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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-04-22 - AGENDA REPORTS - HASKELL VISTA LN INTO CITY STR (2)Agenda Item: 14 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: Rick Gould DATE: April 22, 2014 SUBJECT: ADOPT RESOLUTION ACCEPTING HASKELL VISTA LANE INTO THE CITY STREET SYSTEM DEPARTMENT: Parks, Recreation, and Community Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council adopt a resolution accepting Haskell Vista Lane into the City street system. BACKGROUND One of the goals of the City's Open Space Preservation District (OSPD) is to provide and encourage public access to the open space properties purchased for preservation. On October 15, 2012, the City's OSPD purchase of the second Wildwood Canyon property closed escrow. With this purchase, came fee ownership of Haskell Vista Lane, a private street. Shortly after the purchase, staff began investigating trail connection opportunities between the two Wildwood Canyon properties. Connections are desirable since the City's only access to the first property was by easement over private property, while the purchase of Haskell Vista Lane allowed for direct access to the land via a paved road. As cleanup of the Wildwood Canyon property progressed, trail planning and development commenced. A trail head was established at the end of Haskell Vista Lane, but trail markers and maps were not installed. Additionally, an official announcement via the City's hikesantaclarita.com website was placed on hold while staff met with local residents to hear their concerns for the area. On January 27, 2014, staff invited residents who lived within close walking distance of the new trail -head access point to a public meeting at Hart Hall. While many residents expressed enthusiasm for the preservation of the land, some were concerned with potential impact to the quiet rural neighborhood and private paths and streets that are used to access homes. Residents of Haskell Vista Lane were especially concerned about public parking and driving on the street that they were contractually obligated to maintain. to The City has requirements for pavement types, width, grade, curb heights, and construction quality that are provided to developers who generally build new residential streets in neighborhoods. City staff examined the documents related to this private street and the public sewer line that runs beneath it. Haskell Vista Lane was constructed before Santa Clarita was incorporated, so no original inspection records were available. The City generally requires private streets that could possibly be requested for public acceptance to be built to City standards as well. Public Works inspectors took measurements, examined the quality of the asphalt pavement and concrete curbs, and found them to be in compliance with City standards. City staff and the Leadership Team discussed the findings and concerns and determined that it would be reasonable from a technical standpoint to recommend to the City Council that Haskell Vista Lane be officially made a public street. Should the Council accept Haskell Vista Lane into the City street system, residents fronting the street will be officially absolved of their former responsibility for upkeep as described in the Maintenance Agreement recorded on March 26, 1974, which ran with the title of each property. The vast majority of the residents who are subject to that agreement submitted a signed petition at the public meeting asking the City to take this action. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS City Council could leave the status of Haskell Vista Lane in its current condition and keep the Maintenance Agreement in place. FISCAL IMPACT The addition of this section of street into the City system will have a small impact to street maintenance and field crew budgets, but it is expected to be minimal due to the relatively small area and low overall use. ATTACHMENTS Resolution RESOLUTION 14- A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, ACCEPTING HASKELL VISTA LANE INTO THE CITY STREET SYSTEM WHEREAS, on March 26 1974, an agreement (Maintenance Agreement) was made and entered into by and between the owners of certain properties abutting the private street known as Haskell Vista Lane and recorded as instrument 2809 of official records; and WHEREAS, said Maintenance Agreement acknowledged that "there is constructed in and upon said right-of-way or easement a suitable pavement and each for himself warrants and represents that he will maintain said pavement in good useable condition under all weather conditions until such maintenance is assumed by a governmental agency'; and WHEREAS, California Streets and Highway's Code Section 1806 holds that no city shall be held liable for failure to maintain any road until it has been accepted into the city street system; and WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clarita became fee title owner of the private street known as Haskell Vista Lane upon closure of escrow on October 16, 2012, via an arm's length transaction; and WHEREAS, existing street improvements making up Haskell Vista Lane have been inspected and found to meet City standards; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita wishes to accept for public road and highway purposes the above-mentioned Private Street. NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita does hereby resolve as follows: SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Clarita accepts for public road and highway purposes the above mentioned cul-de-sac private street known as Haskell Vista Lane, starting at Cross Street in the community of Newhall, in the City of Santa Clarita as described in document 41549040, recorded on October 15, 2012, with the Registrar -Recorder of the County of Los Angeles. SECTION 2. By its terms, such acceptance for public road and highway purposes terminates the responsibility for maintenance of Haskell Vista Lane by the aforementioned abutting property owners as provided for in section 2 of said Maintenance Agreement as recorded as document 2809 of official records in the County of Los Angeles, State of California. SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and be instructed to record the certified original resolution in the office of the Registrar -Recorder of the County of Los Angeles. 3 SECTION 5. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this day of 2014. MAYOR ATTEST: INTERIM CITY CLERK DATE: STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss. CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) I, Armine Chaparyan, Interim City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita at a regular meeting thereof, held on the 22 day of April 2014, by the following vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: INTERIM CITY CLERK