HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05112010 - C.01RECOMMENDATION(S):
APPROVE the Iron Horse Corridor Public Information Element of the Iron Horse Corridor
Management Program, as recommended by the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure
Committee, San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord areas.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no impact to the County General Fund. All time spent in support of the Public
Information Element will be funded by the Iron Horse Corridor Trust Fund.
Public Works staff time was needed to prepare the Iron Horse Corridor Public Information
Element. All funds used to support the creation of this document came from the Iron Horse
Corridor Trust Fund.
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 05/11/2010 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:John Gioia, District I
Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II
Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III
Supervisor
Susan A. Bonilla, District IV
Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
Contact: Carrie Ricci,
925-313-2235
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board
of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: May 11, 2010
David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: EMY L. SHARP, Deputy
cc: Steve Kowalewski, C. Kutsuris, J. Greitzer
C. 1
To:Board of Supervisors
From:Julia R. Bueren, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Date:May 11, 2010
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:Approve the Public Information Element of the Iron Horse Corridor Management Program
BACKGROUND:
The Iron Horse Corridor, formerly known as the Southern Pacific Right-Of-Way, is 18.5
miles long traversing north-south in Central Contra Costa County. The northern terminus
is Mayette Avenue in Concord and the southern terminus is the Alameda County line in
San Ramon. The corridor varies in width from 30 to 100 feet and currently has a 10-foot
wide, paved multi-use trail (the Iron Horse Trail) managed by the East Bay Regional Park
District under a license from the County.
The County’s policy regarding the use and ownership of the facility indicates the
right-of-way shall remain in public ownership along its entire route and be used as a
non-motorized transportation route (trail) and underground utility corridor, and provide
an easement for a potential transit facility.
In July 1997, the County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to direct the Public
Works Department and the Department of Conservation and Development to jointly
develop a Management Program for the Iron Horse Corridor. The Management Program
consists of the six elements listed below:
• Mapping: Preparation and maintenance of right-of-way maps that record the locations of
all existing and committed uses and easements.
• Use Conditions: Inventory of existing license agreements, contracts, and conditions for
existing and committed uses.
• Joint-Use Criteria and Standards: Establishment of criteria and standards to ensure the
coexistence of the existing and committed uses, and to evaluate the ability to
accommodate new uses that may be proposed in the future.
• Landscaping: Identification of the location and type of landscaping that can be
accommodated in the right-of-way, and the cost for installation and maintenance.
• Public Information: Development of a public information element to inform interested
individuals of the management program.
• Funding: Update of existing fees, and establishment of new mechanisms to cover
program costs. Specific mechanisms will be established to cover installation and
maintenance of landscaping, such as formation of an assessment district, private
contributions, grant funding or a combination of new revenue sources.
The Public Works Department is coming to the Board at this time to present the final
version of the Public Information Element. The Public Information Element was
developed to inform interested individuals about the Management Program and the Iron
Horse Corridor. The Iron Horse Corridor Advisory Committee and County staff
developed the Public Information Element during two public meetings in 2009. It
includes a Vision Statement, identifies the audience for Iron Horse Corridor related
communication, priority information and ways to disseminate the information.
On February 1, 2010, the Iron Horse Corridor Advisory Committee recommended the
approval of the Public Information Element. Public Works staff took this document to the
Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee on April 19, 2010 and the
Committee recommended the document to the Board as a consent item. At this time,
Public Works staff is requesting that the Board approve the Public Information Element
of the Iron Horse Corridor Management Program.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Failure to approve the Public Information Element of the Iron Horse Corridor
Management Program would delay the adoption of a public information document for
the Iron Horse Corridor. Communication with the public about the Iron Horse Corridor
may also be impacted.
ATTACHMENTS
Public Information Element
1
Iron Horse Corridor Management Program
Public Information Element
Vision
The Public Information Element of the Iron Horse Corridor Management
Program is intended to communicate the vision and activities associated
with the Corridor to the public and local communities, adjacent land
owners, elected officials, emergency response organizations, and other
affiliated agencies. The Public Information Element is intended to
disseminate and mitigate user and other stakeholder uses within the
corridor to insure the safety and enjoyment of all those who use the
corridor.
Background
On July 22, 1997 the Board of Supervisors directed the Public Works Department, the Community
Development Department (now the Department of Conservation and Development), and the County
Redevelopment Agency to jointly develop a management program for the former Southern Pacific San
Ramon Branch Right of Way from Concord to the Alameda County line, herein referred to as the Iron
Horse Corridor. The management program was to include the development of a public information
element to inform interested individuals about the Iron Horse Corridor. The Iron Horse Corridor
Management Program was developed with participation by the public through an advisory committee.
The following Public Information Element was developed by the County with input from the Iron Horse
Corridor Advisory Committee.
Audience
The audience for Iron Horse Corridor‐related communications spans a wide range of groups and
individuals. This section attempts to define the main classifications of the Corridor audience.
Trail Users
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) operates the Iron Horse Trail throughout most of
the Iron Horse Corridor. The public is most familiar with this function of the Corridor, and most
of their experiences with the Corridor are gained through use of this facility.
2
Trail users can typically be classified as either recreational or those that use the trail for
transportation. Recreational users on the trail include walkers, joggers, cyclists, dog walkers,
and horseback riders. Transportation uses may include school children and those commuting
to work or to transit.
Adjacent Property Owners
There are hundreds of properties adjacent to the Iron Horse Corridor. The majority of these are
single family homes, but there are also commercial properties, schools, parks, and multiple‐
family dwellings. Many of these residential areas have homeowner associations, some of which
actively participate in projects within the Corridor. In addition to existing adjacent uses, there
is isolated commercial and residential development taking place along the Corridor.
Iron Hose Corridor Rights‐Holders
The Corridor serves as a utility corridor for multiple utilities, including electric, water, sewer,
recycled water, petroleum, and telecommunications. These agencies have agreements with
the County which provide them rights to place and maintain their facilities within the Corridor.
The EBRPD also has an agreement with the County which provides EBRPD with the rights to
operate and maintain the Iron Horse Trail.
Cities along the Corridor also have rights along isolated sections of the Corridor. These rights
are typically at road crossings where cities install and maintain landscaping, benches, and
fountains.
Elected Officials and Advisory Groups
Elected officials with a direct interest in the Corridor include County Supervisors for Districts 3
and 4, whose districts the Corridor passes through. Elected officials for the cities the Corridor
passes through also have an interest in the operation and development of the Corridor. County
Municipal Advisory Committees (MACs) for unincorporated areas along the Corridor also have
an interest in the Corridor. These committees are not elected officials and serve at the pleasure
of the County Supervisors. Their role is to advise County staff and elected officials on County
business.
Volunteer Groups
The Iron Horse Corridor is an attractive property to volunteer groups, and from experience the
groups interested in this work have included school clubs and environmental groups. Other
volunteer groups that may be interested in the Corridor include recreational groups (dog
walkers, horseback riders, cyclists, etc.).
3
Priority Information to Disseminate
As the corridor becomes increasingly popular with residents living adjacent to the trail and trail users
alike, the Public Information Element is intended to provide outreach to the general public. Below are
information sources and background information to assist the public with understanding the
management and maintenance of the corridor.
Website Addresses
These websites contain Corridor information such as corridor history, landscaping and
management programs, maps, news and events, contact information and trail information.
Contra Costa County Public Works Department ‐ http://www.ironhorsecorridor.org/
East Bay Regional Park District ‐ http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/iron_horse
Safety Information
There are numerous utility easements throughout the corridor. Prior to any construction or
community projects, Underground Service Alert (USA) ‐ Northern California must be notified at
1‐800‐227‐2600 to mark for utilities and East Bay Regional Park District must be notified to
review the impact to their trail.
Transit Corridor
The County purchased the corridor right of way with assistance from state transportation
grants. To comply with the terms of state grants the County received, Contra Costa County
must preserve the 34‐foot wide transit corridor easement for a future busway or exclusive mass
transit guideway. No building or planting projects that will impair the ability to construct the
busway or mass transit guideway will be allowed. Currently, there are no specific projects or
funding for this system.
Advisory Committee
The Iron Horse Corridor Management Program Advisory Committee was authorized by the
Board of Supervisors on July 22, 1997. The nine‐seat Committee includes one representative
from each jurisdiction or unincorporated community along the corridor (Alamo, Concord,
Danville, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek), Supervisor Districts III and IV appointed
seats, and a seat for the East Bay Regional Park District. All meetings are open to the public and
duly noticed in advance in accordance with the Brown Act and the Contra Costa County Better
Government Ordinance. Meetings are held on a quarterly basis or more frequently as needed.
Funding Sources
The Iron Horse Corridor Management Program’s Financial Element contains information on the
costs and funding sources available to manage the Corridor, implement projects and maintain
4
the Management Program. A link to the Financial Element may be found in the County website
described above under “Program Management”.
Policies and Guidelines
The Iron Horse Corridor Management Program Elements contain specific policies and
guidelines. Links to the various Elements can be found under “Program Management” in the
County website listed above.
Encroachments
Questions about county encroachment permits for landscaping and other joint use projects
should be directed to the County’s Application and Permit Center. Contra Costa County has
developed an Adopt‐the‐Corridor Program to provide opportunities to enhance the Corridor.
The opportunities include litter removal, wildflower and native plantings, preservation of
existing native plant communities, landscaping or erosion control projects, the improvement of
wildlife habitats, and the control of invasive weeds or brush within the right‐of‐way. A link to
the Adopt‐the‐Corridor Program can be found under “How to Propose a Landscaping Project” in
the County website listed above.
Ways to Disseminate Information
Vehicles used to inform the public about the Iron Horse Corridor will include the website, press
releases to local newspapers, advisory committee and community meetings, resident mailings, city
flyers, homeowner association newsletters, East Bay Regional Park District brochures, monuments and
kiosks. The Iron Horse Corridor Program Manager is also available to present at public meetings.
Signage may be allowed within the Corridor to assist trail users in determining their location and points
of interest, and to provide users with historical and ecological information. Mileage markings and
interpretive and directional signs may be allowed upon approval by the Iron Horse Corridor Program
Manager. Mileage markers may be placed on sign posts, fences, or by trail pavement markings.
Interpretive signs may include historical, ecological, and other items of interest, and directional signs
may be allowed to provide for links to parks, trails, transit, or other points of interest. Signage density
and the various utilities and easements will be a factor in determining the number and location of signs
approved within the Corridor.
1/6/10