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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1999 0616 CC REG ITEM 11J7 ( &) ITEM ' J' Ci `a 41- is00RPART(,CALIFORNIA C s ?Y C auncii fleeting of ACTION: a '✓ t1/�.° CITY OF MOORPARK AGENDA REPORT To: The Honorable City Council From: Kenneth C. Gilbert, Director of Public Works Date: June 7, 1999 (Council Meeting 6- 16 -99) l Subject: Consider Vacating State Transportation Enhancement Act [TEA] Grant for the Construction of Freeway Landscaping OVERVIEW Caltrans has awarded a contract for the construction of landscape improvements along the freeway from a point east of Collins Drive to a point south of New Los Angeles Avenue. These improvements include fairly substantial landscaping and irrigation systems at Collins Drive and Princeton Avenue. West and south to New Los Angeles Avenue, the State's plans call for no irrigation systems and only the installation of oak tree seedlings. This project constructs all of the landscape improvements required by the Freeway Agreement and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This project will also construct all of the improvements which were to be installed by the City's grant- funded City project, with the exception of the Monument Entry Sign which was to be constructed within the freeway right -of -way. In that the majority of the objectives of the grant application have been met, it is recommended that the subject grant application be withdrawn. BACKGROUND The Caltrans Freeway Connector Project was completed in 1993. As you may recall, the EIS and the City / Caltrans Freeway Agreement pertaining to that project, required the installation of landscaping. Said landscaping was not installed with the initial construction project. When it appeared that the landscaping would be deferred indefinitely, other solutions were pursued. It was actually staff at the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) who suggested that the City apply for a TEA grant to fund a project to construct at least a portion of the required freeway landscaping. freeway_LS 000695 TEA Grant: Freeway Landscaping June 7, 1999 Page 2 The City's TEA grant application was for $300,000, with a $34,500 local match. The grant was to fund construction costs only. In addition to the $34,500 local match for construction, the City would also have to fund all design, inspection, contract administration and project management costs, which are estimated to exceed $70,000. In addition, the City would have to fund any construction costs which exceed the grant amount, and fund any future maintenance cost for improvements over and beyond what would be considered by Caltrans to be "normal" landscaping. The City's grant application proposed the installation of a very much "scaled- down" version of the State's $1 million project. In addition, in order to meet certain grant requirements relating to "enhancement," the City's grant application also proposed the installation of a City Entry Monument sign within the freeway right -of -way, to be placed in the landscaped area on the north side of the freeway just east of the Collins Drive overpass, to be placed in a spot visible to westbound traffic. DISCUSSION It is recommended that the subject grant be vacated. This recommendation is supported by certain considerations summarized as follows: 1. It is the view of staff that the TEA grant application very likely was instrumental in getting Caltrans to finally fund the freeway landscaping project. To the extent that this may be true, the TEA grant application has served a useful purpose. 2. Caltrans has approved, funded and is proceeding with the construction of the full freeway landscaping project. The construction cost estimate for this project is approximately $1 million. Construction of that project is ongoing and is expected to be completed within two months. 3. The Caltrans project includes almost all of the work proposed by the City's project, and fully meets the requirements of the Freeway Agreement and the EIS for the Freeway Connector Project. 4. With the withdrawal of the grant application, the City will no longer have to expend the $34,500 in local matching funds, plus support costs exceeding $70,000. 5. With the withdrawal of the City's project, the City will also no longer have to undertake and fund the future maintenance of the monument entry sign, which would include energy cost for lighting plus other sign maintenance costs. Freeway_LS_ntc TEA Grant: Freeway Landscaping June 7, 1999 Page 3 6. It was the intent of City to construct a "scaled- down" version of the State's project and then convey these improvements to Caltrans to be maintained by Caltrans. The City was never given any assurances that this project would be approved by Caltrans or that Caltrans would accept and provide for the future maintenance of these improvements. Caltrans approval of the subject project may have been conditioned upon the City agreeing to fund and provide for the future maintenance of those improvements. Such Caltrans' requirement could have caused the City to reconsider and ultimately vacate the project. 7. The Caltrans Traffic Design and /or Permits Branches had not yet reviewed or approved the City's proposal to place a City entry monument sign within the freeway right -of -way. From information received on this matter, it is the view of staff that such a request would very likely have been denied. If that had occurred, the "enhancement" element of the project would have been eliminated, placing the funding in jeopardy and thus causing the City to vacate the project. 8. It is not possible to divert the subject grant funds to another project. The grant application of these funds was judged in competition with projects submitted by other agencies and the grant was awarded to the City on the basis of the merits of the modified freeway landscaping and entry sign project. Diversion of the funds to another project would be circumvent this competitive and merit based process. It should be noted that the City recently received approval of another TEA grant application via the above described merit -based competitive process. That project is the construction of landscaping at the entrance to the south Metro Link Parking Lot. 9. If the City were to request and were to be granted approval of the use of these grant monies for the construction of landscape enhancements at another location on the freeway, such as the New Los Angeles Avenue interchange or the Tierra Rejada Road interchange, such improvements would be considered by Caltrans to be over and above the level of landscaping required to be provided by Caltrans. In that it is the policy of Caltrans to not fund or provide for the maintenance of such landscape "enhancements," Caltrans would require the City to fund and provide for the maintenance of these landscape improvements under a Caltrans Encroachment Permit issued to the City. 10. If the City vacates the subject TEA grant, the funds will be made available to fund another eligible project within the County of Ventura. Freeway_LS_ntc 000697 TEA Grant: Freeway Landscaping June 7, 1999 Page 4 RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council authorize staff to advise VCTC that the City wishes to vacate the subject TEA grant for a modified freeway landscaping project. Freeway_LS_ntc 000698