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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPresentation 01/07/2008 1CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA PRESENTATION PETALUMA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION January 7, 2008 AGENDA BILL Aeenda Title: Presentation of Downtown Railroad Trestle Historic Meetine Date: January 7, 2008 Structure Report Meetine Time: ® 3:00 PM ❑ 7:00 PM Cateeory: ® Presentation ❑ Consent Calendar ❑ Public Hearing ❑ Unfinished Business ❑ New Business Department: Public Works Cost of Proposal: Amount Budeeted: $0 Director: Vinc- Marengo Contact Person: Diane Ramirez/ Larry Zimmer Attachments to Agenda Packet Item: 1. Memorandum to Council dated June 6, 2007 2. HSR Executive Report Summary Statement: Phone Number: 776-3658 Account Number: C200804 Name of Fund: 5510 -CBD The SMART -owned Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle (Trestle), located in the City's downtown, has been determined to be unsafe for pedestrian use and, therefore, has been fenced off, which creates a choke point for pedestrians walking along the River. In addition, many find the trestle in its current condition to be a blight to the area and wish it to be remedied. Prior to any alterations to the structure, a full evaluation of it should be conducted, including its potential contributions to the historic downtown and a determination of its role as part of the historic setting. Rehabilitation and renovation work on this structure will require a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process to be completed prior to approval of a project. If the project is federally funded, the CEQA equivalent Historic Property Survey Report is required as part of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106. Historic properties are properties that are included in the National Register of Historic Places, or that meet the criteria for the National Register. In the initial discussion phase, City Council desired to establish the historic contributing potential of the trestle through a formal Historic Structure Report (HSR) process, and directed Public Works to hire a consultant to provide the HSR for the Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle, Recommended Citv Council Action/Sueeested Motion: Reviewed b Admm. Svcs. DirReviewed by City Attornev: Approved byXity Manaeer: Date: (� (ty (� Date: Date: Rev. # Date Last Revised: File: S:\CIP Division\Projects\Trestle C200804\DESIGN\330 PCDC City CouncilUanuary 7 2008 Present HSR Agenda Bill\2008.01.07 PCDC AB Petaluma Trestle HSR Presentation.doc S:\CIP Division\Projects\Trestle C200804\DESIGN\330 PCDC City CouncilUanuary 7 2008 Present HSR Agenda BiM2008.01.07 PCDC AB Petaluma Trestle HSR Presentation.doc CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA PETALUMA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JANUARY 7, 2008 AGENDA REPORT FOR PRESENTATION OF DOWNTOWN RAILROAD TRESTLE HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The SMART -owned Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle (Trestle), located in the City's downtown, has been determined to be unsafe for pedestrian use and, therefore, has been fenced off, which creates a choke point for pedestrians walking along the River. In addition, many find the trestle in its current condition to be a blight to the area and wish it to be remedied. Prior to any alterations to the structure, a full evaluation of it should be conducted, including its potential contributions to the historic downtown and a determination of its role as part of the historic setting. Rehabilitation and renovation work on this structure will require a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process to be completed prior to approval of a project. If the project is federally funded, the CEQA equivalent Historic Property Survey Report is required as part of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106. Historic properties are properties that are included in the National Register of Historic Places, or that meet the criteria for the National Register. In the initial discussion phase, City Council desired to establish the historic contributing potential of the trestle through a formal Historic Structure Report (HSR) process, and directed Public Works to hire a consultant to provide the HSR for the Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle (Trestle). 2. BACKGROUND: In 2002, as part of the River Enhancement Project, CSW/Stuber-Stroeh was contracted and provided a "Preliminary Study of the Water Street Trestle Evaluation and Replacement". The CSW report gives an approximate age, description of the trestle, evaluation of the condition and recommendation to prohibit pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The report also provides a rehabilitation scheme and replacement schemes, all with estimated costs. This report, although comprehensive and approached in the same manner as the current engineering analysis, does not include the historical discussion to determine the Trestle's contribution to the historic setting. Since several years have passed since the report was completed, and there has been visible movement of the structure during that time, the 2002 report was not relied upon in the HSR. Upon Council's direction to pursue an Historic Structure Report, staff wrote and publicly noticed a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a lead Architectural Historian and supporting Structural Engineer team. The RFP was issued in December 2006, and the consultant team was under contract by April 2007. In September 2007, a draft HSR was submitted by the team of PAST Consultants, LLC, and Creegan & D'Angelo Engineers. Staff S:\CIP Division\Prcjects\Trestle C200804\DESIGN\330 PCDC City CounciNanuary 7 2008 Present HSR Agenda 2 Bill\2008.01.07 PCDC AB Petaluma Trestle HSR Presenmtion.doc reviewed the draft report and solicited additional input from architectural historian Marianne Hurley, structural and civil engineer John Fitzgerald, and Chris Stevick of Petaluma Trolley. The final HSR was delivered to staff on November 30, 2007. The Historic Structure Report will be on file to support any future endeavors regarding the trestle. The HSR document also includes initial engineering documentation with rough order -of -magnitude estimates for two possible uses, upon which to base any future budget requirements. The attached Executive Summary from the HSR provides a broad overview of all the sections of the document, which weaves the specific requirements of the Historic Structure Report into a story about the historic downtown area and figures important to the legacy of Petaluma, while providing a clear summary of this structure with further treatment discussions. A copy of the report is available through the City Clerk's office or on the City's website at: htto://citvofoetaluma.net/cubworks/ennineerina.html The Treatment Recommendations section provides discussion of two possible use loads: pedestrian and trolley. In short, the pedestrian load would retain more of the trestle's historic fabric and original construction. The trolley load may require a majority replacement of the trestle structure. This section provides a listing of a proposed rehabilitation sequence for either scenario. In the Appendix, Creegan & D'Angelo Engineers provide a preliminary estimate for both the pedestrian use and for the trolley use. These trestle rehabilitation use scenarios have been estimated at $2M and $2.8M, respectively. 3. ALTERNATIVES: N/A 4. FINANCIAL IMPACTS: There are no further financial impacts at this time. The HSR was prepared within the approved project budget and no additional funding has been identified for any future work. 5. CONCLUSION: The Historic Structure Report provides information regarding the history and significance of the Petaluma Railroad Trestle to adequately support any future environmental processes. 6. OUTCOMES OR PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS THAT WILL IDENTIFY SUCCESS OR COMPLETION: The Historic Structure Report established the historic contributing potential of the trestle. RECOMMENDATION: N/A S-\CIP Division\Prujecls\Trestle C200804\DLSIGN\330 PCDC City CounciManuary 7 2008 Present 1 -ISR Agenda Bill\21108.01.07 PCDC AB Petaluma Trestle HSR Presentation.doc ATTACHMENT CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA MEMORANDUM Public Works, 11 English Street Petaluma, CA 94952 (707) 778-4474 Fav (70 7) 776-3602 E-mail. publicrvorks r@ci petaluma.ca.us DATE: June 6, 2007 TO: Michael Bierman, City Manager FROM: Vince Marengo, Director, Public Works SUBJECT: Downtown Railroad Trestle — Project Update The downtown railroad trestle is in a dilapidated condition and is degrading at an increasing rate. The trestle is owned by the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART), but is not being maintained adequately. It is our understanding that the fender piles, which are non-structural, began moving to the point of causing a safety hazard to users of the docks, In an effort to assist in future restoration of the trestle, the City has executed an agreement to prepare an historic structures report. This report, paid for by the City, will provide some of the necessary documentation to complete environmental clearance necessary to move forward with any significant work to the structure. In addition to an evaluation of the historical significance of the trestle, the agreement includes a structural engineer's assessment of its current condition, treatment recommendations, and rehabilitation costs for both trolley and pedestrian -only loading. A local group is very interested in establishment of a trolley route that includes the tracks over the trestle. There are several necessary steps to achieving this goal. The first, which is to understand the requirements to rehabilitate the trestle to take the load, will be completed by this report. If funding for this cost can be reasonably obtained, staff will proceed with the next steps when directed to do so by Council. Following are the anticipated steps required to establish a trolley line in the City: 1. Determine cost of trestle rehabilitation. 2. Determine potential route of future trolley line. 3. Complete a traffic study to determine the impacts to the street system, method of traffic control to safely operate a trolley, along with associated costs, and overall feasibility of trolley line. SACIP DivisionTrojeeis\Treslle 0300804\DESIGN\330 PCDC City CounciNanuary 7 2008 Present HSR Agenda Bill\2008.01.07 PCDC AB Petaluma Trestle HSR Presentalion.doc 4. Determine costs of rail repairs and upgrades, including street crossing equipment. This would require involvement by a railroad engineer to determine requirements and to prepare an estimate. 5. In the event the trestle is rehabilitated and trolley line established, determine cost of operation and maintenance, and execute agreement with outside operator for this purpose. 6. If feasible, and funding for above is available, a trolley would need to be provided or purchased. 7. At some point in this process, either some type of use agreement would need to be in place with SMART, or the property would need to be purchased from SMART. It is assumed that SMART will be supportive from an access and rights standpoint, but will not be financially supportive in any way. Note: Public Works does not recommend purchase of the property prior to acceptable improvements being made. The liability of ownership of the trestle in its current condition is a significant issue. If for any reason the trolley line is not feasible, the other alternative would be to make the trestle safe for pedestrian use. It is assumed this can be done within a reasonable cost, while still maintaining the historic significance of this landmark. c: Lary Zimmer S:\CIP Division\Projects\Trestle C200804\DPSIGN\330 PCDC City CouncilVanuary 7 2008 Present HSR Agenda Bill\21108.111.07 PCDC AB Pelaluna Trestle HSR Presentation.doc ATTACHMENT 2 HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT EXECUTIVE REPORT SACIP Division\Projects\Trestle 0300804\DESIGW\330 PCDC City Council\]anunry 7 2008 Present HSR Agenda Bill\21108.111.07 PC DC AB Petaluma Trestle I ISR Presentation.doc Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle PAST Consultants, LLC I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Historic Structure Report November 30, 2007 Project Team The City of Petaluma, Department of Public Works retained PAST Consultants, LLC (PAST) and Creegan + D'Angelo Infrastructure Engineers (C+D Engineers) to produce a Historic Structure Report (HSR) for the Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle (Trestle), located in Petaluma, California. The Trestle remains in its original location and is potentially a contributing element to the Petaluma Historic Commercial District, listed in the National Register in 1995. To accomplish the many tasks required in preparing this HSR, PAST assembled a team led by Seth A. Bergstein, an architectural historian and conservator who meets the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards in Architectural History. C+D Engineers, led by Senior Project Engineer Chris Delp, performed the engineering testing and evaluation of the structure. In addition, Kevin Flynn and Associates, a wood conservation firm led by Consulting Wood Scientist, Kevin Flynn, was hired to provide specific evaluations of the wood elements of the Trestle. The following lists the project team: Client City of Petaluma Department of Public Works 11 English Street Petaluma, California 94952 Capital Improvement Pr•agram Manager: Lany Zinnner Project Manager: Diane Ramirez Structural Engineers Project Management and Historic Preservation PAST Consultants, LLC 104 8`" Street, #4 Petaluma, California 94952 Principal: Seth A. Bergstein, Architectural Historian, Conservator, HSR Author Wood Conservator Creegan + D'Angelo Infrastructure Engineers Kevin Flynn and Associates 170 Columbus Street, Suite 240 P.O. Box 805 San Francisco, California 94133 El Cerrito, California 94530 Vice President: Reinhard P. Ludke, S.E Kevin Flynn, Wood Scientist Project Engineer: Chris Delp, S.E. P A S T CONSeLTANIS LLC Page 1 .7 Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle Historic Structure Revort PAST Consultants, LLC November 30, 2007 Introduction The Petaluma Trestle is located on the northwest bank of the Petaluma River, adjacent to the boundaries of the National Register district, and extends southeasterly from approximately the foot of Western Avenue to the foot of C Street. For location and limits of the Trestle, please see Figures 1 and 2 of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle Limited Structural Assessment Report (Limited Structural Assessment Report), on pages 2 and 3 of Appendix A. This HSR and its associated cost estimates are for the Petaluma Trestle only. Proposed rehabilitation treatments and their estimated costs cover the structural and material repairs to the Trestle only. This report was prepared to evaluate the subject historic structure's potential rehabilitation for two loading conditions: pedestrian and trolley. It was not within this project's scope of work to evaluate potential infrastructure impacts, such as the installation of additional railroad track that is not on the Trestle itself, repairs or retrofits to the West Petaluma Spur for use as a trolley line, or the environmental review, planning, design, and installation of other infrastructure, such as public safety devices, accessibility concerns, or traffic impacts. This report provides information about the Trestle site and structure only. Some of the goals of an HSR are to provide as complete a historical context, construction history, and significance analysis as a given project budget allows. To accomplish preparation of this HSR, a long list of individuals, agencies, and local and regional historical archives have been contacted (see Research Program in this chapter). The results of this exhaustive research are presented in Chapter II, Contextual Histoiy, which confirms the Trestle's dates of construction as April through June of 1922. The Contextual Histo)y chapter also evaluates the historic significance of the Trestle according to established preservation guidelines. The Petaluma Trestle appears to be eligible for listing in the National, State and local registers of historic resources. .(.) A 9 T CONSULTTANISLLC Page 2 FAO Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle Historic Structure Renort PAST Consultants, LLC November 30, 2007 The next chapter, Chronology ofDevelopnient u7d Use, lists the various events that led to the construction and repair campaigns of the Trestle. This chapter provides specific dates of events that have been verified in the historical record. The Architectural Evaluation chapter provides a physical description of the structure and rates the significance of specific historic fabric. For a trestle bridge, the elements that comprise the structure itself (i.e., piles, pile caps, lateral bracing, stringers, rails, ties, etc.) represent the most significant historic character -defining features. Thus, rehabilitation of the structure should prioritize the maximum retention of these features when feasible. Lastly, the Architectural Evaluation states the period of significance to be 1922 — 1992. These dates span from the year the Trestle was placed in service to the approximate date that the Trestle was taken out of service.' The Existing Conditions Assessment chapter examines the conditions of the Petaluma Trestle's various site, structural and rail components. This section is meant to be read with the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle Limited Structural Assessment Report (Limited Structural Assessment Report) by C+D Engineers (Appendix A) and the Petaluma Trestle Evaluation Report by Flynn and Associates (Appendix C) to evaluate the present condition of the various site and structural components of the Trestle. The Treatment Recommendations chapter discusses methods to rehabilitate the Trestle for the two loading conditions: pedestrian and trolley. Like the Existing Conditions Assessn7ent, this chapter is intended to be read with the reports provided in Appendix A and C. This chapter presents the two treatment alternatives. Alternative 1, rehabilitation for pedestrian load, is a less intrusive approach to Trestle repair than the second alternative, rehabilitation for trolley load, as the former alternative's smaller loading requirement translates to less structural repair and replacement. Nevertheless, this chapter provides a detailed list of the items to be completed for both rehabilitation alternatives. Order -of -magnitude costs for both rehabilitation alternatives are presented in the Limited Structural Assessment Report in Appendix A. Treatment CONSU LI ANI S UC: Page 3 I Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle PAST Consultants, LLC Historic Structure Reoort November 30, 2007 recommendations follow the Secretory of the h7lerior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. An Annotated Bibliography follows, which lists the sources cited, as well as comments on the usefulness of a particular reference. Lastly, a set of Endnotes provides references to the historical documents and additional narrative information to keep the size of this HSR's main body smaller and to allow the report to read more efficiently. As stated above, Appendix A provides the Limited Structural Assessment Report by C+D Engineers, including drawings of the Trestle and the Resistograph plots of individual tests. Appendix B is a copy of a letter from C+D Engineers to Diane Ramirez, City of Petaluma, listing responses to comments to the Draft HSR and providing a discussion of a previous study of the Trestle by CSW Stuber-Stroeh Engineering Group, dated January 29, 2002. Appendix C is the Timber Evaluation Report by Flynn and Associates, which details the material conditions of the Trestle's various wood components. Field Investigation and Analysis Work commenced on June 7, 2007, with a kickoff meeting and tour of the Trestle with Larry Zimmer, City of Petaluma Department of Public Works Capital Improvement Program Manager, and Project Manager Diane Ramirez of the City of Petaluma's Public Works Department, along with the project team members Seth A. Bergstein, Chris Delp, and Kevin Flynn. Subsequently, the site visits for conditions assessment and field testing with the entire design team occurred on August 7, 27, and 28, 2007. Additional site visits for conditions assessment by PAST project manager, architectural historian, and conservator Seth A. Bergstein occurred throughout the months of June, July, August and September, 2007. Engineering testing of the structure was accomplished using a Resistograph, a hand-held drilling device that penetrates a wood structural member with a small, sensitive drill bit that advances CONSULTANTS LLC Page 4 Ic Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle Historic Structure ReDort PAST Consultants, LLC November 30, 2007 into the interior of the wood. As the drill bit advances, the Resistograph provides a graph that gives indication of the strength and consistency of the wood. Although technically considered a "destructive test" because a small drill hole goes into the wood material, the hole closes quickly leaving the test mark invisible. Locations of all Resistograph tests, along with additional Trestle drawings appear in the foldout sheets, Drawings I — 10, at the end of the Limited Structural Assessment Report (Appendix A). Resistograph plots of all tests appear in the Limited Structural Assessment Report, Appendix A, following the foldout drawings. Results of the structural engineer's field testing, as well as non-destructive sounding and inspection of the Trestle's wood elements by Wood Scientist Kevin Flynn and conservator Seth A. Bergstein were used to produce the Treatment Reconnnendations section of the report, as well as enhancing the information provided in the engineer's Limited Structural Assessment Report. Research Program PAST consulted numerous individuals and archival repositories as part of the research phase of this project: • Sonoma County Librarj; Petaluma, California The Sonoma County Library System provides a well -catalogued aid to any local or regional research project. The library system was an indispensable resource for establishing the general trends of regional history through primary and secondary sources. Many of the digital images of the Trestle listed in the Bibliography came from their on-line archives. In addition, microfilm copies of local newspapers are available for research and consultation. CONSIRIANTS u.c Page 5 Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle Historic Structure Revort PAST Consultants, LLC November 30, 2007 • Petaluma History Room, Petaluma, California This extensive repository of Petaluma history, catalogued through the Sonoma County Library System, was an excellent source of primary and secondary resource documents. Lucy Kortum and the staff were quite helpful in providing research aid. • Petaluma Museum, Petaluma, California The Petaluma Museum contains a wealth of the town's history, including Sanborn maps, Birdseye maps, and an extensive collection of photographs, clippings files and secondary studies of local and regional history. The staff (including Lucy Kortum again) was exceedingly helpful in uncovering historical information for this project. • Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University This repository provided the best information for narrowing down the Trestle's dates of construction. The repository has a huge portion of the records of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, which eventually owned the Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Company (P&SR). The repository had all of the P&SR Company records, including minutes of board meetings and accounting ledgers. The Trestle's construction could be traced through these documents. • Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society Library and Archives, Rohnert Park, California This library literally contains mountains of boxed information on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad and, to a lesser extent, the P&SR. Archivist Gus Campagna was quite helpful in uncovering some of the information. Unfortunately, the library is understaffed and the amount of documentation extensive. Access to undocumented files was not permitted. However, the repository did have copies of repair invoices from the Trestle in the 1960s and 1970s. When further research is undertaken for the P&SR or the Trestle, this library should be contacted to determine if additional information has been catalogued. This library will be co:asunAnTs UC Page 6 12 Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle PAST Consultants, LLC Historic Structure Renort November 30, 2007 a treasure trove of information for the researcher, once its holdings have been duly documented and made available to the public. • Petaluma Trolley Project, Petaluma, California The advocacy group for preserving local railroad rolling stock and for preserving the Trestle, the Petaluma Trolley Project's leaders, Lauren Williams and Chris Stevick, met with PAST to share photographs and information regarding the Trestle. Their enthusiasm for the Trestle resource is sincere and quite infectious. PAST particularly enjoyed Lauren Williams's tour of the various spur lines that comprised the P&SR's West Petaluma Spur, including the Petaluma Trestle. • California Historical Resources (formation System (CHRIS) This statewide system coordinates research of the various historical and archaeological sites throughout California. For the Trestle, this repository provided information on the previous studies by Archaeological Resource Service and others. • Union Pacific Railroad Museum, Council Bluffs, Iowa The leading museum of the Union Pacific Railroad, this repository was contacted for possible engineering plans and inspection reports for the Trestle, since the Union Pacific eventually bought the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. Archivist John Bromley was unable to find any specific information regarding the Trestle. • United States Army Corps of Engineers, Satz Francisco, California The author contacted Richard Stradford, planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to discuss any files or holdings for the Petaluma Trestle. This agency did not possess any additional information that could not be obtained in the local repositories. P _\ ,_(,, CONSULTANTS LLC: Page 7 Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle Historic Structure Renort PAST Consultants, LLC November 30, 2007 • Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART), Santa Rosa, California PAST contacted Lucretia Milla, Property Manager, and Michael Strider, P.E., Senior Railroad Engineer for any information regarding the Trestle. The current owner of the Trestle, SMART provided recent inspection data and typical railroad bridge sections. Existing Conditions Summary The Trestle is in poor condition and is not able to adequately carry either pedestrian or trolley loads at this time. The poor condition of the Trestle's primary structural members — the piles and stringers — is the primary cause of this conclusion. However, the Trestle can be rehabilitated for either loading condition; the required steps for repairing the bridge appear in the chapter entitled Treatment Recommendations. Acknowledgments First, the report author acknowledges and appreciates the assistance of the City of Petaluma, Department of Public Works management team: Larry Zimmer, Capital Improvement Program Manager, and Project Manager, Diane Ramirez. The financial investment for this HSR provided by the City of Petaluma and the project investment and interest by the City's project management team enabled this report to reach many people within the community — allowing for a wide contribution of facts, photographs and enthusiastic interest to the completed HSR. The author acknowledges the contributions of the research staff at the Petaluma Museum and the Petaluma History Room for their assistance. The digital archives of the Sonoma County Libraries provided many historic photographs for this report. Also, the librarian at the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society Library, Gus Campagna, gave his tireless assistance in uncovering repair invoices in their library's vast, uncatalogued holdings. Research volunteer Harold "Skip" Rueckert graciously provided his personal copies of Southern Pacific Railroad typical sections. Lastly, the author appreciates the contributions of Lauren Williams , A 19 ,1.1 CONSULTTANIS LLC Page 8 114 Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad Trestle Historic Structure Report PAST Consultants, LLC November 30, 2007 and Chris Stevick of the Petaluma Trolley Project for their enthusiastic assistance with information and historical photographs. The author also acknowledges the contributions of time and energy provided by architectural historian Marianne Hurley of California State Parks and civil engineer and longtime Petaluma resident, John J. Fitzgerald, P.L.S., P.E. who both provided comments to the Draft Historic Structure Report. 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