The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 1999 0721 CC REG ITEM 10DAGENDA REPORT CITY OF MOORPARK 72.S. i r ITEM 10• D. CITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting of 1 f -�)iGi q ACTION:�'nV�?Ct 6' mm6n c b bCn MI A , iii ♦.i� ;�.I� TO: The Honorable City Council ;C�� FROM: Kenneth C. Gilbert, Director of Public Worksl DATE: July 9, 1999 (Council Meeting 7- 21 -99) SUBJECT: Consider Adding Landscape Improvements to the Design for the Los Angeles East Improvement Project OVERVIEW This report discusses the cost impacts of adding landscaping to the design for the approved block retaining walls, as well as adding raised landscaped medians to the design for the proposed street realignment and reconstruction. BACKGROUND On June 2, 1999, the City Council heard a presentation on a number of alternative retaining wall designs for the project and directed staff to proceed with the project design using a "Keystone" type concrete block for the retaining walls to be constructed. At that meeting questions were raised about the feasibility and cost of adding landscaping to the wall design. Questions were also raised about the feasibility and cost of adding a landscaped median to the design for the proposed street improvements. DISCUSSION A. Retaining Walls 1. Construction Costs: At the June 2 meeting,. the City Council was advised that the estimated cost for the construction of the required retaining walls using the Keystone block design, was approximately $875,000 (estimated square footage of wall face: 30,000 s.f.) . 000020 L A East Project: Landscaping July 9, 1999 Page 2 2. Landscaping: As mentioned above, the City Council asked that staff prepare a full analysis of the cost impacts of revising the wall design to include landscaping. 3. Additional Easement Width: No additional easement width will be required if landscaping is added. 4. Landscaping / Irrigation - Design: The additional design costs for adding landscaping to the wall design is approximately $6,000. The final design for the wall landscaping will be developed with assistance from the block manufacturer. Design options range from scattered landscaped bowls constructed into the wall, to landscaped terraced shelves. Although drought tolerant plants will be used, it will be necessary to install and maintain an irrigation system, most likely a drip system. 5. Landscaping / Irrigation - Construction: The estimated added construction costs for adding landscaping and irrigation to the retaining wall design is estimated to be approximately $75,000 [$2.50 x 30,000sf = $75,0001. 6. Annual Landscape Maintenance Costs: It is estimated that the annual maintenance cost for the wall landscaping will be approximately $5,000 [4000 LF x 1' wide = 4,000 sf x two (2.5) rows = 10,000 sf $.025 /sf /mo = $250 /mo x 12 mos. _ $3,000, plus contingency plus extra costs = $5,000.1 7. Maintenance Requirements: Due to the height and location of some of the landscaped areas, the project will very likely require special equipment (ladders) and training (safety). Although the full extent of such needs has not yet been determined, the cost estimate noted above is believed to be sufficient to fully fund such efforts. 8. Cost Summary (Walls only): Plus Additional 5,000 Annual Maint.Costs * ** Wall design is provided by the manufacturer for little or no cost. L A East4 LS -- - 000021 Retaining Wall Costs ($) Current Revised Description Estimate Change Estimate Design * ** 6,000 * ** Construction 875,000 75,000 950,000 Inspection 60,000 5,000 65,000 Total 935,000 86,000 1,015,000 Plus Additional 5,000 Annual Maint.Costs * ** Wall design is provided by the manufacturer for little or no cost. L A East4 LS -- - 000021 L A East Project: Landscaping July 9, 1999 Page 3 B. Median 1. Background: Some time ago the City Council approved the alignment and conceptual design for the re- alignment and widening of the subject segment of Los Angeles Avenue [East] . The scope of work for that project included the addition of pavement width to accommodate two twelve feet (121) wide travel lanes, one fourteen feet (141) wide paved center median, eight feet (81) of pavement beyond the side line in each direction for pedestrians and bicycles and gravel shoulders. Said improvements were to be constructed within an eighty -eight feet (881) right -of -way - a corridor wide enough to accommodate two lanes in each direction should future needs require. 2. Landscaping: As mentioned above, the City Council recently asked that staff prepare a full analysis of the cost impacts of revising the design to include a raised and landscaped center median. 3. Design Centerline: In order to lower costs, the design centerline for the above described street improvements does not coincide with the centerline of the ultimate eighty - eight feet (881) right -of -way. The present design attempts to lower costs by maximizing the use of the existing roadbed. When and if the street were ever to be widened to two lanes in each direction, at that time the centerline for the street improvements would have been relocated to the centerline for the street right -of -way. 4. Changed Centerline: If it is decided that the raised center medians should be constructed with the initial street improvements, it is recommended that the design be amended to relocate the center line of the improvements to the centerline of the street right -of -way. This change is recommended in order to avoid the cost of the removal and reconstruction of the raised medians at a later date when and if the street is widened to four lanes. The added cost for this change is summarized as follows: • Design: $ 14,000 • Construction $197,000 • Inspection $ 0 $211,000 L_A_East4_LS 000022 L A East Project: Landscaping July 9, 1999 Page 4 5. Hardscape Improvements: The estimated cost of constructing the raised medians (median hardscape only) is as follows: • Design: $ 7,000 • Construction Median Hardscape $150,000 Less Pavement ($ 88,000) Net Construction Costs $ 62,000 • Inspection $ 15,000 $ 84,000 6. Landscaping / Irrigation: The estimated cost of the median landscaping is as follows: • Design: $ 6,000 • Construction $ 75,000 • Inspection $ 5,000 $ 86,000 7. Annual Landscape Maintenance Costs: It is estimated that the annual maintenance cost for the wall landscaping will be approximately $12,000 [30,000 SF x $.025 /sf /mo = $750 /mo x 12 mos. = $9,000, plus contingency = $12,000.1 8. Cost Summary (Medians only): The total cost impact of adding raised center medians to the proposed street improvements is summarized as follows: Median Description Costs Realign Street $211,000 Median Hardscape $ 84,000 Median Landscape $ 86,000 Sub -Total $381,000 Plus Annual Median $ 12,000 Landscape Maint. Costs C. Cost Summary: Landscaped Wall & Median The cost of adding landscaping to the wall and adding a center landscaped median is summarized as follows: Wall Description Landscaping Median Total Project Costs $86,000 $381,000 $467,000 Plus Annual $ 5,000 $ 12,000 $ 17,000 Maint.Costs L A —East4 LS �7 000023 L A East Project: Landscaping July 9, 1999 Page 5 D. Cost Summary: Total Project Total estimated project costs are summarized as follows: Description Design Right -of -Way Constr: Street Constr: Walls Inspection Sub -total Subject Changes Wall L/S Medians Sub -Total Current Estimate $ 203,000 $1,790,000 $1,409,000 $ 862,000 $ 204,000 $4,468,000 Subj ect Changes A B C D E 0 Revised Estimate $4,468,000 $ 86,000 $ 86,000 $374,000 $ 374,000 $381,000 $ 381,000 Total $4,468,000 $381,000 $4,849,000 Plus Added Annual Maintenance Costs as noted above. Notes: A. Design costs included in total costs noted below. B. No additional easements or right -of -way required. C. Cost changes included median costs noted below. D. Wall costs without landscaping. E. Added Inspection costs included in costs noted below. E. Funding for Landscape Maintenance Costs If approved for construction, either of the two above described landscaped areas would be funded by the Citywide landscape assessment levied by Assessment District AD84 -2. For the immediate future, it appears that projected assessment revenues are sufficient to fund these additional costs. However, it should be noted that at some point in the future, as more areas are added and /or the cost of maintaining existing facilities increase, Citywide maintenance costs may exceed assessment revenues. At that time the City would have to consider providing funding from other sources and /or consider a Citywide Mail Ballot for the approval of an increase to the assessment. F. Summary It is the view of staff that the added costs (see Section C) -- especially the annual maintenance costs -- of integrating landscaping into the design for the retaining walls, would be justified by the improved aesthetics of this option. However, due to the rather significant cost of re- designing the street improvements plans - and the significantly higher annual maintenance costs - it is not recommended that the project include landscaped medians. L_A_East4_LS 000024 L A East Project: Landscaping July 9, 1999 Page 6 STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council take the following actions: 1. Direct staff to add landscaping to the retaining wall design. 2. Direct staff to not revise the current design for the proposed street improvements. L_A_East4_LS 000025