Gardena council approves $90,002 change order, declares CEQA exemption as city seeks grants for Mas Fukai Park
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Summary
Council authorized a $90,002.14 contract change order for David Boltz Design and declared a categorical CEQA exemption to pursue a state grant; staff said the full project is estimated at about $15 million with approximately $9 million in funding secured and an estimated $6 million shortfall.
The Gardena City Council on Feb. 10 declared environmental review exemptions required for grant pursuit and approved a $90,002.14 change order to the professional services agreement with David Boltz Design Landscape Architects to advance the Mas Fukai Park Improvements Project.
What the council approved: staff said construction documents will be updated to incorporate photovoltaic infrastructure, audiovisual systems and keycard security and that additional public outreach will be conducted to satisfy grant requirements. The council approved the contract change order and declared the project categorically exempt under CEQA (staff cited Class 1, Class 3 and Class 11 exemptions) on a 5‑0 vote.
Funding and schedule: staff estimated design‑through‑construction costs at approximately $15,000,000 and said about $9,000,000 has been secured, leaving an estimated $6,000,000 funding shortfall. The city plans to apply for a state grant with consultant assistance; staff said the grant application is due by June 2026 with awards expected in December 2026. If awarded, the grant could be up to $6,000,000, which would close the identified gap.
Why staff requested the change order: city staff and consultants said the additional work reflects increased costs since initial design (including code updates) and required post‑application public outreach demanded by the grant program. The consultant identified roughly $53,000 of the $90,002 change order attributable to updates required by new building codes; the remainder was tied to outreach and design revisions.
Vote and next steps: the council approved the CEQA action and the contract change order (motion by Council Member Love; second by Mayor Pro Tem Henderson) and staff will proceed with the grant application and additional outreach. Staff indicated construction is targeted to begin in 2027, subject to funding.
Attributions: City Manager and project staff presented the item and a project director/consultant provided a breakdown of the change‑order drivers; Councilmember Francis asked about contingency and why additional outreach was required for a project that previously had public engagement.