HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 1851City of Palo Alto (ID # 1851)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Consent Calendar Meeting Date: 8/1/2011
August 01, 2011 Page 1 of 3
(ID # 1851)
Council Priority: Land Use and Transportation Planning
Summary Title: Welch Road Agreement
Title: Authorize the City Manager or Designee to Execute the Welch Road
Utilities Project Facilities Construction, Ownership, Operation and Maintenance
Agreement
From:City Manager
Lead Department: Planning and Community Environment
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager or Designee to Execute the Welch Road Utilities Project
Facilities Construction, Ownership, Operation and Maintenance Agreement (Attachment
A).
BACKGROUND
On June 6, 2011, the City Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the
Stanford University Medical Center Facilities Renewal and Expansion Project (“project”) and
approved a series of land use entitlements related to the project. These entitlements included
a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to exempt the Hospital District from the citywide and area
specific non-residential development caps and to permit higher buildings in the HD zone; the
creation of a new Hospital District Zone; a Conditional Use Permit for the major components of
the project and a Development Agreement which would lock in the entitlements for a period of
30 years in exchange for a mutually acceptable package of community benefits.
The Council also requested that the Development Agreement be revised to include language
consistent with the agreement between the City of Palo Alto, the SUMC project applicants, and
the City of East Palo Alto, for payment of specific fees related to traffic improvements at
University Avenue in East Palo Alto and a payment if the SUMC project sponsors are unable to
achieve the 2025 transportation mode-split target as described in the Mitigation Monitoring
and Reporting Program, mitigation number TR-2.3.
DISCUSSION
Welch Road Utilities Agreement
August 01, 2011 Page 2 of 3
(ID # 1851)
As part of the project, many of the existing utilities will need to be relocated to permit better
site planning. In addition, some utilities will have to be upsized to permit enhanced capacity.
Stanford The City and Stanford have negotiated the Welch Road Utilities Project Facilities
Construction, Ownership, Operation and Maintenance Agreement (COOMA).(Attachment A.)
This agreement describes and identifies the parties’ respective rights, duties, and obligations
related to the design, construction, ownership, operation, maintenance, demolition,
construction, modification, widening, and replacement of the following facilities to be installed
on and under Welch Road, North and South Pasteur Drive,and Quarry Road:
1) roadway surface improvements, which includes street surfacing, curbs, gutters,
sidewalks, bicycle lanes, median strips, crosswalks, surface lighting, mass transit duck-
outs, intersections, traffic and cross walk signals, street and cross walk striping, and
landscaping; and
2)underground utility facilities improvements, including electric, water, natural gas,
sanitary sewer, storm drain, chilled water, steam/hot water, and telecommunications
and fiberoptic facilities.
The agreement includes an individual exhibit for each of the underground utilities and street
improvement facilities which briefly describe the work to be done on each, as well as a detailed
matrix which defines which party owns the existing facilities, which party is responsible for
constructing the new facilities, paying for the construction costs, and connecting the new
facilities, and which party will own, operate, and maintain each of the new facilities after
construction is compete.
The work is expected to take 36 months. To minimize road closures, Stanford will complete the
work in stages. During construction, only half of Welch Road will be open and traffic will be
restricted to one direction. Stanford has performed extensive outreach with the tenants of the
affected buildings and plans to continue an active community outreach program during the
entire construction period.
The agreement also includes, as an attachment, the form of the Public Utilities Easement and
Right of Way Easement document that will be signed by the Parties related to the Welch Road
Utilities Project.Both the Welch Road Utilities Project Facilities Construction, Ownership,
Operation and Maintenance Agreement and the Public Utilities Easement and Right of Way
Easement will be recorded to provide a clear definition of the rights, duties and obligations of
the parties.
NEXT STEPS
The SUMC project applicant is expected to begin minimal site preparation at Hoover Pavilion
for the building renovation activities within the next few weeks. This may include installation of
protective fencing and minimal tree protection and relocation preparation work.
August 01, 2011 Page 3 of 3
(ID # 1851)
Work is expected to begin on the Welch Road Improvement Project as soon as Stanford
finalizes its Construction Improvement Monitoring Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The City Council certified the FEIR for the project on June 6, 2011.
Attachments:
·Attachment A: Final Welch Road Improvement Agreement (PDF)
Prepared By:Steven Turner, Advance Planning Manager
Department Head:Curtis Williams,Director
City Manager Approval: James Keene, City Manager