REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
July 25, 2019
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: Randall W. Morrison, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Engineering Division
SUBJECT
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Approve an Agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric Company in the amount of $62,099.06 to Install Applicant Requested Common Special Facilities for the installation of a new service connection for the Veterans Boulevard Project at the intersection of Veterans Boulevard and Bullard Avenue (Council District 2)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve an agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in the amount of $62,099.06 for the for the installation of a new service connection at the intersection of Veterans Boulevard and Bullard Avenue and authorize the Public Works Director, or his designee, to execute the agreement on behalf of the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The first phase of the Veterans Boulevard Project is currently under construction and nearing completion. The first phase includes the construction of Bullard Avenue from its existing easterly limit to the Riverside Drive and Veterans Boulevard intersection along with the entire storm drainage system for the Veterans Boulevard Grade Separation Package. In addition, the project will include a new traffic signal at the Veterans Boulevard and Bullard Avenue intersection. The proposed agreement with PG&E is for PG&E to provide the necessary electrical service connection to power the traffic signal and street lights being installed for the project.
BACKGROUND
Veterans Boulevard, originally referred to as the Herndon-Grantland Diagonal, was originally part of the 1984 General Plan and is now a planned six-lane super arterial in the 2035 General Plan. The interchange concept was refined in 1986 with a feasibility study conducted to analyze potential interchange/grade separation configurations. In 1991, a Project Initiation Document was completed, and in 1996, the Official Plan Line for Veterans Boulevard was adopted by the Council. In recent years, staff has completed the Project Study Report (PSR), Project Report and Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Veterans Boulevard and the proposed interchange with State Route 99 are identified as part of the Circulation Element in both the City and County General Plans. The new interchange will be a partial cloverleaf connecting State Route 99 and Veterans Boulevard. The new roadway will have six travel lanes, a Class I bicycle lane/pedestrian trail on one side and Class II bicycle lanes on both sides. The project will include three bridge structures, one to cross over State Route 99, one over future relocated Golden State Boulevard and one to cross over the existing Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the future high speed rail tracks.
On December 11, 2011, the Council approved an amendment to the Cooperative Agreement with the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) for the Veterans Boulevard/State Route 99 Interchange and Grade Separation, Urban Project N-1. The amendment provided authorization from FCTA for $8.8 million for the plan, specifications and estimates or final design phase of the project. In June 2013, Caltrans certified and approved the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Project Report for the Veterans Boulevard Project from Shaw Avenue to Herndon Avenue, including a new freeway interchange at State Route 99 and an overpass at the Union Pacific Railroad, was also signed and approved by Caltrans in July 2013. The FCTA and Fresno Council of Governments (COG) have also approved a total of $15.8 million in right-of-way acquisition funds for the project.
The EIR for the California HSR Project's Merced to Fresno segment included the selection of an at-grade alignment just west of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks through much of northwest Fresno including the area near Shaw Avenue, Carnegie Avenue and the Veterans Boulevard alignment. At locations such as Shaw Avenue, the HSR project proposes to construct a grade separation to carry Shaw Avenue over the UPRR and HSR tracks. This is also the case at other locations along the HSR corridor such as Herndon Avenue (underpass) to the north and further south at McKinley Avenue (overpass), Olive Avenue (overpass), Tulare Street (underpass), Ventura Avenue (underpass) and Church Avenue (overpass). Carnegie Avenue is a short street segment between Golden State Boulevard and Bullard Avenue which was deemed to be infeasible for a grade separation at that location, due to the close proximity of Golden State and Bullard Avenues. The high volume of traffic utilizing Carnegie Avenue made it also infeasible to close the crossing and re-route as far as Herndon and Shaw Avenues. The City Administration, City staff and CHSRA representatives developed a solution which is set forth in the EIR for the Merced to Fresno segment, of mitigating the Carnegie Avenue at-grade railroad crossing closure through constructing Veterans Boulevard between Golden State Boulevard and Bullard Avenue, including the Bullard Avenue extension from Carnegie Avenue to Veterans Boulevard.
City staff and CHSRA representatives agreed it makes much more sense for the City to construct the Veterans Boulevard grade separation and Bullard Avenue extension given that it is part of the larger City project and will ensure compatibility with subsequent phases of Veterans Boulevard. The City Council approved the cooperative funding agreement for the Veterans Boulevard Project with CHSRA on September 12, 2013. The agreement allows for the City to construct the facility with the CHSRA to pay 100% of all construction costs including City bidding costs, construction management, inspection and testing.
On August 30, 2018, City Council awarded the construction contract to American Paving Company of Fresno for the construction of the first phase of Veterans Boulevard. The construction of Bullard Avenue from the existing easterly limit to the Riverside Drive and Veterans Boulevard intersection along with the entire storm drainage system for the Veterans Boulevard Grade Separation Package are currently under construction. The project includes the installation of a new traffic signal at the Veterans Boulevard and Riverside Drive/Bullard Avenue intersection and street lights. The proposed agreement is to have PG&E supply the necessary electrical service connection for these facilities. PG&E’s scope of work includes new equipment and reconfiguration of their existing facilities in order to handle the necessary electrical loading. Staff recommends Council approve the Agreement to install Applicant Requested Common Special Facilities with PG&E in the amount of $62,099.06 and to authorize the Public Works Director or designee to sign and execute the agreement on behalf of the City of Fresno.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
An initial study and EIR (SCH No. 2010021054) was prepared for the Veterans Boulevard Project and certified on June 7, 2013. This approval is to implement a portion of that project. An analysis has been performed pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 to determine whether subsequent environmental review is required for this project. Based upon this analysis the following findings are made to support the determination that no subsequent environmental review is required:
1. No substantial changes are proposed in the project which will require major revisions to the EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects because the project is being implemented as planned.
2. No substantial changes occurred with respect to the circumstances under which the project was undertaken which will require major revisions to the EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. The project will not have any significant effects not discussed in the EIR, and there are no mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible that are now feasible.
3. There is no new information, which was not known and could not have been known at the time of the EIR that was not discussed in the EIR.
Based upon these findings, it has been determined that no further environmental documentation is required for this project.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered because PG&E will perform the work on their own facilities and this agreement does not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract by the City.
FISCAL IMPACT
The $150 million Veterans Boulevard Project which is located in Council District 2 will have no impact on the General Fund. The overall Veterans Boulevard Project is being funded through California High Speed Rail Authority funding, various types of Measure “C” funding, Regional Transportation Mitigation Impact Fees, and City Development Impact Fees. The City continues to explore funding options to fully fund the Veterans Boulevard Project. This contract falls under the Veterans Boulevard Grade Separation scope and is included in the cooperative funding agreement with California High Speed Rail Authority. The appropriations for this contract are included in the City Council adopted capital budget.
Attachment:
Vicinity Map
Agreement