TITLE:
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH PSOMAS FOR THE FAIRVIEW PARK WEST BLUFF RESTORATION PROJECT
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DEPARTMENT: PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
PRESENTED BY: BRIAN GRUNER. PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION: KELLY DALTON, FAIRVIEW PARK ADMINISTRATOR (714) 754-5135
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council:
1. Award a Professional Services Agreement to PSOMAS to provide engineering design, environmental planning, cultural resource management, and related professional services for the Fairview Park West Bluff Restoration Project in an amount not to exceed $533,189 for a term of two (2) years from March 17, 2026 to March 16, 2028 with three (3) additional one-year renewal options.
2. Authorize a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $53,319 for unforeseen costs.
3. Authorize the City Manager and the City Clerk to execute the Professional Services Agreement (Attachment 1) and future amendments to the agreement within City Council-authorized limits.
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BACKGROUND:
Fairview Park is the City’s largest park, spanning over 200 acres of open space that forms an integral component of the lower Santa Ana River ecological corridor. Within Fairview Park’s 208 acres, the site includes sacred tribal ancestral lands, a Nationally Registered Cultural Resource Historic Site, and several distinct habitat communities that provide critical habitat for an array of sensitive, rare, and endangered plant and animal species. The park provides passive and unique recreational opportunities while serving as a critical open space resource within the City. Due to the presence of protected habitats, sensitive cultural resources, and special-status wildlife species, projects within Fairview Park require careful planning, interdisciplinary coordination, and compliance with applicable local, state and federal environmental protection regulations.
The Fairview Park Master Plan (2008) is currently in the process of being updated, with an anticipated final adoption in summer 2026. The Fairview Park Master Plan establishes long-term goals for protecting, preserving, and enhancing the park’s natural and cultural resources while allowing for compatible public access and recreation.
As part of these long-term objectives, the City has identified the Fairview Park West Bluff as a priority area, requiring stabilization and ecological restoration. The west bluffs of Fairview Park have been the subject of study since the 1990s due to slope stability and slope erosion concerns, which pose long-term risks to park resources, trails, and public safety if left unaddressed.
The Fairview Park West Bluff Restoration Project is intended to address these concerns through a comprehensive planning and design effort that integrates geotechnical stability improvements with habitat restoration and resource protection elements. The design project will emphasize solutions that minimize disturbance, restore native plant communities, protect sensitive cultural resources, and maintain the park’s natural character, consistent with the Fairview Park Master Plan and the City’s environmental stewardship goals.
Project Description
The Fairview Park West Bluff Restoration Project focuses on the evaluation, design, planning, and permitting of stabilization and restoration measures for erosional features along the park’s western bluffs. The project is a planning and design effort that will culminate in the preparation of construction-ready plans, specifications, and cost estimates for future implementation. The City is seeking professional services that include, but are not limited to:
• Project coordination and management
• Review of existing studies, plans, and technical data
• Geotechnical and engineering site design evaluations
• Engineering design for slope stabilization and erosion control
• Habitat restoration and revegetation design
• Environmental planning and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation
• Resource agency coordination and environmental permitting support
• Cultural Resource Management Plan preparation
• Preparation of construction quantities, cost estimates, and bid documents
• Public outreach and stakeholder coordination
• Bidding and construction support services
The integrated approach to this project is intended to improve long-term slope stability, reduce erosion risks, enhance native habitat, and protect sensitive biological and cultural resources, while maintaining public use and trail access for park visitors.
ANALYSIS:
On June 5, 2025, a Request for Proposal (RFP No. 25-23) for professional engineering and environmental planning services was released for the Fairview Park Bluff Restoration Project. In response to the City’s RFP, the City received three (3) proposals from the following firms:
• Dudek
• PSOMAS
• S2SERM
Proposals were reviewed and scored by an interdisciplinary panel of subject matter experts with expertise in environmental planning, civil design, and public works professional services. Proposals were reviewed for compliance and responsiveness to the City’s Request for Proposals, qualifications of key personnel, method of approach, qualifications and experience of the firm, cost, and references.
Following the initial screening and review of proposals, each of the three consultants were invited to participate in an oral interview to assist in the evaluation process. Based on the composite scores from the evaluation panel, PSOMAS was determined to be the highest rated and most qualified proposer (Table 1).
Table 1: RFP Results
|
Proposer |
Total Score |
Rank |
|
PSOMAS |
2687.5 |
1st |
|
Dudek |
2238.55 |
2nd |
|
S2SERM |
2152.1 |
3rd |
Consultant Qualifications
During the evaluation, PSOMAS presented their firm as possessing a thorough understanding of the project and demonstrated extensive experience and technical ability to perform the outlined scope of work in the RFP. PSOMAS has supported several public agencies in Southern California with engineering design, ecological restoration, and related environmental planning support for over three decades. Throughout the evaluation process, PSOMAS also emphasized its team’s strengths in coordinating on similar interdisciplinary and multi-benefit projects, which is of particular value for this project, given the site’s unique planning variables and multi-benefit objectives. In addition, PSOMAS demonstrated comparative strength in its public outreach approach, and emphasized the firm’s careful consideration of stakeholder concerns prior to advancing the project design. This intentional and meaningful community engagement effort will be essential to building and maintaining community support for the Fairview Park West Bluff Restoration project and will ensure the project team addresses key community concerns early.
PSOMAS’ proposed approach emphasizes the integration of safety, efficiency, and sensitivity to onsite resources and community feedback in developing the project design. The firm’s ability to integrate multi-disciplinary data, develop long-term preservation strategies, and minimize impacts to existing resources will be critical to a successful design for this project. PSOMAS also demonstrated a strong understanding of the site’s environmental complexity, and the importance of balancing geotechnical stabilization with habitat restoration and cultural resource protection. This comprehensive and collaborative design philosophy aligns closely with the City’s goals for long-term stewardship and conservation of Fairview Park’s natural resources.
The evaluation panel determined that PSOMAS’ technical proposal and interview responses distinguished the firm through the strength of its multidisciplinary team, its relevant experience with complex habitat restoration and slope stabilization projects, and its clearly articulated project approach. In particular, PSOMAS emphasized that the final design solution would not be predetermined but instead developed through detailed evaluation of the specific conditions associated with each erosion feature along the west bluff. This adaptive methodology recognizes the unique geotechnical, biological, and cultural resource conditions present at the site and emphasizes tailoring stabilization and restoration strategies accordingly, while also incorporating input from the local community and cultural resource stakeholders. Dudek and S2SERM also submitted qualified proposals demonstrating relevant experience and technical capabilities, however their responses presented more predefined design approaches with less emphasis on an adaptive methodology tailored to site-specific conditions and stakeholder considerations identified for the project. Based on the evaluation criteria established in the RFP, including firm qualifications, team expertise, and project approach, the evaluation panel determined that PSOMAS’ proposal represented the highest ranked and most responsive proposal for the project.
Project Funding
In 2023, the City was awarded a significant parks and open space investment through state budget allocations from then-Senator Dave Min (current Congressman). As part of the 2022-2023 California State Budget, a total of $10M was awarded to the City of Costa Mesa to support park improvements, habitat restoration, and open space enhancements, including $2.0M allocated towards this project in Fairview Park. This historic grant provides the funding source to support the planning and design phase of the Fairview Park West Bluff Restoration project, as well as the future construction and implementation phase. The remaining project balance from the grant (approximately $1.45M) will be used to fund the construction phase once the design and planning phase is completed by PSOMAS.
The Fairview Park Bluffs Restoration Project was postponed due to the prioritization of several projects, such as the draft Fairview Park Master Plan, the new Mesa Restoration Project, and ongoing restoration efforts. These projects are well underway and staff is now able to proceed with the Bluffs Restoration Project and is recommending the award of contract to PSOMAS.
ALTERNATIVES:
Staff does not recommend any alternatives at this time.
FISCAL REVIEW:
Funding for this agreement inclusive of a ten percent (10%) contingency for a total amount of $586,508 is available from the City’s State Grants Fund (231) and was funded by a grant from the Office of former Senator Dave Min (current U.S. Representative) through the California State Parks Department. The current available project balance is approximately $1.6 Million.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed this report and the agreement and approves them as to form.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES:
This item supports the following City Council Goal:
• Advance Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resiliency
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends the City Council:
1. Award a Professional Services Agreement to PSOMAS to provide engineering design, environmental planning, cultural resource management, and related professional services for the Fairview Park West Bluff Restoration Project in an amount not to exceed $533,189.00 for a term of two (2) years from March 17, 2026 to March 16, 2028 with three (3) additional one-year renewal options.
2. Authorize a 10 percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $53,319, for unforeseen costs.
3. Authorize the City Manager and the City Clerk to execute the Professional Services Agreement (Attachment 1) and future amendments to the agreement within City Council-authorized limits.