Title
a. Approve and establish a grant program, utilizing Dover-Kohl Partners, to provide Monterey County cities with planning services that enhance and create economically vibrant downtown centers; and
b. Return to this Board with grant criteria and proposed funding to implement this program.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve and establish a grant program, utilizing Dover-Kohl Partners, to provide Monterey County cities with planning services that enhance and create economically vibrant downtown centers; and
b. Return to this Board with grant criteria and proposed funding for this program.
SUMMARY:
Dover, Kohl & Partners is best known for its collaborative, public design processes, known as charrettes, as well as for illustrative master plans and form-based codes that emphasize complete neighborhoods as the basis for sound communities. The Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) Board of Directors has entered into a contract with Dover, Kohl & Partners (Dover, Kohl) to lead the process of completing new Regional Urban Design Guidelines for the former Fort Ord. In doing so, Dover Kohl made an offer to partner with interested Monterey County communities to help with design, traffic, and land use planning to create more vibrant, economically productive and beneficial downtown areas. Utilizing Dover Kohl in this manner would leverage the firm's general expertise and the particularized knowledge it gains regarding Monterey County for the benefit of County communities and the County as a whole.
In concept, each interested Monterey County city would apply for a $10,000 grant to the County of Monterey, based on a fifty percent County match, to fund the planning work performed by Dover, Kohl. Thus, the proposed cost to each participating city would be $10,000, matched by a County contribution of $10,000, and would be implemented by an agreement between the city, the County, and Dover, Kohl. The scope of work would be reviewed and approved as part of the grant application submitted by the community to the County of Monterey.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
RMA and Economic Development will review each request before a recommendation is sent to the Board of Supervisors for approval. RMA and Economic Development will coordinate efforts with the Fort Ord Reuse Authority, the City of Salinas-Vibrancy Plan, other cities requesting the same assistance, and Dover, Kohl.
FINANCING:
The proposed cost to each city would be $10,000, matched by a County contribution of $10,000. Financing will be determined on a case-by-case submittal to the County and will depend on how many cities seek these planning services and agree to a 50/50 split of the costs. Staff will bring each request forward to the Board of Supervisors for final approval and will identify the source of funds for each project.
There may be an impact to the General Fund pending Board approval of more than one submittal. There were no funds identified in the FY 2014-15 Adopted Budget for Economic Development, nor the RMA to cover the costs of this new opportunity.
Prepared by:
Approved by:
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David L. Spaur, Director
Economic Development Department Ext. 5387