Title
Receive a status update on current development activity on all phases of the East Garrison development project.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Fort Ord Committee receive a status update on current development activity on all phases of the East Garrison development project.
DISCUSSION:
Anticipated upcoming Board of Supervisors actions:
• Date TBD: Board of Supervisors to consider a Professional Services Agreement with Denise Duffy & Associates, Inc. to implement the California Tiger Salamander Interim Habitat Mitigation Monitoring Program on County-owned property.
Interim Mitigation Project for California Tiger Salamander: In accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement Regarding Habitat Management on Portions of the Parker Flats Reserve at the Former Fort Ord, California between the County, the Fort Ord Reuse Authority, and UCP East Garrison LLC to fund and implement interim habitat management for California Tiger Salamander on approximately 134 acres of County-owned property until adoption of the FORA Installation-Wide Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and CDFW’s issuance of the Section 2081 Incidental Take Permit for the base-wide HCP, the following actions have been completed.
• On April 10, 2015 CDFW issued the East Garrison developers their new Section 2081 Take Permit.
• On April 9, 2015 the developer deposited the requisite funding into an escrow account. On July 16, 2015 the funds were released from escrow and delivered to the County.
• After a Request for Proposals process conducted by County Contracts/Purchasing, the consulting firm of Denise Duffy and Associates, Inc. was selected to provide the habitat mitigation and monitoring services. A Professional Services Agreement is currently being drafted for consideration by the Board of Supervisors.
• On July 14, 2015 CDFW, in the company of County staff and the County’s consultant, toured the mitigation property as a final step to recommending the Conservation Easement Deed be recorded.
Phase 1 Housing Construction: Construction and sale of new homes continues. The Resource Management Agency (RMA) Building Services has issued a total of 187 single-family building permits, has “finaled” 141 units to date (including the 11 model units), with the remaining units presently under construction or waiting to begin.
Phase 2 Infrastructure Improvements: The developer began construction on April 13, 2015. Construction of the on-site water, sewer, and storm drain systems are complete. Current construction activities focus on construction of the “dry utilities” systems (gas, electric, and telecommunications) and initiation of final grading for street and road construction. RMA-Public Works and the Marina Coast Water District have inspectors on-site. The developer continues to implement an aggressive construction program, with a target completion date of December 2015 for all the Phase 2 “horizontal” improvements.
Community Facilities District/Mello Roos Bonds: There has been some progress in this activity since the last update provided to the Committee. The Absorption consultant has completed the absorption analysis. The appraiser has also been engaged and is on stand by while some other issues pertaining to the bond structure are resolved. The absorption study and the appraisal are required before the County can determine if the sale of bonds is feasible. The timing and amount of any bond sale remain undetermined. Bond Counsel, Disclosure Counsel, and Bond Underwriter have also been engaged. All actions related to the proposed bond sale will come before the Board of the Public Financing Authority.
Successor Agency and, State Department of Finance: After approval by the Successor Agency on April 8, 2014, the Long Range Property Management Plan (LRPMP) was approved by the Oversight Board on April 17, 2014 and sent to the Department of Finance (DOF) on April 18, 2014. In June 2015 DOF notified Successor Agency staff that our LRPMP is “in the queue” for management review. No schedule has been given for completion of this review, and it remains unknown when DOF will issue a final decision on the Long Range Property Management Plan and the recommended disposition of the Successor Agency’s Fort Ord lands.
Prepared by: G.H. Nichols, PE, Special Projects Engineer
Approved by: Carl P. Holm, AICP, Acting Director, Resource Management Agency