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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-03-22 - AGENDA REPORTS - POST QUAKE TRANSPORTATION (2)AGENDA REPORT NEW BUSINESS DATE: March 22, 1994 nem io De preseniea Dy: Lynn M. Harris//�' SUBJECT: POST -QUAKE TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT: Community Development BACKGROUND The attached memo was prepared in response to a presentation received by the City Council on February 9, 1994. At that time, representatives of the Valencia Industrial Association, the SCV Chamber of Commerce, and others, requested that the City investigate opportunities to work with the County to improve circulation in the Santa Clarita Valley in the spirit of post -earthquake cooperation, especially as they related to the Valencia Industrial Center. Of particular interest may be Item Nos. 1, 5, and 6 in the memo. Item No. 1 would be the extension of Avenue Scott as a one -lane, one-way road to Mc Bean Parkway, while Item Nos. 5 and 6 would provide a two-lane road from the Rte 126/Avenue Stanford intersection southeast to Newhall Ranch Road. These measures would provide some short- and long-term solutions to traffic circulation problems in the Valencia Industrial Center, and would require the joint cooperation of the City, the County, the Newhall Land and Farming Company, and several other agencies. Preliminary discussions with these parties indicate a willingness to move forward and work together. The remaining items include other ideas for road extensions, signal timing changes, expansion of telecommuting opportunities, and the status of Federal funds. RECOMMENDATION Direct staff to: 1) Continue discussions with appropriate parties on Item Nos. 1, 5, and 6; 2) Seek concurrance and commitment from County of Los Angeles officials; 3) Identify possible funding sources for these improvements; and 4) Report back to Council. ATTACHMENT ( i7�r' Memo of February 22, 1994 j liy= f 1! Api�f� counci�paafquak.dmw Age n'a Item: CITY OF SANTA CLARITA INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Lynn M. Harris, Deputy City Manager; Community Development FROM: Don Williams, Senior Plannery//?%/ r r' DATE: February 22, 1994 SUBJECT: SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT- POST -QUAKE TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY This memo is in response to your direction to identify circulation projects which could be coordinated with the County and other interested parties to achieve "results now" in an advantageous manner. This memo identifies short-term projects, and long-term projects which can nevertheless be greatly expedited under the streamlined processing available during the emergency disaster response period we are currently under. It includes potential funding sources, available "build to" plans now available, and an estimate of "do -ability." Finally, it lists all people contacted, and those yet to be contacted, in putting this memo together. It should be noted that County staff has been unavailable for comment due to field work and the "440 Friday off" policy. JoAnne Darcy could not return calls on February 16 and February 17. However, I managed to contact Dave Vannatta, who has indicated his and Supervisor Antonovich's complete support to fast-track and streamline the normal process so as to get roads built to assist the community. He promised to get me the names of the county staff contacts we need to make to get things moving. Because of his comments, I've assumed at least tentative County staff support. 1) Avenue Scott Extension to McBean Parkway To immediately relieve congestion in the Valencia Industrial Center, Avenue Scott can be extended approximately 2,000 feet to McBean Parkway. This extension would be a one-way eastbound traffic lane from just east of the San Francisquito bridge to McBean, where it would terminate into a right -turn only merge lane. This lane would carry southbound traffic in the PM peak and alleviate congestion at the McBean/Newhall Ranch Road intersection, allowing better flow for north and eastbound traffic exiting the center. As the most severe congestion occurs in the PM peak (due to difficult access to the 1-5 and The Old Road southbound), this improvement could help significantly and at nominal cost. The traffic engineering section supports this improvement and believes it will work as a temporary quick -fix. Plans for this extension are not available, but could be prepared quickly. The property is owned by Newhall Land and Farm and is in the County. Ron Horn and Mark Subbotin believe the County would agree to this as a temporary "quick fix" and would work with us to make it happen. Using a conservative estimate of $50 a linear foot for construction of a standard 12' traffic lane, this improvement would cost $100,000. Funding for the project could come from FEMA reimbursement, as this is arguably a response to quake damage to The Old Road and the 1-5. Other sources include redevelopment funds (which can be used outside the project area/City if findings are made that the improvement helps recovery in the project area), B&T District funds (to be reimbursed later through developer contributions), and State Economic Development funds. Time to complete: One week. Persons consulted: Mark Subbotin, Ron Horn, Fred Follstad, Rabie Rahmani, Ed Cline, Mike Haviland 2) Signalization Timing Change at McBean/Newhall Ranch Road Change signal timing cycle at McBean/Newhall Ranch, to allow longer time for east and westbound traffic flows on the AM/PM peak periods. This will reduce congestion east -west, but would likely increase delays north/south, especially southbound (morning) and northbound (evening) on McBean. We believe the County may have already begun to consider this, and may have made some adjustment. We will contact next week to get status. Time to complete: 2-3 days. Persons consulted: Mark Subbotin, Rabie Rahmani, Bahman Janka. 3) Extension of Avenue Tibbitts to Magic Mountain. Shown on our Arterial Roadway Plan in the General Plan, this link would provide a public access to the Valencia Industrial Center from Magic Mountain. No plans have been developed, though Bahman says the bridge needed to span the Santa Clara River will be a big job, and be expensive. It would also require permits from the Corps and Fish and Game, lengthening the process. As the link would provide public access to the Valencia Industrial Center, it could be listed as a disaster response project, and as an economic benefit to the redevelopment area. Funds would likely not be available from FEMA, but could be eligible for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (if we expand our existing plan), B&T funds, State Economic Development funds, redevelopment funds, and developer contributions. Not considered a viable short-term project, however, actions taken now to mitigate it might save significant time later. Persons consulted: Marlee Lauf fer, Ron Horn, Fred Follstad, Mark Subbotin, Rabie Rahman!, Bahman Janka, Alex Vasquez 4) Extension of Avenue Tibbitts to The Old Road This proposal has been around for years; extend Tibbitts south to the Santa Clara River, then west to The Old Road/Rye Canyon, crossing under the SPRR and the 1-5 at existing bridges. Final plans for this do not exist, but could be done quickly, as profiles and grading issues are known. Field plan inspection would expedite and streamline tremendously. Coordination with the County and the Sanitation Districts would be needed, as there is on-going work west of 1-5. Right-of-way room exists in the area east of 1-5 and a portion of Tibbitts already extends off De Anza in the Valencia Industrial Center. Funding the same as above, with the possible addition of Metrolink funding due to the SPRR Lynn M. Harris February 22, 1994 Page 3 bridge. Per Ron Horn, the County wants the bridge down due to structure instability, while Metrolink wants it preserved for potential Ventura line service. We may be able to get them involved if they see a danger of losing the bridge for good, and they may be able to kick in funds. (How about a mini -station for Magic Mountain tourists?) Time to complete: Variable, depending on RR bridge, Caltrans, and Sanitation Districts, but construction would be fairly quick, maybe 3-4 months; less if competitive bidding not a factor. Persons consulted: Ron Horn, Mark Subbotin, Bahman Janka, Rabie Rahmani, Alex Vasquez, Fred Follstad, Ed Cline 5) Extension of East/West Corridor from Avenue Stanford to Rye Canyon Road Final plans for this link are complete and available for use, though they would need to be modified from 8 -lanes to 6 -lanes, which can be quickly done. (A smaller link south of here is not complete, but profiles/grading are known as finals could be done quickly as well. This link would connect to Rye, improving Valencia Industrial Center circulation both internally and regionally. Field plan inspection would help expedite and streamline tremendously. Dave Vannatta specifically indicated the County would support this (and following) work, and would expedite and coordinate. This link is arguably, a disaster response/hazard mitigation project, as a result of quake damage to the 1-5 and The Old Road. Probable funding would be provided from funds acquired by Congressman McKeon for SR 126 project. Mike Murphy is checking status of these funds to determine if they are separate or included in the multi -billion dollar FEMA relief package. State funds are also available, as would be local and redevelopment funds, and developer contributions. Time to complete: This information should be available on February 22, 1994, to be provided by Newhall Land and Farm to Mike Haviland. Persons consulted: Ron Horn, Mark Subbotin, Fred Follstad, Ed Cline, Dave Vannatta, Bahman Janka, Rabie Rahmani SIDE NOTE: Everybody says we can and should do this one; while not exactly "short-term", we can gain a lot by moving now, as all parties, and perhaps the community, too, are likely to work together to get results. Expansion of this four mile length of Newhall Ranch Road/the East/West Corridor to eight lanes would cost 20.8 million, and take 12-18 months to complete. (The bridge construction alone will be one year.) Costs for a six lane road are unknown, but would be somewhat less. 6) Extension of East/West Corridor, Rye Canyon Road to McBean Again, final plans available for eight -lanes can be quickly modified to six, including bridge at San Francisquito Creek. Newhall Land and Farm does not have final State and Corp permits, but has been processing both for some time under a "general" permit (Federal). Both Mark and Ron believe the bridge could be pulled from the larger package, processed separately as a "nationwide", and approved quickly by State/Feds, provided the City, County, and Congressman McKeon's office all show strong support for quick action. Apart from construction, this permitting process is the potential time drainer. Calls to California Fish & Lynn M. Harris February 22, 1994 Page 4 Game and the Corps have not been returned -- all answering machine stuff -- but we'll keep trying, and update you next week. Remaining comments, same as above. 7) Extension of East/West Corridor, McBean to Bouquet Much the same as #6; plans are available, but need updating and adjustment, which can be done quickly. Arguments made for #5 and #6 above apply here as well. The bridge at Bouquet Creek is in place and can accommodate six lanes of traffic. Remaining comments, same as above. 8) Extension of The Old Road from Terminus at Valencia Boulevard to Pico Canyon Road and points south to San Fernando , This would be entirelywithin the County. City cooperation would likely not movethings faster, unless the City chose to contribute funds to build. Newhall Land and Farm is conditioned to construct The Old Road from Valencia Boulevard to McBean (Westridge project), and a portion of it from McBean to Pico (if the Valencia Marketplace is approved); Poe Development also must construct a portion. The Old Road already exists from Pico to Calgrove, and south of Calgrove it has been widened to four lanes by Caltrans for use at the 1-5 bypass. It eventually links up to San Fernando Road and Balboa Boulevard south of the Newhall Pass. The future use of The Old Road at four lanes in this area is unknown, and we will contact Caltrans to find out what the long-term plans are. Mark Subbotin indicates that the link between Valencia to McBean is in the proposed Magic Mountain B&T District; we should push the County to approve this and support its adoption. The McBean to Pico link is already in the Lyons B&T District. The Districts could provide some immediate funds, but could also be used to reimburse whoever (developer, State, Feds, City) builds the links now. Time to complete: Unknown. Construction by developers linked to approvals and the real estate market; development by public sector is unfunded at this time. Plans for the road are in various stages of readiness, and would likely take time to complete. Three calls to Poe Development for information were not returned; we'll keep trying. 9) Status of Federal Funds According to Mike Murphy, the $8.6 billion "Quake Aid" bill approved by Congress includes $1.35 billion for road improvements, to be administered locally by the MTA. Payment will be in two phases, with $950 million given now, and the remaining $400 million later (date unknown). Of this money, $60 million has been allocated to the SCV for projects which would not normally receive Federal funds. The MTA program administrator for our area is Linda Bollinger (213/244.6800). She will likely Lynn M. Harris February 22, 1994 Page 5 make decisions on how to spend the money based on the recommendations of her North County Area Team (NCAT). (Kevin Michel has some contacts here.) We need to move quickly to influence the NCAT to our way of thinking, especially if discretionary money is limited. Finally, Mike is continuing to work with Congressman McKeon's office to determine if these funds can be reimbursed from highway appropriations if we decide to move ahead. 10) Telecommuting Facilities Improvements/Expansion At present, there are two telecommuting centers operating in the Santa Clarita Valley, both located in the Valencia Industrial Center. One is a 30,000 square foot facility (Valencia Corporate Telecommuting Center), which caters to corporate clients with long-term leases, the second is a 3,000 square foot facility available to small businesses and individuals on a day- to-day basis. (This second facility is in donated space, and is run on a grant Connie Warden got from the MTA as a TDM measure for the Valencia Industrial Center.) Community Development staff has also recently approved TI plans for anew 20,000 square foot telecommuting facility (also in the Valencia Industrial Center). Ideas for City/County coordination in this area include donation of space to open additional facilities, and money and/or staff to support the expansion. Space may be available in the county offices at this time, and space is likely to be available in the City Hall once repairs are complete. Additionally, and perhaps more usefully, the City/County may work together to acquire facilities in the eastern end of the valley, in hopes that some cross -Santa Clarita Valley traffic from Palmdale/Lancaster will be attracted and halted at that location. In particular, the City may wish to use its RDA powers to acquire interest in the old "Dillenbecks Market" property, located on the west side of Sierra Highway, just north of Soledad Canyon Road. This one -acre site would be an ideal location for such a facility, and would eliminate one of the truly blighted properties in the redevelopment area. Funding could come from redevelopment, City/County general funds, State Economic Development loans and grants, and possible MTA funding. Long-term, this facility could also be tied in with the Valencia Industrial Center's TDM plan, as a nexus is likely to exist and be demonstrable. Dedicating a bus route or a vanpool service (ala Dial -A -Ride) to these telecommuting centers could also improve their usage. In discussing this issue with Marlee Lauffer, it seems that more facilities, and better marketing of the concept, will help make a difference. 11) Other Ideas for Future Discussion a) Satellite City Hall offices in the Valencia Industrial Center and Canyon Country, for permits, minor approvals, etc.; b) Accelerate Whites Canyon Bridge opening; c) Accelerate Plum Canyon Road construction (Monteverde-Shapell); d) Accelerate Copper Hill Road extension to Rye Canyon (Paragon/Davidon); Lynn M. Harris February 22, 1994 Page 6 e) Striping and lighting improvements to Soledad Canyon Road; f) Expand capacity of San Fernando Road at peak periods through the downtown Newhall area through the use of traffic couplets; g) Accelerate the development of various bike and commuter trails, especially along Soledad Canyon Road and the Santa Clara River -- theeese could arguably be considered as hazard mitigation projects in that they provide alternative emergency circulation and access in times of disaster. FINAL THOUGHTS' The City and the Couunty can achieve the best and quickest results by coordinating in the following ways: a) Agree that a project can and should be undertaken, and that both jurisdictions see the value in acting opportunistically in the post -quake disaster recovery window which now exists; this sounds axiomatic, but both sides need to know the other side is ready to move. b) Determine what course of action will provide the quickest results, and allocate resources accordingly. A good example of this is the "field plan check" concept, where inspection of plans and improvements is on-going in the field while construction is underway -- Ron Horn says this could save weeks and weeks of time. c) Agree to funding sources/mechanisms, and work together to allocate and/or facilitate distribution. The proposed adoption of a redevelopment agency, project area, and plan is a key activity in this regard. The County may be more agreeable to the adoption of the City's redevelopment program if it knows that we will contribute significant financial resources to County lands outside of the redevelopment area. Other areas of needed cooperation include use of FEMA funds, and disbursement of monies held in the various B&T Districts. d) Both jurisdictions have the ability to streamline and fast-track various permits and approvals, and both must be willing to worktogether to accelerate the approval processes (through all means necessary) at the State and Federal level, especially for permits to work in the Santa Clara River. advancelVanspprdmw