HomeMy WebLinkAbout0251.092,
I
-
May 7 I i992
THE gONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, California
puncan Place Bicy~~destriaD Bridge -Status ~~J29rt
Members of the Council:
Report in Brief
This is an informational ~eport on the status of the Duncan Place
bicycle/pedestrian bridge. NO Council action is required~
Background
As part of its flood control improvement program. the Santa Clara
Valley Wa.ter District (District) designed a project to enlarge
AQobe Creek for conveying the lOO-year flood. Due to the lack of
space in the rear yards of properties ab,utting the creek, the
District cannot widen the channel to gain the needed capacity.
Instead, walls were designed along the channel which extend above
the existing grownd. In order to accommodate the wallar the design
calls for raising the deck of Duncan Place bridge by about one
toot. The City-owned bicycle/pedestrian bridge connects Duncan
Place with Cr~ekside. Drive and is a link in the bicycle route
between San Antonio Avenue a.nd East Me a do ... ' Drive (see attached
map) 4 The bridg~ is a convenience for some school children as they
walk or ride their bicycles from their homes to Jane Lathrop
Stanford Middle School and Fairmeadow Ele~entary School.
Due to the impacts of the flood control project, the District
cond.ucted a public outreach program and prepared a full
environmental impact report in 1990 ~hich addressed the issue of a
higher DUncan Place bridge. The EIR identified the loss of privacy
as a potential negative impact of the new bridge and proposed 5i~
foot-high screen fencing along the bridge and approach ramps as a
m.i tigat.ion measure. The ramps are needed in order to meet
standards for persons ~ith disabilities. The ramps a£e designed to
slope down from the bridge to existing ground over a distance of
40-50 f~et (see attached detail).
-1-
CMR:251:92
L
• , -",
J
" .
I
"'"-I
r .. :'~',4-<'~~~:;~~ ••
As the existing bridge is only ~ 1/2 feet ",ide and in bad
condition, the City requested the District to include a new a foot
wide structure and approaches in its construction contract. In
1990, Council approved an ~greement with the District to pay
$31,300 fer the betterment. In 1991 t~e District a~arded a tyO
year contract and proceeded with the channel construction. work
'Was suspended la.st October due to the rainy se.ason, allo·.ing City
staff time to s~ek construction easeaents from the four property
owners adjacent to the Duncan Place bridge. The temporary
easements are necessary in order to provide sUfficient ~orking area
for the contractor to build the bridge approach ramps.
Discussion
When staff met individually with the four property oW'!'ler~ to
describe in detail tt'.e new bridqe construction, eacr~ expressed
serious reservations about the project. Based on this, staff and
Council Member Wheeler :held a follo .... -up :meeting ~ttended by the
four property o'.mers, presidents of both the Greeruneadow-and Walnut
Grav..:! neighborhood associations, several other residents in the
area.
Host residents at the meeting ~are surprised about the bridge and
fence screeninq height, and indicated that the information
previously qiven to them :by the District ~as bOth aketchy and
subject to sevt!ral revisions. Questions were raised about the need
for a bridge at this location and ~hether it could be eliminated
pe~nentlYr There vas a concern that property values of the four
abuttinq residences iiould be decreased because of the bridge
height and fence screening. Due to the 10 .... elevation of the
adjacent ground, the top of the proposed fence screening on the
bridge is actually as much as ten feet above residents' back yards.
A conflicting concern was the loss of the backyard p~ivacy if the
proposed fence screening was reduced in haight.
In order to allo .. sufficient time to rescl ve these issues, staff
has directed t.he Dist.rict to eliminate t.he bridge replacelllent fro"\!i.
the current contract. This ~ork would have started in June. staff
is schedulinq a public meeting in early June .. i th all affected
parties, includinq the neighborhood associations~ to hear their
concerns and develop a course of action. The District will also be
present at these meetings, As the existing bridge will be removed
by the District's contractor this summer in order to complete the
channel construction, staff will include the school and PTA groups
in these meetings to discuss temporary alternate pedestrian/bicycle
routes. Although exact timing ca.nnot be predicted now, if t.he
bridge is to be replaced it .... ill probably not occur until next
spring.
-2-
CMR:251:92
L
,
I
t
i
--
/-~
• '\ '..,.
-
.-:.:'-
.' •. !" '.
~.,-::<-,--~~--:..
.:i~~'~~:<"I· ,', .
Ste.tt -will r-eturn to CO'J.ncil with a recon:ur.ended course of action,
iii,S ,-,ell as I!I plan for inte-rin. pedestrian/bicycle access irl. this
area after receiving public input~
Respe51fUllY submitted ,
/£1 r2 /W4';Z i~ ____
GEORG E Bli-GooN
Assistant Director of Public Works
DAVID G. ADAMS
Director of ,public Works
i
J;~ /,<, .LA. '---+/ ,GUN! -tt:"!'M1: NG
'As~istant City Ha qe , ,
v' Attachlllent: map
cc: Residents adjacent to the bridge
Greenmeadow Ccmmunity Association
walnut Grove Homeowners Association
Santa Clara Valley Water District
L"JI·S Middle School
Fairmeadow Elementary School
Fairmeadow PTA President
JLS PTA President
Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee
City/Schoel Traffic Safety Committee
-)-
CMR:251:92
L
, "
, '
BICYCLE ROUTE
, ~ ••• I. , ..... ,.. 111, ...... 1111 ,I
.:-:.
, ,
\ . i" \
j
~l
I i
II
!
!
,
···U,
,! .'
REMOVE E)(ISTINO WA.Lt(
"rTAfNIM.IIAlL
CONe
40' R""'P --__
_ CREEKSIDE DRIVE
L " .\
" ~::::h:-":;.~ ~
, "'i\~'{t; i'~'
.... ~}.'
~ ..
--~~~~--~-~----.
----------_ ... _--y_ .... -.----------~
6' SCREEN rENCINQ
flt"'lJV{' [XIS-T.
CHANNU. LWING
• . . "~ NEW ;~'\"""'\: " .. ,_.1 .. , ,---CHAtmU.I"INl~!'i
• .'''., ,'" .," I' \c ,
SECTIQ.~ G\ -.O.U.NkA!'l F 0 0 T 6 R IDG r;, Q§7
",,-__ . __ .. _________ ._ .. J _._
NEW BRIDGE
OF NEW
WIILr_
o
f ~
I
OUNC<\N PLACE __
f,:",,"\ ';;, '. \ :.,.J , ··~',,,(,·,~--~·';(',,T' 'i'. . .-,y')t"'f:"~'&-·;&,·" .. ':" ',I '",/,,\ d-',;;6~n;~;'~;,: . ''''';,' ";
~
" 4
'i ;,
~
i '. f' ,