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Home My WebLink About1996-08-08 City Council (9)TO: City of Palo Alto , C ty Manager’s Report HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Public Works DATE:August 8, 1996 CMR:371:96 SUBJECT:Status Report on Revegetation of Bol Park Bicycle/Pedestrian Path REQUEST This is a status report on the revegetation of the Bol Park Bicycle/Pedestrian Path which will be performed as the final stage of the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Matadero Creek Phase V Flood Control Project. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This informational report does not contain any changes to existing City policy. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Council approved the site and design application for the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s (District) Matadero Creek Phase V Flood Control Project on February 21, 1994 (CMR: 169:94). The project involves the construction of an underground box culvert along the Bol Park Bicycle!Pedestrian Path to convey flood waters from Matadero and Barron Creeks (see site plan, Attachment 1). Project approval was conditional upon the revegetation of the corridor immediately following completion of the culvert and restoration of the asphalt concrete path. The District’s contractor completed the culvert and path improvements on July 15, 1996. On May 29, 1996, staffreeeived a letter from the District requesting approval of a delay in the landscaping of the corridor until October 1996 (Attachment 2). The request is supported by the District’s landscape consultant and the Barron Park Association, based upon the consensus view that the new plant materials will have a higher success rate if planted during the rainy season (see letter of support, Attachment 3). Staff concurs with the delay request and has issued a letter of approval (Attachment 4), subject to the following conditions: The District shall direct its contractor to start the revegetation of the corridor, including hydroseeding with native grasses and wildflowers, in accordance with the contract planting plans promptly on October 1, 1996. CMR:371:96 Page I of 3 As an interim dust control and soil erosion measure, the District shall direct its contractor to apply a natural, environmentally-safe fiber mulch to the corridor. The contractor shall continue to water the areas periodically to prevent soil erosion and dust problems. The District shall conduct a public outreach program to inform users of Bol Park and the bicycle/pedestrian path and adjacent residents that the corridor will be revegetated beginning in October 1996. The outreach program, subject to review and approval of the City’s Planning Division, shall contain, at a minimum, the following elements: ao Direct mailing to all residents adjacent to the project corridor An article in the Barron Park Association newsletter Informational signs posted in Bol Park and at entrances to the bicycle/pedestrian path Following installation of the new plant materials, the District’s contractor will be responsible for landscape maintenance for a period of three years to ensure vigorous plant establishment. The bicycle/pedestrian path has been reopened for public use and will remain open throughout the revegetation process. FISCAL IMPACT The revegetation of the Bol Park Bicycle/Pedestrian Path is being funded by the Santa Clara Valley Water District. At the conclusion of the three-year maintenance period, the City will assume maintenance responsibility for the plant material and the new irrigation system along the park corridor. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Council adopted a negative declaration for the Matadero Creek Phase V Flood Control Project on February 21, 1994, and no further environmental assessment is required in conjunction with this report. ATTACHMENTS 1 - Site Map 2 - SCVWD letter requesting landscaping delay 3 - Letter of support from the Barron Park Association 4 - City’s conditional letter of approval PREPARED BY: George Bagdon, Assistant Director of Public Works CMR:371:96 Page 2 of 3 DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: GLENN S. ROBERTS Director of Public Works CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: BERNARDM. STROJI~’/I¢ Assistant City Manager cc:Kay Whitlock, Santa Clara Valley Water District Dave Chesterman, Santa Clara Valley Water District Will Beckett, Barron Park Association CMR:371:96 Page 3 of 3 O U $ P ,4 R Attachment 1 BIKE T ~ ~ ~ ~ BOL PARK BICYCLEIPEDESTRIAN PATH May 29, 1996 Mrs. Nancy Lytle Chief of Planning Official Planning Department City of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Attachment 2 Santa Clara Valley Water District 6 5750 ALMADEN EXPRESSWAY SAN JOSE,CA 95118-3686 TELEPHONE (408) 265-2600 FACSIMILE (408) 266-0271 AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER Dear Mrs. Lytle: Subject: Matadero Creek Phase V Flood Control Project, Landscape Planting Contract On February 21, 1994, the City of Palo Alto (City) Council approved a Site and Design application from the Santa Clara Valley Water District (District) for the Matadero Creek Phase V Flood Control Project. The District’s Matadero Creek Phase V Flood Control Project is nearing completion. The conditions of project approval adopted by the City Council included a provision to restore the bicycle path and revegetation immediately after completion of the flood control improvements (Item No. 12-a). Our landscape consultant recommends and tile Barron Park Homeowner Association requests that plant installation to be done during the fall months. Since the flood control improvement will be complete in July of this year, we are requesting the City’s approval to delay only the planting until October of 1996. Currently, the completion date for all the civil work, including bicycle path and irrigation system installation, is late July 1996. We will hydroseed the entire site at the end of the civil work to prevent a dust problem. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter, and if you have any questions, you may contact me at the Camden Office, (408)927-0710, extension 2671, or Mr. Saeid Hosseini, extension 2680. Sincerely, Iwao Shintani Supervising Engineer (acting) Project Support Services / Mr~Joe Teresi "Pt~lic Works Department City of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 recycled pa~.)et Attachment 3 BARROIq PARK ASSOCIATION PALe ALTO, CALIFORNIA 984 llima Way Pale Alto CA, 94306 duly B, 1996 Mr. Joe Teresi Publi~ Works Dapt City of Pale Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Pale Alto CA 94301 Dear Joe This lett0r is to express our support of the proposal to wait until October to begin the planting and 3-year reve~etatlon contract for Phase V of the Matadero Creek flood control project. The general contractor INA Construction, the Santa Cla~a Valley Water District, and the Barren Park Association are all In accord that autumn is the proper season for planting in this ollmate. We are convinced that the additional 3-month walt will pay off ~n increased germ~natio,l, growth, vigor and survival rates of the plantings. For this reason, we are asking the City of Pale Alto to concur, so that there will be no questio,l of non-compliance with the project specifications on this issue. ~ Sincerely yours. WILL BECKETT BPA Pr*o£dent INOB HARDING-BARLOW JILL BECKET Revegetation Chaie Nancy Lyttle, PA Planning Dept. Said Hoselni, SCVWD BPA Board of Directors Cityc. Palo Alto Department of Plannin g and Community Environment Attachment 4 July 5, 1996 Planning Division Mr. Iwao Shintani Santa Clara Valley Water District 5750 Almaden Expwy. San Jose, CA 95118 Subject:Revegetation of Matadero Creek Phase V Project Corridor Dear Iwao: I have reviewed your May 29, 1996 letter requesting City approval to delay the revegetation of the Matadero Creek Phase V Project corridor until October 1996. I have discussed the matter with staff from the Planning Division and the Public Works Department, as well as representatives of the Barton Park Association. Attached is a letter from Barron Park Association requesting the condition modification to delay planting. The consensus view is that the new plant materials will have a higher success rate if the planting is deferred. We do, however, have several concerns related to your request that must be mitigated by the District if the planting is deferred. I will administratively waive the City Council requirement that the revegetation of the Matadero Creek Phase V Project corridor commence immediately following the completion of the civil work, contingent upon the following conditions:. The District shall direct its contractor to start the revegetation of the corridor, in accordance with the contract planting plans, promptly on October 1, 1996. The District shall direct its contractor to hydroseed the corridor with the native grasg and wildflower seed mix specified in the contract immediately following the completion of the civil work. The contractor shall continue to water the seeded areas periodically until the vegetation is sufficiently established to prevent soil erosion and dust problems. 250HamiltonAvenue P.O. Box 10250 Palo Alto, CA 94303 415.329. 2441 415.329.22’40 Fax The District shall conduct a public outreach program to inform users of Bol Park and the bicycle/pedestrian path and adjacent residents that the corridor will be revegetated beginning in October 1996. The outreach program, subject to review and approval of the City’s Planning Division, shall contain, at a minimum, the following elements: Ao Direct mailing to all residents adjacent to the project corridor. An article in the Barron Park Association newsletter. Informational signs posted in Bol Park and at entrances to the bicycle/pedestrian path. If these conditions are acceptable to the District, please submit a letter of acceptance, including a implementation plan and schedule for each of the specified elements. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Jim Gilliland at (415) 329-2579. Sincerely, Nancy Lytle Chief Planning Official Planning Division . Attachment Ken Schreiber Jim Gilliland Glenn Roberts George Bagdon Joe Teresi