PREPARED BY: Ronalyn Nonato DATE OF MEETING: 05/21/18
SUBJECT:
TITLE
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN PABLO ACCEPTING DESIGN ALTERNATIVE #1 SELECTED BY THE COMMUNITY THROUGH A PUBLIC MEETING FOR THE EL PORTAL DRIVE URBAN GREENING PROJECT (POR-GRN)
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution
Body
Compliance statements
Infrastructure - Admin/Operations - Develop Public Facilities for Active Living is an adopted policy item under the FY 2018-21 Council Priority Workplan, effective November 1, 2017.
CEQA Compliance Statement
The proposed project completed CEQA review in October 2013 and it was determined to be categorically exempt in accordance with Sections 15304 (b) of the CEQA Guidelines, on the basis that this project involves minor alterations to land. The selected consultant team is currently reviewing the CEQA documentation to ensure the project is still in compliance with all CEQA requirements, including any updates in the regulation since October 2013 and all changes to the project’s scope of work. It is expected that the project will continue to be categorically exempt, but staff will update the City Council during the staff representation on Monday, May 21 if any additional actions are needed.”
BACKGROUND
In March of 2017, the City of San Pablo was awarded a $562,597 urban greening grant by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) (attached) in order to fund project design and construction of stormwater infrastructure and urban greening improvements such as installation of rain gardens or bioretention swales on El Portal Drive, between Church Lane and Fordham Street.
Installation of this “Green Infrastructure” (defined as the installation of stormwater treatment systems which mimic the natural systems) is mandated by the City’s Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit. During preliminary design, the stormwater treatment alternatives were found to be compatible with implementation of bicycle and pedestrian in the City of San Pablo Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan as adopted by the Council on August 7, 2017 (Resolution 2017-170). CNRA agreed to amend the grant scope and budget to reflect the addition of the bike lane(s) as it meets the multi-benefit criteria of the grant.
The El Portal Drive Urban Greening Project (Project) is located along El Portal Drive between Church Lane and Fordham Street. The Project will enhance urban green space, capture and treat runoff, educate the community on stormwater filtration systems, and expand the City’s bikeway network by creating new bike lanes. Specifically, the Project will add landscaped stormwater filtration facilities on the southern side of the road to capture and treat stormwater through rain gardens or bioretention swales, add bike Class II and/or Class IV in both directions of travel, and install interpretive educational signage. Through a Request for Proposals process, Parisi CSW Design Group was selected as the project designer.
A parking study was conducted through a City on-call traffic engineer consultant, W-Trans, because of potential impacts on existing on-street parking. The current parking situation along eastbound El Portal Drive includes 39 on-street parking stalls with 4-hour parking limits. Along the stretch of the project, four property owners or establishments are utilizing the on-street parking spaces. Analysis found that a maximum of 2 to 6 on-street parking stalls are being occupied during weekdays and weekends respectively; hence, not many are using the available on-street parking. On the other hand, there are 8 to 12 vacant off-street parking stalls (for properties that are not gated) in the area on weekdays and weekends.
Staff reached out to the subject property and business owners to introduce the project and to personally invite them to the project community meeting. Most of the owners are not concerned with the removal of on-street parking because they have available off-street (private) parking. They are also willing to rent out their private parking stalls to neighboring businesses/establishments, if needed. Below is the summary of the study and staff observation:
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|
Off-street stalls available |
Max. off-street stalls used during weekday and weekend |
Off-street stalls vacant during weekday and weekend |
Other info |
|
Express Lube |
11 |
4 to 5 |
6 to 7 |
Willing to rent out stall space |
|
Cypress Apartments |
10 |
5 to 8 |
2 to 5 |
Willing to rent stall space, if needed. |
|
Tax Businesses #1 & #2 |
Approximately 5 (combined) |
No data. Gated properties (not part of the study). |
No data. Gated properties (not part of the study). |
One property owner is willing to rent out stall space. |
The study and staff communications with the property/business owners confirm that there are enough available off-street parking stalls (at least 8 to 12 spaces) to accommodate the people who are using the on-street parking stalls (2 to 6 spaces). If use demand changes, there is also the possibility of private arrangements among property/business owners for off-street parking stalls.
Staff held a community meeting on April 17, 2018, to present and explain the project to the public. More importantly, two design options were presented: Alternative 1, to remove on-street parking; and Alternative 2, to reduce parking. Below is a side by side comparison of the two alternatives:
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Alternative 1 - remove parking |
Alternative 2 - reduce parking |
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Pedestrians |
• 8-foot sidewalk. • Wider/safer sidewalk. |
• 5-foot sidewalk. • Minimum sidewalk width. |
|
Bicyclist |
• 8-foot bike lane. • Wider/safer bike lane. |
• 5-foot bike lanes. • Minimum bike lane width. • Opening doors from parked vehicles may cause an accident. |
|
Motorist |
• 2 vehicle travel lanes • No on-street parking Note: off-street parking is available. |
• 2 vehicle travel lanes. • Keep 5 on-street parking stalls in front of the businesses/establishments. • Opening doors from parked vehicles may cause an accident. |
|
Estimated project cost |
Approximately $100,000 less in cost compared to Alternative 2. |
Approximately $100,000 more in cost compared to Alternative 1. • Requires cutting and narrowing the median and sidewalk to accommodate on-street parking stalls will increase project cost. |
The San Pablo community chose Alternative 1 due to its safer design and less expensive cost. The community also recognized that off-street parking meets all the demand of the on-street parking, and did not object to removing the parking along the project stretch.
The selected alternative was presented to the Economic Development and Project Management Standing Committee on May 3, 2018, which recommended consideration of Alternative #1 by the full City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Acceptance of this design alternative for the El Portal Drive Urban Greening project does not involve the expenditures of funds, and so there is no direct fiscal impact at the time.
ATTACHMENTS:
• El Portal Drive Parking Utilization Survey by W-Trans dated April 12, 2018
• CEQA Analysis Memo - Categorically Exempt - May 17, 2018