Historic Resources Survey for Castro Valley *UPDATED 3/25/2026*

COUNTY OF ALAMEDA
Questions & Answers
to
IRFP No. PLN2026-001
for
HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY FOR CASTRO VALLEY
Networking/Bidders Conference Held on March 18, 2026, at 9 a.m.
This County of Alameda, General Services Agency (GSA), IRFP Questions & Answers
(Q&A) has been electronically issued to potential bidders via email. Email addresses
used are those in the County's Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) Vendor
Database or other sources. If you have registered or are certified as a SLEB, please
ensure that the complete and accurate email address is noted and kept updated in
the SLEB Vendor Database. This IRFP Q&A will also be posted on the GSA
Contracting Opportunities website located at Alameda County Current Contracting
Opportunities.
Alameda County is committed to reducing environmental impacts across our entire supply
chain. If printing this document, please print only what you need, print double-sided, and
use recycled-content paper.
Rev. 5/7/25

County of Alameda, General Services Agency - Procurement
IRFP No. PLN2026-001, Questions & Answers
Thank you for your participation and interest in the County of Alameda IRFP No. PLN2026-001 -
Historic Resources Survey for Castro Valley.
Below is a list of questions received by County staff during the March 18, 2026, networking/bidders
conference and via email, along with corresponding responses.
Questions and Answers:
Q1) Will consultants be expected to participate in interviews and public meetings in-person or
virtually?
A1) If interviews are conducted, in-person attendance is preferred, although a hybrid option may be
available upon request. Public meeting attendance may be either in person or virtual; however,
in-person participation is preferred.
Q2) Do you anticipate the agricultural buildings in the Castro Valley canyons being part of the scope
and if so, are there DPR forms for any of these properties that can be shared?
A2) The Parks, Recreation, and Historical Commission (PRHC) has expressed a desire to include
agricultural buildings in the survey. We acknowledge that it may be difficult to see many of
these properties from the road. We ask bidders to include what they think is feasible in their
proposals. Examples of DPR forms that the County has for properties located in the Castro
Valley Canyons can be found here.
Q3) Do the 13,000 potentially historic properties in Castro Valley referenced in the IRFP include
agricultural buildings?
A3) We believe so. For context, the 13,000 properties were identified using data from the County
Assessor's Office. We suggest viewing or reading the minutes from the past few PRHC meetings
to get a sense of what the PRHC would like to see included in the survey for additional
background information. Meeting agendas and minutes can be found here.
Q4) Will the PRHC be reviewing drafts of work?
A4) Yes. We anticipate the PRHC, or a PRHC subcommittee, will review at least one version of work.
Q5) Will the PRHC be involved in deciding what properties will receive DPR forms?
A5) Yes. The intention is for the PRHC to choose properties from a short list to receive intensive-
level treatment, including the preparation of DPR forms.
Q6) Can you provide more information on the SLEB program and does the County maintain a list of
qualified businesses?
A6) See the SLEB website for more information about the program, including a database of
qualified businesses.
IRFP No. PLN2026-001, Questions & Answers
Page 2 of 5

County of Alameda, General Services Agency - Procurement
IRFP No. PLN2026-001, Questions & Answers
Q7) What is the PRHC looking for in regards to indigenous and cultural sites?
A7) The PRHC's only request was that these sites be considered in the project. Please include your
approach to this in your proposal.
Q8) Is the expectation to include local tribes in stakeholder outreach?
A8) We are open to ideas. The scope of work was developed to allow flexibility, and we encourage a
range of approaches.
Q9) Is the intent to prioritize the oldest structures?
A9) This was the request of the PRHC. We ask bidders to outline a logical approach to surveying
structures that fall within the range of 45 years old or older.
Q10) What did the zoom meeting scheduled for March 18 @ 9:00AM cover? Or was it just the
opportunity for consultants to ask questions?
A10) The Networking/Bidders Conference served three primary purposes and included a staff
presentation regarding the IRFP. First, it allowed Small Local Emerging Businesses (SLEBs) and
larger firms to network and explore potential subcontracting partnerships for any contracts that
may result from this Informal Request for Proposal (IRFP). Second, it provides Bidders with the
opportunity to ask project-specific questions and request clarification regarding the IRFP.
Finally, it offered the County a forum to receive feedback on both the project and the IRFP.
Refer to Attachment 1 for a copy of the presentation.
Q11) If we missed this conference, would we still have an opportunity to submit a proposal by April
6?
A11) Yes. Please review the instructions carefully and the schedule outlined in the IRFP. Proposals
are due on April 6th by 2pm.
Q12) Does the project proponent have funding in-hand?
A12) Yes, the County currently has a $40,000 budget. An additional $40,000 is anticipated in
September 2026, pending Board of Supervisor approval for a total of $80,000 to support the
IRFP scope of work.
Q13) Is the project funded through a federal or state grant (and/or with matching funds)?
A13) The project is locally funded.
Q14) Has a budget been determined?
A14) Refer to Q12.
IRFP No. PLN2026-001, Questions & Answers
Page 3 of 5

County of Alameda, General Services Agency - Procurement
IRFP No. PLN2026-001, Questions & Answers
Q15) Would the County consider a proposal that extends the timeline of the project up to a year in
order to incorporate robust volunteer training and participation in the survey effort?
A15) The timeline cannot be extended at this time; however, this may be considered in the future.
Q16) Can the County provide more info on the "diversity of stakeholders and community members"
the needs of which the scope should be tailored to address?
A16) The County's reference to a 'diversity of stakeholders and community members' includes, but is
not limited to, residents, property owners, advisory bodies (i.e. PRHC and Municipal Advisory
Councils), decision making bodies, and other interested stakeholders.
Q17) In an effort to complete all deliverables and Key Documents within the current contract fee,
would the County consider proposals that include quarterly rather than monthly team
meetings?
A17) Staff's preference is to hold monthly meetings.
Q18) In an effort to complete all deliverables and Key Documents within the current contract fee,
while still prioritizing the "oldest" structures which the County has expressed preference for,
would the County consider proposals that reduce the "period of study" to end in 1960, thus
reducing the number of properties surveyed in the recon phase and the period covered by the
Historic Context Statement?
A18) Staff recognizes budget constraints and are open to modifications to the scope; however, these
tasks were identified at the direction of PRHC. Any tasks that may not be completed should be
identified as optional with anticipated cost, along with how they could be addressed in future
phases.
Q19) Can the County confirm whether the requested technical support in preparing for and
delivering presentations in up to four public meetings would require consultant attendance, or
just support? If attendance, would this be four in person meetings?
A19) Both. Virtual or in person attendance is acceptable.
Q20) Is the County able to remit payments for monthly rather than quarterly invoicing?
A20) No.
Q21) If required, will the vendor interviews be in person or virtual?
A21) Refer to Q1.
Q22) We just became aware of the project and plan on submitting a proposal. Question, what did the
zoom meeting scheduled for March 18 @ 9:00AM cover? Or was it just the opportunity for
consultants to ask questions?
IRFP No. PLN2026-001, Questions & Answers
Page 4 of 5

County of Alameda, General Services Agency - Procurement
IRFP No. PLN2026-001, Questions & Answers
A22) Refer to Q10 above.
IRFP No. PLN2026-001, Questions & Answers
Page 5 of 5

VENDOR BID LIST
IRFP No. PLN2026-001 - HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY FOR CASTRO VALLEY
This Vendor Bid List is being provided for informational purposes to assist bidders in contacting other
businesses as needed to develop local small and emerging business subcontracting relationships to
meet the Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) Program requirement.
The following revised vendor bid list includes contact information for each vendor attendee at the
Networking/Bidders Conferences.
Business Name Contact Name Area(s) of Expertise Email
Architectural Resources
Mary Ringhoff Architectural history m.ringhoff@argcreate.com
Group
Christina Dikas Historic preservation Dikas@page-turnbull.com
Page & Turnbull
Brobst planning/architectural history
Castro Valley History
Randy Vanderbilt Castro Valley History Randyvanderbilt@yahoo.com
Museum
Archaeological/Historical Molly Fierer-
molly.fierer@ahc-heritage.com
Consultants Donaldson
Environmental Science Historic resource evaluations,
Becky Urbano burbano@esassoc.com
Associates (ESA) Planning, Surveys
Connor Turnbull
Connor Turnbull connor@turnbullpreservation.com
Preservation Consulting
IRFP No. PLN2026-001, Vendor Bid List
Page 1 of 1

ATTACHMENT 1
Networking/Bidders Conference
Historic Resources Survey for Castro Valley
#PLN 2026-001
Alameda County Community Development Agency
Planning Department
March 18, 2026

Agenda
1. Introductions
2. Background
3. Project Overview
4. Additional Information
5. Project Schedule
6. Questions

Introductions
CDA Planning Department, Policy Planning & Research Team
Angelica Gonzalez,
(she/her) angelica.gonzalez@acgov.org 510-670-6524
Senior Planner
Dominic Lucchesi,
(he/him) dominic.Lucchesi@acgov.org 510-670-6517
Planner II
Participants in this conference: Name, Pronouns, Organization, Contact Info,
Area(s) of Expertise

Sign-in
https://forms.office.com/g/tntZ7JdQqV