REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
June 15, 2017
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: ANDREW BENELLI, PE, Assistant Director / City Engineer
Public Works Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the San Joaquin River Conservancy Eaton Trail Extension Project (Council District 2):
1. RESOLUTION - Adopting the 62nd Amendment to Annual Appropriations Resolution (AAR) No. 2016-118 to appropriate $97,000 in Measure “C” Trails funding for costs related to the Eaton Trail Extension Project.
2. Approve a professional services agreement with AECOM, Inc., in substantially the form attached, in the amount of $71,785 with a $7,000 contingency, and to authorize the Public Works Director to execute the agreement on behalf of the City.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Council adopt a resolution appropriating $97,000 in Measure “C” Trails funding toward environmental professional services and support costs related to the Eaton Trail Extension Project; and to approve a professional services agreement with AECOM, Inc., in substantially the form attached, in the amount of $71,785 with a $7,000 contingency, and to authorize the Public Works Director to execute the agreement on behalf of the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The San Joaquin River Conservancy proposes to extend the Lewis S. Eaton Trail for 2.4 miles by constructing a multi-purpose trail extension with ancillary recreation support features. The proposed project limits extend from the northwestern corner of Woodward Park to Spano Park at Palm and Nees Avenue to the west. In April 2017, the City provided comments on the Conservancy’s Draft Environmental Impact Report, recommending the adoption of Alternative 5 (Palm-Nees access point) which is consistent with the City of Fresno 2035 General Plan. Following the May 3, 2017 Conservancy Board meeting and the Board’s acceptance of the City’s offer to conduct further investigations of Alternative 5B for the Eaton Trail Extension, staff negotiated a cost proposal from AECOM for the additional environmental work related to Alternative 5B. Approval of the professional environmental services contract is extremely time-sensitive in order to meet the Conservancy’s deadline to certify the EIR by the end of the calendar year.
BACKGROUND
The Conservancy is the lead agency for a project to extend the Lewis S. Eaton Trail by approximately 2.4 miles to the west of its current terminus in Woodward Park, extending to Spano Park in the vicinity of Palm Avenue and Nees Avenue in northwest Fresno. The project would include a multi-purpose trail extension with ancillary recreation support features. The trail would be about 22 feet wide, with a 12-foot paved surface, a parallel 8-foot hard natural surface for equestrian use and a 2-foot shoulder. It generally would proceed from SR 41 to a point below the Spano Park overlook. A parking lot for 50 vehicles with a controlled vehicle entrance would be constructed adjacent to SR 41, near the northwestern corner of Woodward Park. Vehicle access to the parking lot would be at the Perrin Avenue undercrossing of SR 41. A gate and an unmanned parking pay station would be included to manage vehicle access. The parking lot would accommodate up to three horse trailer stalls and would have a fire hydrant, a drinking fountain, a public information bulletin board, a small pet station, and a two-vault restroom.
Pedestrian and bicycle access would be provided at four locations: Perrin Avenue (near the northwestern corner of Woodward Park), Spano Park, and the West Riverview Drive and Churchill Avenue entrances to the Bluff Trail. The Bluff Trail is an existing neighborhood trail, located on land owned by the City of Fresno. A 12-foot-wide paved connector trail would be constructed to provide access from the Bluff Trail to the trail extension near West Riverview Drive, and a wide staircase with bicycle guides would be constructed from Spano Park to the proposed trail. The Spano Park access and Bluff Trail access would be constructed on the steep slope of the San Joaquin River Bluffs.
The trail extension would be landscaped at intervals with native vegetation for habitat enhancement, visual screening, and shade. The landscaping would be irrigated until the vegetation is permanently established. Picnic areas, tables, benches, public safety and information signs, and wildlife observation areas would be provided along the trail extension at various locations. An ADA accessible vault restroom would be added near the toe of Spano Park.
Existing unimproved hiking paths to the riverbank would be connected to the trail extension. These paths would be widened up to 6 feet and overlaid with a permeable surface, such as decomposed gravel. These hiking paths would not be landscaped. On completion, the project would provide low-impact public recreational activities along the San Joaquin River, such as hiking, bicycling, horse riding, fishing, and nature observation. The project would cover approximately 8.9 acres within approximately 358 acres of public lands.
The Draft Environmental Impact Report as originally circulated identifies several alternatives, as follows:
Alternative 1: Added Parking. Addresses potential impacts on air quality and vehicle miles traveled associated with the project to provide greater, more convenient vehicle access for Fresno metropolitan area residents, including providing equal access for disadvantaged communities or census tracts, and to provide more parking capacity.
Alternative 2: Bluff Trail Alignment. Reduces the circuitous proposed trail alignment and may reduce potential impacts on the riparian habitat.
Alternative 3: River’s Edge Trail Alignment. Provides multiuse trail access close to the river and to possibly reduce the potential effects of wildland fires on residences located on the bluffs.
Alternative 4: No Parking. Addresses the potential significant effects of parking at the project site.
Alternative 5: Palm and Nees Access. Addresses the potential impacts on air quality and vehicle miles traveled associated with the project, to provide greater, more convenient vehicle access for Fresno metropolitan area residents, including providing equal access for disadvantaged communities, and to provide more parking capacity.
Alternative 6: No Project. Included in accordance with Section 15126.6(e)(3)(B) of the State CEQA Guidelines. Analysis of this alternative considers the effects under which the project would not proceed, and no trail extension, parking, or recreational amenities would be constructed.
Alternative 5 would provide auto access on the Fresno side of the river, near Palm and Nees avenues, and was designed to address the potential impacts on air quality and vehicle miles traveled associated with the project. It would also provide greater, more convenient vehicle access for Fresno area residents, including providing equal access for disadvantaged communities.
Due to the Conservancy’s lack of available funding to conduct the additional Alternative 5 studies desired by the City of Fresno, staff recommends the Council adopt the attached amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution, in order to provide Measure “C” Trails funding toward the Eaton Trail Extension project. AECOM has been working closely with the Conservancy on the EIR and has the necessary background and experience to complete this additional work in an expeditious manner.
Prior to execution of the agreement by the Public Works Director, the final agreement will be reviewed and approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a project pursuant to CEQA guidelines section 15378, as it is an administrative action that will not result in direct or indirect changes to the environment.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
AECOM is located within the City of Fresno.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be no impact to the General Fund by approving the professional services agreement. By adopting the recommended amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution, the costs for the environmental, planning and engineering support costs for the trail extension will be funded through the Measure “C” Trails program.
Attachments:
Agreement
AAR Resolution