Qualifications

Summary of Transit, Major Public Works Design and Community Outreach Background

LOS ANGELES WESTSIDE’S EXPOSITION LIGHT RAIL DESIGN-BUILD PHASE I, ENGINEERING AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
PROJECT: LOS ANGELES METRO EXPOSITION CORRIDOR LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT DESIGN-BUILD PROJECT
CLIENT: LOS ANGELES EXPO CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY

Community Outreach / Public Participation for Construction Program Manager- Lead
Coordination with regulatory agencies – PUC
Communications with residents, merchants, recognized community groups -Lead
CADD; Document Controls; Civil Engineering for Design Manager – Support

2007-Currently serving as Community Relations Management lead and engineering and CADD design support for the Expo Design-Build Phase I joint venture (Parsons/Flatiron/Fluor) to design/build the $800m, 9.5 mile light rail transit corridor connecting downtown Los Angeles with Culver City via the Exposition Blvd. Corridor.  This project consists of 11 rail stations, primarily at grade with a portion cut-and-cover and some aerial stations. Personnel of the firm serve as facilitators in the overall public outreach and stakeholder/consensus building for the project, which traverses some of the most congested arterials in South and West Los Angeles.  The firm also serves as Stakeholder Consensus task leader for Public Outreach and coordinates information on project achievements, business impacts, safety training, utility relocations, traffic controls, disruptions with affected residents, local elected officials, neighborhood groups, the design-build team, and the press (radio, print media and TV).

For this project, the firm has established solid relationships with Westside community based organizations (CBOs), the Expo LRT Authority, federal agencies (Veterans Administration Hospital, and USDOT), Caltrans, neighborhood associations, block clubs, affected neighborhoods in councilmanic districts, the L.A. Mayor’s Office, the elected officials and Mayor of Culver City, and Santa Monica, the offices of the L.A  County Supervisors, city and county regulatory agencies, such as Departments of Water and Power, Streets, Transportation, Building and Safety, California Public Utilities Commission, California Department of Transportation, Westside chambers of commerce, UCLA and Westwood community development and preservation organizations and L.A. Metro.  Other regulatory agencies communicated with include AQMD, Regional Water Quality District, City of L.A. Bridge (Public Works Department), Bureau of Sanitation, and Bureau of Streets.

GC Tech’s personnel supports CAD design for stations, streetscapes, project engineering, document controls, constructability reviews and overall administrative activities as relates to supporting the lead design project manager and supports impacts associated with major construction activities with the lead construction project manager.

GC Tech’s Budget: $3,500,000

Contact: Tom Wilson, Parsons/Flatiron/Fluor, 213.243.5628

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS – TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT SERVICES FOR THE “ENCINO RESERVOIR AND STONE CANYON RESERVOIR

CLIENT: LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER
PROJECT LOCATION:  MULHOLLAND BOULEVARD, LOS ANGELES,  CA

Community Outreach – lead
Public Participation – lead
Coordination with regulatory agencies – support
Design plan review – lead

2006:  GC Tech, Inc., in association with CH2M & Hill provided technical environmental impact advisory services to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power associated with its redevelopment of two major hillside reservoirs located along Mulholland Blvd, in the Santa Monica Mountains and in two separate high income neighborhoods, located in environmentally sensitive wilderness-like communities, nearby the I-405 freeway, between the SR 101 Freeway and Sunset Blvd., in Brentwood, abutting the Bel Air community.

GC Tech performed technical transportation and truck/construction vehicle traffic impact update analysis, construction impact management and planning for the proposed enhancement of these two existing water reservoir plants, pumping stations and distribution systems located on the mountainous Westside section of Los Angeles, above the City of Beverly Hills and above the Encino section of Los Angeles.  Documentation reviews were coordinated with Caltrans, the California PUC, Regional Water Quality District and AQMD.

GCT updated the transportation and traffic sections of the initial California-mandated Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that was initially prepared for a much larger proposed project.  The firm participated in conveying (Public Hearings, Local Community Meetings and City Council Meetings) how this planned major capital improvement project, sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power is intended to upgrade existing facilities, while minimizing disruption of vehicular traffic on local residents and commuters who travel along already congested, dangerous, curvy corridors such as Sunset Boulevard and Stone Canyon.  The schedule for the project was driven by timelines determined by the State of California Health Services Department. The firm was also responsible for sorting, interpreting and responding to community/neighborhood concerns and issues related to the projected physical conditions during the year-long construction phase.  Emphasis was placed on the debris removal hauling routes, time of day of hauls and type of truck haulers and frequencies of movement along winding, two lane, hilly roadways.

GC Tech assisted in developing an information response system to document comments related to the proposed traffic impacts and it was responsible for assisting the prime respond to comments raised not only by residents, but by their lawyers, Los Angeles City Council representatives and Los Angeles County representatives and elected officials.

Budget:  $150,000

Contact:  Tom Peters, retired/former Project Manager, CH2M Hill, Los Angeles Office

LOS ANGELES GOLD LINE LIGHT RAIL DESIGN-BUILD EASTSIDE EXTENSION PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

CLIENT: LOS ANGELES EASTSIDE CONSTRUCTORS
PROJECT: METRO GOLD LINE EASTSIDE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT EXTENSION
LOCATION: EAST LOS ANGELES

User Education and QA/QC on Vehicles – support
CADD – lead
Utility and regulatory agency coordination – support
Project Design Administrative Assistance – lead
Document Controls – lead

2004:  1. GC Tech, Inc., was part of a team of design-build professionals selected to perform technical design document controls, design reviews and planning to assist in keeping this $760 million dollar, 14-mile Gold Line Extension from Union Station to Whittier Blvd. The firm monitored schedules and programmed milestones within budget by maintaining the status of subcontractors’ progress.

This national competition resulted in this contract being awarded by the Los Angeles Metro to the Eastside LRT Constructors, a team that is led by the joint venture of Washington Group International (constructors) and DMJM-Harris (designers). This contract was partially funded by the FTA combined with local matching funds from L.A. County.  This team is responsible for stations, track work and systems for this 14-mile LRT extension from downtown to Whittier, thus completing the initial line from Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles.

Furthermore, GC Tech duties include CAD design, administrative planning, organizing and supervising documentation of recordings of weekly, bi-monthly, monthly and quarterly status reports, bookkeeping and accounting reporting directly to the project manager and regional financial manager regarding all 13 subcontractors implementation of new technologies in the planning of security improvements in transportation and facility infrastructure.

2006:  2. GC Tech supported LTK on the Gold Line Vehicle Acquisition Services contract and served as lead QA/QC analyst, documentation reviews, first article inspection and reviewed all of the training manuals prepared by the vehicle manufacturer, Brada from Italy.

This contract further expands the firm’s existing technical program management capabilities, project status controls, design and construction documentation and planning of facilities and public infrastructure.

BUDGET:  $350,000

CONTACT: David Levy, P.E., Project Manager, AECOM / DMJM, 213.593.8000

COMMUNITY OUTREACH, DESIGN FOR INNOVATIVE SOUND WALL

CLIENT: LA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE
PROJECT NAME: LIGHT WEIGHT, INNOVATIVE SOUND WALL
PROJECT LOCATION: LOS ANGELES, CA

Outreach meetings
Design plan reviews
Community organizing
Media package, advertising
Consensus building
Coordination with construction contractors

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

2009:  This project involved the technical review and analysis of the design concepts, specifications and drawings related to the design and construction of a ¼  mile access road connecting the West Los Angeles campus with abutting arterials but shielding the nearby residential community from the noise caused by the new roadway.

GC Tech’s ROLE: The firm provided concept reviews and technical assistance for the acceptance of a solution to attenuating noises on the campus, located in Culver City, nearby the I-405 Freeway, on ramp at Slauson Avenue.  Furthermore, the firm served a designer and distributor’s representative for Insulock, the manufacturer of a 2-pound polyurethane block which is being used a materials to build a 1,000 foot, 8 ft high noise wall.  This wall takes 25% of the time to build versus concrete masonry units, and costs 30% of the CMU, and is easier to maintain with regard to re-painting over spray painting caused by taggers.

GC Tech’s Budget:  $300,000

Contact:  Bob Miller, Project Manager, Turner, WLA Campus of the L.A. Community College District, 310.202.1806

PUBLIC UTILITY DESIGN, FUNDING, OUTREACH STRATEGIC COORDINATION

CLIENT: LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER
PROJECT: GRANT FUNDING SERVICES / SCATTERGOOD DESALINATION PILOT PROJECT
PROJECT LOCATION: PLAYA DEL REY AND CITYWIDE

Design plan reviews
Public Outreach Program Plan
Community Stakeholders Development

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

2007:  GC Tech, Inc., a Small, Minority Business Enterprise was awarded a multi-year contract in association with Bookman-Edmonston in a competitive bid to perform technical consulting services for the DWP.

The firm was responsible for leading tasks related to: 1) development of communications protocol for the DWP Water Services Organization; 2) development of public outreach programs and 3) legislative liaison activities. The firm was responsible for communicating and coordinating with potential project partners within other City Departments and non-governmental organizations.  Its other role ensured the transfer of knowledge in grantsmanship by working with DWP personnel in all aspects of the outside funding acquisition process. All of these activities were geared to assisting the client identify and actually apply for potential financial sources in which DWP is eligible to apply for grant funding, such as Prop 50 Water funding.

Furthermore, the firm prepared the Public Outreach / Public Partnership Plan for the DWP’s “Scattergood Power Plant-Desalination Pilot Project” in Playa del Rey.  This document serves as the overall base manual for the development of the first “desalting” plant in Los Angeles County.

This contract further expands the firm’s extensive technical management and public outreach on large infrastructure and water program/project design engineering analyses capabilities with local utility companies, agencies and public regulatory agencies.  Furthermore, it widens our management and technical consulting services geared to communication, training services to better enable utilities to generate revenue to underwrite capital facilities expansions, water systems consulting and financial management for multiple public agency coordination/participation.

Budget:  $150,000

Contact:  Alvin Bautista, Project Manager, DWP Water Resources, 213.367.1096

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

CLIENT: LOS ANGELES METRO
PROJECT NAME: WEST SIDE TRANSIT CENTER LAND SWAP
PROJECT LOCATION: WEST LOS ANGELES, CA

Design plan reviews
Community organizing
Media package, advertising
Consensus building

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

2006:  This project involved the technical review and analysis of the design concepts, specifications and drawings related to the relocation of the existing Venice Bus Maintenance Facility to a new site located in the rear of See’s Candy on LaCienaga and Jefferson.

GC Tech’s ROLE: The firm provided concept reviews and technical assistance for the acceptance of the controversial “yards and shops” and assured the surrounding neighborhood appropriate consideration that safety elements, such as noise abatement, visual and aesthetics treatments, ease of turn movement and air quality.  Additional duties included determination of the key community stakeholders, elected officials for approval by the client, the City of Los Angeles, Fire Department and the utility companies.  Vehicle performance standards were integrated with the other related elements of the system.  Additional duties included plan checking, specification review and review of national standards which define a desired program of new acquisitions coupled with rebuilds that allow the industry to minimize its capital investment while maintaining the quality of its procured hardware.

The firm managed close coordination with the City of Los Angeles and City of Culver City and West Side community groups, neighborhood associations, chambers of commerce and merchant associations.

The firm is also currently under contract with the land developer, RAD, of the proposed site to assure that continuous monitoring and implementation of the community participation process complies with the LACMTA standards and that all required transit authority community affairs personnel are kept abreast of the progress of the project.

GC Tech’s Budget:  $300,000

Contact:  Jody Feerst Livtak, Project Manager, LACMTA, 213.922.6000

AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, PROGRAM PLANNING, DESIGN AND OUTREACH CONSULTING SERVICES

CLIENT: LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS (LAWA)
PROJECT: CONCESSIONS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIC PROGRAM PLAN
LOCATION: LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, LOS ANGELES, CA

Mechanical, Electrical Plumbing (MEP) Engineering Capacity Analysis
Design reviews
Passenger surveys
User / Public Outreach
Contractor outreach

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

2005:  LAX’s Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC), mandated that the Concessions Management Department determine the level of space availability at LAX to convert into useable, rentable retail space for existing and future concessionaires, in light of the significant drop in sales resulting from the impacts of 9-11 and the Homeland Security Administration’s requiring airports to rearrange security zones for their ticketed passengers, thus restricting non-ticketed passengers from entering shopping areas.

GC Tech’s Role: 2006-2009. For all nine terminals at LAX, GC Tech determined capacity requirements for increasing concessionaire space and layout at the airport.  Reviewed existing documentation and as-built drawings and presented findings to the Concessions Management Department on the availability of utility resources to increase space for additional retail and food and beverage concessionaires. The firm performed 2,500 direct airport passenger surveys determining their   concerns regarding amenities and their preferences for commercial / retail consumer products and types, brands of beverage and food establishments.

Distinctive Elements: Determined power generation deficiencies of the existing LAX Central Utility Plant to the 9 terminals

GC Tech’s Budget: $180,000

Contact Person: Karen Tober, Director, Concessions Management, 310.646.7393

CALTRANS STATE ROUTE 101 FREEWAY – SAN FERNANDO VALLEY INNOVATIVE “LIGHT WEIGHT” SOUND WALL DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

CLIENT: CALTRANS – BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH AND PRE-SCHOOL
PROJECT: SOUND WALL “DESIGN-BUILD”,  ALONG CALTRANS R-O-W
LOCATION: ENCINO, CALIFORNIA

Planning, engineering designs, construction management
Community Outreach
Permits and regulatory approvals
Project management

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

1991-2009:  Caltrans Statewide Sound Wall Program sought innovative methods to use non-traditional approaches for building sound walls along freeways abutting residential and other sensitive receptor areas.  The subject sound wall, built in 1991, has exceeded its 15-year warranty period, responds well to routine re-painting necessitated by taggers, and withstood the 1994 Northridge Earthquake better than other standard, concrete walls, many of which cracked.  The church and pre-school are pleased with it and Caltrans prides this “pilot” demonstration project as its premier solution to “cheaper, quicker and better” approach to sound walls.

GC Tech’s ROLE:  Senior personnel of the firm served as facilitators in the overall public outreach and stakeholder/consensus building with Bethel Lutheran Church & Pre-school, Caltrans District 7 Sound Wall Division, and Caltrans inspectors.  The firm prepared civil engineering and construction supervision for this project, which involved erecting a 300 ft. long, 11 ft. high, sound wall made of environmental-friendly polyurethane materials, manufactured by Insulock, Inc.  The firm coordinated with Caltrans Right-of-Way an easement for footing to erect this wall along the SR 101 Freeway, near the White Oak exit, in a residential area.  Furthermore, the firm led engineering design, permits application preparation and approvals from the Caltrans Structures Division in Sacramento and furthermore, monitored the required sound tests performed by Western Acoustical Laboratories, a foremost, renowned sound lab located in Santa Monica, CA.

The firm served as task leader for public outreach and coordinated project adaptability with local elected officials, neighborhood groups, and the design-build team.

GC Tech’s Budget :$25,500

Contact:Deborah Robertson, Deputy Director, Caltrans District 7, 213.897.4314

HEAVY RAIL TRANSIT FACILITIES UPGRADES

CLIENT: WASHINGTON METRO AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY
PROJECT: GENERAL ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING CONSULTING
LOCATION: WASHINGTON, D.C.

Safety Certifications
Electrical Engineering Design
CADD
Community Outreach – Transit Oriented Development

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

2006-2011: WMATA operates 87 heavy rail stations serving the D.C. region, including Maryland and Virginia and as such several of these aging stations need renovation, vehicles need quality reviews, station areas need assessments to determine higher and best uses and capacity planning.  Furthermore, systems installed when the services began in 1978 are being enhanced to undergo major upgrades to facilitate new technology and state-of-the-art changes for the Nation’s Capital transit system.

GC Tech’s Role:  The firm performs community outreach for the systemwide program plan for Transit Oriented Developments at selected stations, such as Largo Station in Maryland and assists in planning for the consultant joint venture of Parsons Transportation Group, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Delon Hampton Associates, known as P2D.

GC Tech provides support for planning in the areas of transit station area development studies, Visual Preference Surveys, electrical engineering upgrade design reviews for stations, system wide maintenance of way, and maintenance facilities.  Other duties include electrical engineering, information state-of-the-art integration of communications systems in tunnels and throughout stations, stations layout and reconfigurations.   The firm’s electrical engineers perform numerous design documentation and drawings for AC and battery rooms upgrades, which in effect, assist in increasing the candle watt power for improved lighting at station platform and mezzanine levels in the subway.

Budget: $600,000

Contact: James Richer, Parsons, (P2D) Project Manager, P2D, 202.775.3300