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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 3.B 04/21/2014EQ DATE: April 21, 2014 TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager FROM: Dan St. ��/ Director, Public Works and Utilities Curt Bates, P.E. — City Engineer SUBJECT: Second Reading of an Ordinance Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) for the Conveyance of Real Property located at Haystack Landing (APN: 005-060-062), Construction of Undercrossing Improvements and Reservation and Grant of Easements for Planned Pedestrian and Bicycle Trail RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) for the conveyance of real property located at Haystack Landing (APN: 005-060-062), construction of undercrossing improvements and reservation and grant of easements for planned pedestrian and bicycle trail. BACKGROUND At its April 7, 2014 regular meeting, the Petaluma City Council unanimously voted (Councilmember Miller absent) to introduce an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) for the conveyance of real property located at Haystack Landing. The SMART rail commuter line will service Sonoma and Marin Counties between Santa Rosa and San Rafael, with possible expanded service and station sites in the future. The SMART project has been under construction for several years, including segments within the City of Petaluma, and is expected to commence passenger rail service starting in 2016. A major component of the SMART project is the removal of the existing swing bridge and installation of a bascule bridge over the Petaluma River immediately east of the US 101 freeway bridge. As part of the project, the bridge and rail tracks immediately north of the Petaluma River will be realigned, and the tracks will be relocated partially onto the City property known as "Haystack Landing." In the process of negotiating the conveyance of the property, City staff identified the need to acquire future easements and construct an undercrossing structure to accommodate the future River Trail in the area of the SMART project. This is necessary to Agenda Review: City Attorney Finance Director City Manager �r� comply with the transportation element of the City's General Plan 2025 and the City's Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, which call for a bicycle and pedestrian connection between the industrial area on Hopper Street and the Petaluma Marina. The proposed agreement would convey the necessary property to SMART for their railroad bridge improvement while securing the needed easements and railroad undercrossing for the future River Trail in the area. DISCUSSION As part of the proposed property transfer and SMART rail and bridge reconstruction, City staff requested that SMART install an undercrossing structure to accommodate a future public access pathway, aka "River Trail" connection as shown in Exhibit A, and provide the needed easements for the future trail. The proposed undercrossing structure would connect the leg of the future pathway to be routed under the US 101 Bridge on Caltrans property and serve the proposed Riverfront property development with the leg crossing over to the Marina and Alman Marsh, Shollenberger Park, and Ellis Creek conservation areas. When completed, the River Trail would connect Lucchesi Park, through downtown, to Ellis Creel. A future pedestrian and bicycle bridge would be needed to cross a narrow drainage channel to connect the Haystack property to an existing trail on the Marina peninsula. It is critical to install the undercrossing structure as part of SMART's construction project while the new railroad embankment is being constructed and tracks are being re-laid, as opposed to waiting to install the structure after SMART's work is done and passenger rail service has commenced. Staff has specified in the subject agreement that the ped/bike undercrossing be 8 feet high and 10 feet wide, be constructed to exceed current ADA standards, have a sump to manage internal drainage, and be suitable for lighting in the future. The preliminary siting of the trail and undercrossing is the result of an initial alignment study and has been reviewed and recommended by PBAC. Two alternatives to connect the trail over to the Marina were considered, one including a bridge over a small drainage channel connecting to the existing path on the "Marina Peninsula" and the other running up the west side of the channel to Lakeville Road and then through the parking lot to the Marina. The bridge alternative is recommended because it provides a more aesthetic and economical solution. The proposed agreement will reserve a right to a 20 -foot wide public access easement and a 50 - foot wide temporary construction easement for the future pathway. These easements are necessary for the City to build and maintain the undercrossing structure and future connecting pathway segments. The final alignment of the River Trail has not yet been exactly established through a final design process. The proposed action meets Council Goal: "Create and Implement clear direction on development and sustainability objectives." FINANCIAL IMPACTS SMART provided the City with an original cost estimate in the amount of $39,700 to design and construct the pathway undercrossing structure and related improvements, and provide easements for the River Trail. However, as a result of subsequent revisions to design of SMART's planned railroad bridge, the estimated undercrossing construction costs have been reduced. The appraisal report for the City's Haystack Landing property valued the property at $27,470. City and SMART staff agree it is appropriate for the City and SMART to exchange the Haystack Landing property, with reservation of River Trail easements, for construction of the undercrossing improvements, and grant of River Trial easements, with no further consideration exchanged between the agencies. This results in a savings to the City of $12,230 that no longer must be paid to SMART and that would have been charged to Traffic Impact Mitigation Fees. ATTACHMENTS 1. Ordinance. 3 EFFECTIVE DATE OF ORDINANCE Introduced by Attachment 1 ORDINANCE NO. N.C.S. Seconded by AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SONOMA MARIN AREA RAIL TRANSIT DISTRICT (SMART) FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT HAYSTACK LANDING (APN: 005-060-062)9 CONSTRUCTION OF UNDERCROSSING IMPROVEMENTS AND RESERVATION AND GRANT OF EASEMENTS FOR A PLANNED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE TRAIL (SMART) WHEREAS, the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) requires the acquisition of a portion of City -owned property referred to as the Haystack Landing property as identified in the attached agreement to install railroad track bridge and related improvements in order for SMART to operate passenger rail service in Sonoma and Marin Counties; and, WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma recognizes the importance of regional passenger rail service to Petaluma and Sonoma and Marin Counties, and desires to cooperate with SMART to facilitate said rail service; and, WHEREAS, it is desirable as part of construction of SMART's railroad track bridge and related improvements to have constructed a concrete undercrossing structure and related improvements ("Undercrossing Improvements") in the new railroad embankment to accommodate the future City River Trail alignment in the area of SMART's project within the Haystack Landing property in accordance with the terms of the attached agreement for a future pedestrian and bicycle trail identified in the Petaluma General Plan as the River Trail; and, 4 WHEREAS, it is desirable in consideration of the conveyance of part of the City -owned Haystack Landing property to reserve from such conveyance a 20 -foot wide public access easement and a temporary construction access easement of sufficient size necessary for future River Trail pathway construction, at no additional charge to the City, to accommodate construction and operation of the undercrossing and associated future pathway segments, including a future pedestrian and bicycle bridge with approach(s), and/or abutment(s) on the Haystack Landing property, in accordance with the Petaluma General Plan; and WHEREAS, it is desirable in consideration of the conveyance of part of the City -owned Haystack Landing property for the City to obtain from SMART a 20 -foot wide public access easement and a temporary construction access easement of sufficient size necessary for future River Trail pathway construction, across SMART -owned property adjacent to the Haystack Landing property, at no additional charge to the City, to accommodate construction and operation of the undercrossing and associated future pathway segments, including a future pedestrian and bicycle bridge, in accordance with the Petaluma General Plan; and WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma has not identified existing or foreseeable uses for the Haystack Landing property other than the proposed River Trail public bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and conveyance of part of the Haystack Landing property for installation of railroad track bridge and related improvements for SMART operation of passenger rail service in Sonoma and Marin Counties and construction of undercrossing improvements and establishment of easements for the planned River Trail conflict with no City plans for the Haystack Landing property and are consistent with the Petaluma General Plan; and. WHEREAS, Section 46 of the Petaluma City Charter requires that actions providing for expenditures of $3,000 or more for acquisition or sale of real property be taken by ordinance, except where action is taken pursuant to general state law; and WHEREAS, on July 19, 2006, the SMART Board certified a Final Environmental Impact Report ("FEIR') pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") for SMART's 5 passenger rail project, including replacement of numerous bridges, including the Haystack Landing Bridge over the Petaluma River; and WHEREAS, on February 19, 2014, by Resolution No. 2014-01, the SMART Board adopted an Addendum to the FEIR addressing potential environmental impacts of proposed modifications to the Haystack Landing Bridge Replacement project, which modifications include the Undercrossing Improvements for the future River Trail pedestrian and bicycle pathway, and the SMART Board found that the bridge replacement project modifications will not result in any new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of the effects examined in the FEIR and the 2008 Supplemental EIR; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PETALUMA AS FOLLOWS: 1. The City Council hereby introduces this ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) for the conveyance of real property located at Haystack Landing (APN: 005-060-062), construction of undercrossing improvements and reservation and grant of easements for a planned pedestrian and bicycle trail. 2. The City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to sign an agreement with the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) for the conveyance of real property located at Haystack Landing (APN: 005-060-062), construction of undercrossing improvements and reservation and grant of easements for planned pedestrian and bicycle substantially in the form attached to and made a part of this ordinance as Attachment A. 3. The signed agreement shall be recorded with the Sonoma County Recorder's Office within 30 days after signature by all parties. 0