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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10312006 - SD.2 Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ` - ��••oma FROM: SUPERVISORS MARK DESAULNIER AND , Costa. FEDERAL GLOVER �os• � °A~ DATE: OCTOBER 31, 2006 rA cowry County SUBJECT: GREAT CALIFORNIA DELTA TRAIL (COUNTYWIDE). SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDED ACTION: 1. SUPPORT the "Great California Delta Trail" which was created by SB 1556 (Torlakson) and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger in September 2006. 2. DIRECT the Public Works and Community Development Directors and County Counsel to explore funding for the planning and construction of the trail in Contra Costa County and to investigate the use of the Navy Mitigation Fund for this purpose; and 3. DIRECT the three Departments to report back to the Board of Supervisors on funding opportunities for the "Great California Delta Trail" on or before February 27, 2007. Ja Mark DeSaulnier, District IV Federal D. Glover, District V ACTION OF BOARD ON ©ti � 2-'006 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER V VOTE OF SUPERVISORS: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE AYES: NOES: DATE SHOWN. ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Contact: JB:1Z C:\DOCUME—I\TPENNI—I.DS\LOCAL&-I\Temp\C.Lotus.Notes.Data\--9098616.doc ATTESTED ©��[� � 3 2C _ JOHN CULLEN,CLERK OF TRE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS cc: Senator Tom Torlakson John Cullen,CAO Maurice Shin,PW " D.Barry,CDD Silvano Marchesi,CC BY: 'DEPUTY ,DEPUTY Julie Bueren,PW SUBJECT: GREAT CALIFORNIA DELTA TRAIL (COUNTYWIDE) DATE: OCTOBER 31, 2006 PAGE: 2 of 2 FISCAL IMPACT: NONE REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS AND BACKGROUND: In September 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 1556 (Torlakson) into law, creating the concept of the "Great California Delta Trail,"which would begin at the San Francisco Bay Trail's terminus in Martinez and circle through the Delta region to Sacramento. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted in 2006 to support SB 1556 and the concept of the Great California Delta Trail. Funding for planning, design and construction is needed to make the "Great California Delta Trail" a reality. Staff should pursue grant funding for this purpose and explore the possibility of using a portion of the interest accrued in the Navy Mitigation Fund. In 1989, the Board of Supervisors agreed to vacate a portion of the Port Chicago Highway within the boundaries of the Concord Naval Weapons Station, at the request of the U.S. Navy. The County secured a$5 million mitigation fund from the U.S. Navy to offset the impact of the Highway's closure and the loss of this major Central-East county road artery for vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Of the original $5 million Navy Mitigation Fund, $1 million was allocated by the Board of Supervisors for bike and pedestrian trails and $4 million was allocated for roads. Two funds were established, one for trails and one for road purposes and the Board of Supervisors adopted and expenditure plan for each fund. Interest has accrued in each of the funds and it may be possible to use some of that interest for the "Great California Delta Trail. Oct, 31. 2(106 9 : i0AM MARK DESAULNIEz '925) 6465-1/6-1/ Plo. 1617 r. 2 Supporting Information for CA Delta Trails Board Order • Senator Torlakson (then Supervisor) led a county delegation to Washington D.C. in 1989 to negotiate a sufficient amount of mitigation from the Navy. This pressure resulted in a $5 million mitigation fund, a significant increase from previously offered amounts. • Due to a lack of consensus on a new Central-East county road to mitigate the closure of Port Chicago highway, a large portion of the $4 million road mitigation fund remains unspent. This original $4 million has accrued $4,014,873.94 in interest since 1990. A total of$633,468.12 remains in the Trail Budget portion of the Navy Mitigation Fund. • Allocation of accrued interest from the original Port Chicago closure's Navy Mitigation Fund will allow Contra Costa County to fund the planning and construction of the Great California Delta Trail in Contra Costa, and thus provide a Central to East County bike and pedestrian alternative to the Port Chicago Highway. This allocation will not impact the existing budgeted $4,264,000 in the Road Portion of the Navy Mitigation Fund. • There are immediate opportunities to begin the Delta Trail in Contra Costa including. o The East Bay Regional Park District's Waterfront Trail in Bay Point, which has a funding gap of approximately $600,000 but could be completed by the Fall of 2007, 0 2)A trail linking the City of Pittsburg and the Bay Point harbors along the waterfront, which has a planning cost estimate of 550,000 for the County ($100,000 to be paid by the City of Pittsburg and the East Bay Regional Parks District), and 0 3)A $1,000,000 planning and ETR cost of the entire length of the Great California Delta Trail in Contra Costa County, reaching from Martinez to Bethel Island and Discovery Bay. The Delta Protection Commission is heading up the planning process. Erin Gabel District Representative Office of Senator Tom Torlakson 2801 Concord Blvd. Concord, CA 94519 925.602.6593 phone 925.602.6598 fax erin.gabel@sen.c;a.gov ADDENDUM TO ITEM SD.2 October 31, 2006 SUPPORTED the"Great California Delta Trail"which was created by SB 1556 (Torlakson) and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger in September 2006; DIRECTED Public Works and Community Development Directors to work with County Counsel to re-evaluate funding for the planning and construction of the trail in Contra Costa County and to investigate the use of the Navy Mitigation Fund for this purpose; and DIRECTED the three Departments to report back to the Board of Supervisors on funding opportunities for the "Great California Delta Trail"on or before February 27, 2007. Supervisor DeSaulnier introduced the item, noting the mitigation funds were intended for an alternate route connecting Concord to Bay Point to Pittsburg to Central County. Efforts to extend Evora Road from Willow Pass Road to Port Chicago Highway have been the main desire for the actual $4 million. that was given to the County. The County has not been able to do that and saying he did not foresee this happening in the near future because it would require going through the City of Concord and also going through the City of Concord's Municipal Golf Course. Supervisor DeSaulnier noted that there is actually money in the fund to relocate one hole in the golf course,but Concord has not been interested in participating. Our suggestion in conjunction with Senator Torlakson's is to look at the interest money to do some very exciting proj ects. Supervisor Glover suggested creating a public input process so that individuals within the two communities will have the opportunity to review and evaluate the proposed project. Supervisor Piepho expressed the desire to include equestrians in the trail planning. She requested the matter go to Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee (TWIC)before returning to the Board. Supervisor Piepho also noted this agenda item recognizes Districts IV and V but noted that District III has a significant portion of Delta access and asked whether it was appropriate to include that or assume that it is going to be the geographic districts. Supervisor Uilkema requested various segments of the trail plans be put in different colors for a better picture of the proposal and the interrelationships. She also recommended the referral to TWIC. Maurice„Shiu, Director, Public Works Department, agreed the County is prepared to meet with TWIC to look at allocating some of the existing trail money to start with the planning and development process for the Great California.Delta Trail. He said to engage the public is probably appropriate at this time to look at the entire expenditure plan the Board approved 15 years ago. He said the County was not able to get the City of Concord to agree to a rural alignment, so it might be an opportune time to look at modifying the expenditure plan and while still meeting the intent of the mitigation while improving transportation between East and Central County. Mr. Shiu noted for background information that the County negotiated a$5 million mitigation fund from the Navy as part of the Port Chicago Hwy abandonment process, and the Board certified the CEQA document with specific findings and the use of that money is tied to those findings so one of the issues to be resolved is, if in fact the Board wants to develop a alternative expenditure plan,we might have to revisit the CEQA document and that would require input from County Counsel. Public comment was provided by: Erin Gable from Senator Tom Torlakson's office expressed the Senator's deep gratitude to the Board for their support of his vision to make the Great California Delta Trail a reality. Ms. Gable added that the Senator's office would be very happy to help in making sure"all the dots are connected" from Martinez to Sacramento. By a unanimous vote with none absent, the Board of Supervisors took the following action: Supervisor DeSaulnier moved the recommendation with the amendments of a dual referral to TWIC and to Districts IV and V.