HomeMy Public PortalAbout13) 9A Adoption of MND & Monitoring Pgm-Rosemead BlvdCity Council
March 6, 2012
Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancement and Beautification Project
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3. On August 17, 2010, the Community Redevelopment Agency Board approved a
Consultant Services Agreement with Vanir Construction Management, Inc (Vanir)
for the program and construction management of the Rosemead Boulevard Safety
Enhancements and Beautification Project.
4. On October 7, 2010, the City Manager issued a Request for Qualifications I
Request for Proposals (RFQ/RFP) for the selection of the design team for the
Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancements and Beautification Project.
5. On August 17, 2010, the City Manager, through the Temple City Community
Redevelopment Agency (CRA), issued a contract to Vanir for the Program and
Construction Management of the Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancements and
Beautification Project.
6. On October 14, 2010, Vanir met with the City Manager and the City's consultant
Avant-Garde, Inc., to discuss funding opportunities for the Rosemead Boulevard
Safety Enhancements and Beautification Project and to coordinate information
flow of technical data to support the grant applications.
7. On October 21, 2010, Vanir met with the. County of Los Angeles City Services
Representative to discuss project coordination issues with the Los Angeles
County, neighboring cities, and other municipal agencies. Vanir continues to
communicate on project coordination issues and to facilitate meetings between
Los Angeles County and Gruen Associates.
8. On November 15, 2010, Vanir met with the County of Los Angeles Department of
Public Works Traffic~ Engineer to discuss and coordinate the traffic study being
done at the request of Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich. Vanir
has provided traffic data and collision reports to the County on behalf of Temple
City.
9. On November 19, 2010, the City Council Ad-Hoc Committee, City Manager and
Vanir, interviewed the five selected firms that best met the objectives of the
RFQ/RFP and the QBS criteria. At the conclusion of the interviews, direction was
given to the City Manager, by the Ad-Hoc Committee, to negotiate a Consultant
Services Agreement with Gruen.
10. On November 22, 2010, Vanir established contact with the regional manager of
special projects at Union Pacific Railroad and gained information necessary for
any redesign considerations for the railroad bridge at the southern boundary of the
project.
11. On February 1, 2011, the City submitted a grant application for $4.8 million from
the Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro).
12. On February 18, 2011, the City began work on a grant application through the
Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BT A) for funding for bike lanes.
13. On March 1, 2011, the City submitted a grant application for approximately
$500,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
City Council
March 6, 2012
Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancement and Beautification Project
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14. On March 9, 2011, the City began work to obtain grant funding for the use of
Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (RAC) in the streetscape design.
15. On March 24, 2011, the Ad Hoc Committee hosted a community meeting at Live
Oak Community Center where members of the community were invited to share
questions and comments about the project. In the months following the meeting,
the City and Project Team fielded over 100 questions, several of which expressed
concern about the location of the bike lane.
16. On April 29, 2011, based on the feedback from the Temple City Community, the
Ad Hoc Committee directed the design team to explore other options for the bike
lane that would address community concerns.
17. On May 27, 2011, after thorough examination by the project team to determine
feasibility, the Ad Hoc Committee directed the design team to proceed with
revision to the drawings to change the Class II bike lan~ (situated next to vehicular
traffic) to Class I bike lanes, also known as Cycle Tracks.
18. In June 2011, in response to community comments and requests, the designer
was directed to redesign the bicycle lanes from Class II Commuter Bike Lanes to
the current Separated Protected Bike Lanes.
19. On June 7, 2011, City was notified of $110,250 grant award for use of RAC.
20. On August 1, 2011, City was notified of $443,000 grant award from the BT A.
21. On August 9, 2011, the project team presented a successful appeal to Metro and
the City was notified that $2.25 million in grant funding is being recommended for
the Rosemead Blvd Project.
22. In mid-August, 2011, with the main funding components mostly in place and,
therefore the design elements mostly known, the City directed Gruen to complete
the Design Development Phase of the project. Whereas the project would be
funded with a combination of local and federal funds which would require that the
projects be reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The City of Temple City will be the
CEQA lead agency and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will
be the federal lead agency.
23. On September 12, 2011, Gruen Associates submitted the complete Design
Development Drawings for City review and comment.
24. On October 7, 2011, Atkins and Avant-Garde delivered the Environmental
Package to Caltrans providing analysis of the project for purposes of National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance.
25. On October 21, 2011, Caltrans approved the Preliminary Environmental Study
(PES) and confirmed the Categorical Exemption for the project thereby completing
the NEPA process. Whereas pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA), .a Lead Agency must prepare an "Initial Study" to determine whether the
project may have a significant adverse effect on the environment. A Mitigated
Negative Declaration is used "when the Initial Study has identified potentially
City Council
March 6, 2012
Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancement and Beautification Project
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significant effects on the environment, but (1) revisions in the project plans or
proposals made by, or agreed to by, the applicant before the proposed Mitigated
Negative Declaration and Initial Study are released for public review would avoid
the effects or mitigate the effects to a point where clearly no significant effect on
the environment would occur, and (2) there is no substantial evidence in light of
the whole record before the public agency that the project, as revised, may have a
significant effect on the environment" (Section 21 064.5).
26. On January 30, 2012, a Notice of Intent, Initial Study, and Mitigated Negative
Declaration (Attachment A) for the proposed project were published for a 30-day
review period concluding on February 28, 2012.
27. On February 28, 2012, the Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on
the IS/MND (Attachment B), Vice Chairman Horton asked for a summary of the
transportation report. The report identified some effects on circulation requiring
signalization at Rosemead/Garibaldi Street and Rosemead/Gateway Plaza Drive,
as well as the loss of parking which could be met with excess capacity on adjacent
streets. Commissioner Seibert expressed some reservations about the bike lanes
related to safety, access to residential properties, and ease of access for trash
service and deliveries. The design team described the pains taken to ensure safe
sight lines for driveways, as well as a uniform and Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) compliant sidewalks and driveways. The City has spoken with solid waste
providers and they have provided options to the City including use of small carts
on the bike lanes after hours, accessing trash from resident's back yards.
Commissioner Condes said he would like to be involved with the design details,
but realized it was not under consideration. Chairman O'Leary and Commissioner
Leung had no comments on the proposal.
28. On February 28, 2012, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 12-4802
recommending that the City Council adopt of the IS/MND for the Rosemead
Boulevard Safety Enhancement and Beautification Project (Attachment C).
29. As of February 29, 2012, seven public comment letters were received and eight
members of the public spoke at the Planning Commission meeting on the
Mitigated Negative Declaration. Five of the letters addressed the intersection of
Callita and Sultana, which is a separate project being undertaken by the County of
Los Angeles. No response is required. Of the two remaining letters, one
addressed whether a left turn lane from southbound Rosemead Boulevard can be
provided to access the properties (including an existing 7-Eieven store) at the
southeast corner of Rosemead Boulevard and Longden Street. An initial review by
the City's design consultant and the City Traffic Engineer have confirmed that this
movement is not feasible or safe as the access to the property does not allow for
an adequate left turn pocket and therefore left turn queuing would occur in the
traffic lane which would not be safe nor meet traffic standards. The City's staff and
consultants will evaluate this further. The provision or prohibition of access to this
site is not a CEQA issue and a change to this component of the project would not
affect the analysis or conclusions in the MND. The final letter was from the Los
Angeles County Fire Department clarifying that two fire stations (instead of one)
· City Council
March 6, 2012
Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancement and Beautification Project
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·have purview over fire service for the project alignment. This information is being
included in the MND. Of the eight speakers at the meeting, most were concerned
about the Callita and Sultana intersection, and one addressed access to
commercial property at Rosemead/Longden, which were from the authors of the
comment letters. Several additional comments were raised regarding project
design features and their safety including trees blocking sight lines for residential
driveways,· access for trash pickup across the bike lanes, and loss of parking. One
commercial property owner was concerned about the length of time that his
frontage would be under construction. The above-mentioned written and oral
comments will be incorporated as an attachment in the final MND. The MND has
been revised to include a summary of the comments and to provide responses to
the environmental issues. In addition, Los Angeles County Fire Department has
been contacted about their letter.
ANALYSIS:
The project is a safety enhancement and beautification project that would establish
consistency along the entire length of Rosemead Boulevard (approximately 2 miles)
from Callita Street (north) to the south side of UPRR railroad tracks (south) in Temple
City, California. The project would result in:
• removal and replacement of concrete sidewalks, construction of new sidewalk,
curb, and gutter (incidental under-sidewalk drain extensions);
• installation of new and reconfigured raised, irrigated, and landscaped roadway
medians;
• re-slope and reconfigure (as well as minor R&R-removing/relocating and
replacing) driveways and curbs to meet ADA requirements;
• install new, and reconfigure existing, traffic signals;
• install bicycle facilities;
• removal and reconstruction of AC pavement related to medians;
• street resurfacing;
• installation of new trees and landscaping as well as removal and replacement of
existing trees and landscaping;
• construction and installation of loop detectors, bus pads, new street lighting,
street furnishings, decorative planters, retaining walls, entry monuments,
signage, and striping;
• construction of transit-stop improvements and seating nodes;
• signalization of two intersections;
• construction of other pedestrian and bicycle amenities;
• improvements at the cross street of Las Tunas Drive for up to 300 feet;
• improvements at the frontage road north of the UPRR tracks for up to 1 ,000 feet;
and
• relocation of public utilities, as necessary.
City Council
March 6, 2012
Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancement and Beautification Project
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Implementation of the Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancement and Beautification
Project would improve the safety and appearance of Rosemead Boulevard between the
north and south city limits, transforming Temple City's segment of Rosemead Boulevard
from a regional highway into a pedestrian friendly corridor.
The proposed project would enhance vehicular circulation on Rosemead Boulevard
through changes to some of the turning movement patterns, approach lane changes,
and signal control changes at several intersections along the study corridor. The
existing lane configuration of Rosemead Boulevard which includes two lanes in each
direction would not be altered. According to the Traffic Study prepared by KOA
Corporation in June 2011 for the proposed project, the project would not, in itself,
create new vehicle trips, and operation of the project would not generate any new traffic
to the project site or the City. However, the proposed project would reduce parking
supply on Rosemead Boulevard, with an approximate total on-street parking loss of 211
spaces out of an approximate total of 382 existing on-street spaces within the study
area. However, the Traffic Study determined that the parking supply reduction would
not create any adverse parking supply impacts within the analyzed study area, as there
is capacity on neighboring streets.
The proposed project would also enhance pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit
circulation of Rosemead Boulevard through the provision of new sidewalks, transit stop
improvements, bicycle facilities, and other pedestrian and bicycle amenities. Additionally,
the provision of new trees and other landscaping along sidewalks and within new
medians, new street lighting, street furnishings, decorative planters, retaining walls, entry
monuments, and signage, all of which would create visual consistency along the length of
Rosemead Boulevard, would enhance the appearance of Rosemead Boulevard by
providing consistent visual elements along the length of the boulevard.
The Rosemead Boulevard Enhancement and Beautification Project total project budget
is $18,291 ,288 (see Attachment G). The project currently has $4.3 million of federal
funds allocated to the project. The federal funds will require that they are managed in
accordance with the Caltrans Program Local Procedures Manual. Prior to beginning
work for which federal reimbursement will be requested, the project must be formally
authorized by Caltrans. Staff is currently working with Caltrans to obtain the Right-of-
way authorization for the project. This authorization is essential in order to move the
project into construction. Now that 1 00% plans have been completed by Gruen for the
project, staff will be working on submitting the next authorization request, the request
for Authorization to Proceed with Construction. This authorization must be granted and
secured (E-76) prior to the solicitation ofbids for the project. We are currently working
on an aggressive schedule in an effort to begin construction in the summer. In order to
meet our current timelines, we are requesting that the Council authorize the solicitation
of bids upon receipt of Caltrans approval (E-76). Updates on bid dates, and projected
construction schedule will be communicated via the City Managers Report. The
Community Redevelopment Agency Funds budgeted for this capital improvement
project area from existing redevelopment tax allocation bond proceeds that must be
City Council
March 6, 2012
Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancement and Beautification Project
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used to benefit the Rosemead Boulevard Project Area.
CONCLUSION:
Implementation of the Rosemead Boulevard Safety Enhancement and Beautification
Project would improve the safety and appearance of Rosemead Boulevard between the
north and south city limits, transforming Temple City's segment of Rosemead Boulevard
from a regional highway into a pedestrian friendly corridor.
The City Council is requested to authorize the City Manager to release the plans and
specifications for bid. This authorization, pending Caltrans E-76 authorization, will
expedite the schedule for the project as it will be able to go out to bid as soon as
Caltrans E-76 authorization is received. The proposed project would enhance the safety
and appearance of Rosemead Boulevard, no significant environmental impacts would
occur, and all project-related funding are in place, it is recommended that the City
Council adopt Resolution No. 12-4802 adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration and
Mitigation Monitoring Program for the proposed project.
FISCAL IMPACT:
1) The City's allocated budget for the Rosemead Boulevard Enhancement and
Beatification Project is approximately $18,291 ,288. This budget is comprised of 14
funding sources. (A detailed budget breakdown is attached to this report -
Attachment G); and
2) Adoption of this Resolution has no fiscal impact on the Fiscal Year (2012-13) City
Budget because the City will be reimbursed by Federal funding sources.
ATT ACHMENT(S):
A. Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Program
B. Planning Commission Staff Report and Attachments thereto
C. Planning Commission Resolution No. 12-2346 PC
D. Responses to Public Comments Received Relating to the Initial
Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
E. Rosemead Boulevard Plan Drawings (on disc)
F. Rosemead Boulevard Project Specifications DRAFT (on disc)
G. Project Budget
H. Draft Resolution No. 12-4802