corner o f
Highland Drive and Santa Rosa Street (Highway 1) pursuant to application ARC 130-10 an d
findings, actions and conditions in Resolution No . ARC-1009-11 ; and
WHEREAS,the City Council at its October 18, 2011 meeting have reviewed th e
program, considered all evidence, includingpublic testimony, recommendations and record s
from the Promotional Coordinating Committee and Architectural Review Commission an d
recommendations by staff, presented at said meeting .
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Lui s
Obispo as follows :
SECTION 1 .The City Council does herebyapprove a City Wayfinding Program a s
identified in Exhibit A to be implemented as funding becomes available .
SECTION 2 . The City Council does hereby approve the conceptual plans as shown i n
Exhibit B for an entry monumentat the southwest corner of Highland and SantaRosa and direct s
staff to work with SLOCOG on installation of said monument .
R 10311
ATTACHMENT 1
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Resolution No . 10311 (2011 Series )
Page 2
Upon motion of Vice Mayor Ashbaugh seconded by Council Member Carpenter and o n
the following vote :
AYES :Council Members Carpenter and Smith, Vice Mayor Ashbaugh and Mayo r
Marx
NOES :Council Member Carte r
ABSENT : None
The foregoing resolution was adopted this 18 `"day of October 2011 .
ATTEST :
a-
Elaina Cano
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TOFORM :
ATTACHMENT 1
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ATTACHMENT 2
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ATTACHMENT 2
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