In 2022, the City commissioned a City Facilities Assessment and Feasibility Analysis. The purpose for the study aligns with the broader strategic, iterative process (available here) to enable the City to make well-informed decisions about public spaces.
The Study was guided by the following interests of the City:
- Need for existing facility reinvestment, renovation, and expansion.
- Upcoming option to purchase former Westwood View School (the City's option agreement with the School District was set to expire in February 2024 and the School District stated its intent to sell the property).
- Interest in park improvements.
- Understand potential development value of City Hall and park/school site properties.
Process and Steering Committee
To carry out the facilities analysis, the Mayor convened a steering committee of eight (8) individuals to:
- Review and approve a study scope and Request for Qualifications (RFQ), as prepared by City staff;
- Serve on the professional services firm interview and selection committee; and
- Guide the work of the retained professional services firm and provide input on their questions throughout the study period.
Facilities Assessment Steering Committee Members
- Westwood Mayor – David Waters
- Westwood City Council – Holly Wimer
- Westwood Planning Commission – David Kelman
- Westwood Foundation – Sean O’Brien
- Westwood community at-large – Lisa Fielden
- Westwood City Administration – Leslie Herring
- Westwood Police – Chief Curt Mansell
- Westwood Public Works – Director John Sullivan
In total, eight (8) responses to the RFQ were received and four (4) teams were interviewed. The entire process was conducted in a manner that encouraged competitive bidding, certainty and transparency, and structured analysis of each team’s qualifications, experience, and approach to the objectives of the project. Ultimately, the steering committee recommended Multistudio (fka Gould Evans) to the City Council for consideration of an agreement to perform the work to achieve the Governing Body’s stated objective in the adopted plan of action and to build upon the work of the 2015 ULI TAP, the 2017 Master Plan, and the 2021 ULI TAP.
Facilities Study Timeline and Findings & Report
- May 11, 2022 – Professional Services Agreement execution
- May 26, 2022 – Study process kick-off meeting with steering committee
- June 3 - 8, 2022 – Site evaluations and staff and steering committee interviews
- June 23, 2022 – Steering committee progress check-in with consultant team
- July 13, 2022 – Public information session and conversation at Westwood City Hall (RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE)
- August 25, 2022 – Steering committee progress check-in with consultant team
- September 8, 2022 – Consultant presentation of final assessment and findings to Governing Body and public (RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE)
- October 10, 2022 – Final report issued by consultant team for distribution to public and posting on website (FINAL REPORT AVAILABLE HERE)
- October 14, 2022 – Community survey deployed to residents to gain feedback on preferences for recommendations (SURVEY RESULTS AVAILABLE BELOW)