HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 279-08TO:
City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL~,’1
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS
DATE:JUNE 9, 2008 CMR:279:08
SUBJECT:STATUS OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE FORMER LOS
ALTOS TREATMENT PLANT LOCATED AT 1237 NORTH SAN
ANTONIO ROAD AND NEARBY PARCELS
This is an informational report and no Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
On November 13, 2007, Council approved an agreement with the City of Los Altos (CLA) that
provided for the purchase of the CLA’s one-half interest in a 13.26 acre site at 1237 North San
Antonio Road, commonly ~knov~ as the Los Altos Treatment Plant (LATP) site. Staff is
currently working with the CLA and the Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation
Commission (LAFCO) to complete the annexation process so that the site will fall within Palo
Alto City limits (CMR:409:07).
The LATP site is divided into three areas. The northermnost piece, Area A (4.0 acres), is
undeveloped and currently consists of non-native grasslands on top of fill material and brackish
marsh along the perimeter of a remnant slough channel, Separated from Area B by a levee.
Area B (6.64 acres) is the site of the former LATP, which contains a vacant industrial facility,
non-native grassland and six abandoned treatment ponds. Area C (2.62 acres) is adjacent to the
Los Altos metering and lift station and is primarily undeveloped, mostly non-native grassland.
DISCUSSION
With the closing of Palo Alto’s landfill and the recycling center in 201 ! and with the potential
relocation of an automobile dealership to the existing Animal Services Center (ASC) at 328!
East Bayshore Road, there is a need to identify new locations for these uses and others. The
Utility Department also uses the front portion of the ASC to store construction material which
would also need to be relocated. Staff from various departments began meeting in April 2008 to
discuss the current status of the LAFCO process, environmental review- needs and to identify
other potential sites for the displaced recycling center, ASC and other uses.
Three City-owned sites have been identified as potential relocation sites for these and other uses,
as a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008-2009. The sites are:
the LATP site (primarily Areas B and C); a non-parkland area adjacent to and on the west side of
the Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP), and the current Palo Alto Sanitation
CMR:279:08 Page 1 of 3
Company (PASCO) office on Geng Road (the portion of the site which is not on designated park
land). The Geng Road site would only be available, however, if it is not needed by a future
waste hauler. The selection of the next waste hauling company is currently underway.
To analyze these space needs in a comprehensive manner staff is proposing a LATP Feasibility
Study as a CIP Project for Fiscal Year 2008-2009.
The uses that would be considered for one or more of these sites in the LATP Mater Plan Study
are:
¯Household Hazardous Waste Facility (HHWF). The HHWF involves the collection,
packaging and short-term storage of household wastes such as paints, pesticides,
motor oil, etc. Presently, a temporary HHWF is operated one day a month in the
guest parking lot of the RWQCP.
¯Recycling Center. The space currently occupied by the Recycling Center will be
filled with debris as part of the landfill closure and will need to be relocated.
Animal Services Center (ASC). The ASC may need to be relocated from its current
site in order that an expanded automobile dealership could be built on the current East
Bayshore Road site. The Utility Department uses the area in front of the ASC for
storage of construction materials and equipment.
Drying Bins. Drying bins are areas where wet spoils from storm drains or other
maintenance work are deposited until they have dried and can be put into the landfill
[or, in the furore, put into a transfer station to await transport to the Sunnyvale
Materials Recovery and Transfer (SMART®) Station]. Drying bins are currently
located in an area south of the RWQCP that will revert to parkland as part of the
Byxbee Park Master Plan.
Transfer Stations. Transfer stations are bins where construction debris left over from
daily maintenance activities can be deposited until there is enough of a load to
warrant hauling it to the SMART® Station. This debris is currently taken to the Palo
Alto landfill.
Utility_ Department Staging Yard. Area C of the LATP site is currently used for
equipment and material storage by the Utility Department. This use may need to be
relocated to other areas of the LATP, space permitting.
Resource Recovery Station (RRS). As part of the City’s goal of zero waste, a RRS
will be evaluated for placement at one of the potential sites. The RRS is envisioned
as an area where useable construction materials (sinks, doors, lumber, etc.) can be
salvaged from a construction or demolition site and offered for re-use. There is
currently no funding identified for the construction of a facility of this type, nor an
operating policy. The LATP Master Plan Study will analyze whether it would be
feasible to locate an RRS on the LATP or other site, and if so, to identify a proposed
location, size and approximate construction cost.
CMR:279:08 Page 2 of 3
The proposed CIP Project would balance the various space needs against the available sites and
develop a conceptual site plan showing the layout and circulation pattern for the various uses.
This information would then be presented to Council for review and direction.
RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for a consultant to develop a feasibility study for the site has been included in the
proposed Fiscal Year 2008-2009 budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This is a planning and feasibility study and therefore not a project subject to environmental
review-under Section 15262 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
PREPARED BY:
KAREN BENGA’R~
Senior Engineer
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
ROBERTS
Managers
EMSLIE
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