REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
December 1, 2016
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
THROUGH: 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
BY: CATHY RODRIGUEZ, Senior Real Estate Agent
Public Works Department, Real Estate Services Section
SUBJECT
Title
Approve acceptance of a donation of approximately 1.89 acres of property (APN 504-091-20T) owned by Central Unified School District for the future construction of a trailhead at N. Hayes Avenue and N. Veterans Boulevard. (Council District 2)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
1. Approve acceptance of a donation of approximately 1.89 acres of property for the future construction of a trailhead at N. Hayes Avenue and N. Veterans Boulevard.
2. Authorize the Public Works Director, or his designee, to sign all documents necessary to complete the transaction.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Central Unified School District has offered to dedicate 1.89 acres of property adjacent to Veterans Boulevard to the City for use as a future trailhead. The District purchased the property when they built River Bluff Elementary School. The property is divided from the school site by Palo Alto Avenue and is therefore difficult for them to utilize. The donated property will allow the City to construct a trailhead in conjunction with the Veterans Boulevard multi-purpose trail, as shown in concept on the attached exhibit. The property is valued at $226,400 per property appraisal completed on December 4, 2015, but would be donated to the City at no cost. The donation is conditioned upon the City agreeing to construct the trailhead in the future and to maintain the facilities associated with the future trailhead, including a parking lot, a right-of-way for pedestrian walkway and bicycle path and a 10-foot wide reserved public pedestrian walkway easement on the property’s south lot line. City staff is in agreement with the conditions set forth.
BACKGROUND
Central Unified School District has offered to donate 1.89 acres of land to the City for the construction of a trailhead next to Veterans Boulevard. The subject parcel is adjacent to another parcel that has been offered as a donation from Lennar Homes. Both of these parcels were remnant remainder parcels that were created when the Veterans Boulevard right-of-way and the Palo Alto Avenue right-of-way cut diagonally through existing rectangular parcels. These two triangular parcels would be difficult to develop for housing, but are well suited for a trailhead. The trailhead will provide a meeting and rest area for trail users and a parking area for residents that want to drive to the facility and then walk, run or bike on the trail. See the attached concept plan for a possible trailhead design.
Veterans Boulevard will include a Class 1 bike route / trail on the north side of the roadway. The trail will connect to the existing trail that is adjacent to Herndon Avenue and will cross Route 99 on the bridge structure and extend down to West Shaw Avenue when completed. The trailhead will not be needed until the trail is completed. The Veterans Boulevard interchange at State Route 99 is currently scheduled to be completed in 2022, subject to availability of State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funding being allocated for the project.
Veterans Boulevard, originally referred to as the Herndon-Grantland Diagonal, was part of the 1984 General Plan and is a planned six-lane super arterial in the 2025 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 overcrossing will have three southbound lanes, a Class I bicycle lane/pedestrian trail on the west side of the structure and Class II bicycle lanes on both sides of the structure. The project will include two bridge structures, one to cross over Route 99 and one to cross over the existing Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Golden State Boulevard, and the future high speed rail tracks.
The City retained Kelly P. Stevens Real Property Analysts to appraise the property. Mr. Stevens worked under the direction of Lawrence D. Hopper, MAI. The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
An initial study and EIR (SCH No. 2010021054) was prepared for this project and adopted on June 7, 2013. This approval is to implement a portion the 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 the acquisition of this property does not include a bid or award of construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
The $130 million Veterans Boulevard Project which is located in Council District 2 will have no impact upon the General Fund. The Veterans Boulevard project is being funded through Measure “C” Tier 1 funds, Citywide Regional Street Impact fees, State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funding, Regional Transportation Mitigation Fees (RTMF) and Federal transportation funds.
The trailhead parking lot, landscaping, and trail construction are anticipated to be funded through a combination of Measure “C” Trail funding, Active Transportation Program (ATP) grants or several other air quality related grant programs. Funding for the trailhead has not been identified at this time. However, it is not anticipated that any General Fund would be used to complete the work.
Attachments:
APN Vicinity Map
Veterans and Hayes Trailhead