REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
March 2, 2017
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: ANDREW J. BENELLI, PE, City Engineer / Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Traffic and Engineering Services Division
CRAIG L. HANSEN, Supervising Real Estate Agent
Public Works Department, Real Estate Services Section
SUBJECT
Title
Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a grant deed for the sale of City-owned vacant property located on “G” Street and beneath the former Monterey Street Bridge (APN 467-091-14T) in the amount of $107,581 to the State of California (Council District 3).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approves the sale of 37,601 square feet of vacant property located adjacent to “G” Street and beneath the former Monterey Street Bridge to the State of California High Speed Rail Authority in the amount of $107,581.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Monterey Street Bridge was the gateway into Fresno via Golden State Highway when the newly constructed bridge opened in 1948. By the early 1960’s Golden State Highway was replaced by State Route 99 and Golden State Highway, including Monterey Street Bridge, was relinquished to the City of Fresno in 1964. By the early 2000’s, Monterey Street Bridge began suffering structural deficiencies and was subsequently closed to the motoring public and demolished in 2013. The City of Fresno still owns the right-of-way beneath the former bridge and a portion of that land is now required by the California High Speed Rail Authority (Authority).
BACKGROUND
The City of Fresno acquired the subject property through a relinquishment from the Division of Highways (Caltrans) in 1964. A portion of that property is now required as the future corridor of High Speed Rail adjacent to “G” Street and the Fresno Rescue Mission. The Authority needs to purchase a portion of APN 467-091-14T. The land being sold to the Authority totals 37,601 square feet. The Authority engaged the right-of-way firm of Overland, Pacific & Cutler Inc. to appraise the subject property and the fair market value came to $2.86 per square foot. The offer to purchase the 37,601 square feet is $107,581.00 which City staff concurs is a fair offer.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The acquisition was previously environmentally assessed by the Authority as part of the Fresno to Bakersfield section of the California High Speed Rail project. As lead agency, the Authority prepared an Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement and Section 4(f) Evaluation and Draft General Conformity Statement for the Fresno to Bakersfield section of the California High Speed Rail Project (SCH No. 2009091126) and it was certified on May 7, 2014. The EIR included acquisition of the subject parcels in its project description and as such, the impact of such acquisitions was considered as a part of the overall analysis in the EIR. As the responsible agency defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15381, the City of Fresno is responsible for mitigating or avoiding only the direct or indirect environmental effects of those parts of the project which it decides to approve. After conducting a review of the adequacy of the EIR in conjunction with the Authority’s request to purchase the subject parcels, and after considering the environmental effects of those parts of the project which the City is deciding to carry out, staff recommends the City Council find that a supplemental or subsequent EIR or Negative Declaration is not required pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15162 or 15163 because:
1. No substantial changes are proposed in the project which will require major revisions of the previous EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects due to the proposed action. In this case, there are no changes to the project as a result of the proposed action.
2. No substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances under which the project is undertaken which will require major revisions to the previous EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects due to the proposed action. In this case, there are no changes to the project as a result of this prosed action.
3. There is no new information which was not known and could not have been known at the time of the previous EIR that the project will have significant effect not discussed in the EIR related to the proposed action.
Furthermore, it has been determined that none of the mitigation measures and alternatives previously determined to be infeasible are now feasible as they relate to this prosed action. In addition, no new mitigation measures or alternatives that would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environmental resulting from this proposed action have been identified.
Further, the City Council directs staff to file a Notice of Determination with the Fresno county Recorder pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15096(i).
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not implicated because this item does not involve public contracting or bidding with the City of Fresno.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City will receive $107,581.00 from the sale of the property, which will be deposited into the City of Fresno General Fund.
Attachment:
Aerial photo of subject property