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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05041999 - C53 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: TRANSPORTATION, WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE DATE: April 5, 1 999 SUBJECT: Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the East Say Municipal Utility District Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOtvMENDATM(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I, Recommended Action: AUTHORIZE the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign the attached letter to the East Say Municipal Utility District regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project. If. FinanJ aIImpact: No impact to the General Fund, Continued on Attachment: X SIGNATURE: — RECOMMENDATION.OF BOAfi9 COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER- e t SIGNATURES : Gonna Gerbor,Ohair Mark DeSauinier ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED xX OTHER May 4, 1999 VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I hereby certify that this is a true and correct XX_ UNANIMOUS (ABSENT copy of an action taken and entered on the AYES: NOES: minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the ABSENT— ABSTAIN: date shown. ATTESTED: May 4, 1999 JB:eh:e PHIL BATCNEL R,Clerk of the Board - - g:\transeng\19991bobr99te/EBIVIUDDE'!R of Supervisors d ounty ministrator OrIg.Div: Public wrks(TE) Contact: J.Bu*eren—313-2342 By , Deputy c: D.Barry,CDD Transportation Planning,CDD DEIR for EBMUD`s proposed Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project Page Ill. Reasons for Recommendations and Background: The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) made a presentation to the Board of Supervisors' Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee on March 15, 1999 about the proposed Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project. The project consists of expanding the Walnut Creek Treatment Plant and the Danville Pumping Station and constructing 4.4 miles of large diameter transmission pipeline from Walnut Creek to Alamo. Much of the pipeline is proposed to be constructed in the County owned former Southern Pacific Right of Way which is a joint use facility for utilities and transportation including the Iron Horse Trail, Many County roads will be impacted by the construction of the project as will the Iron Norse Trail. After EBMUD`s presentation, the Committee scheduled a special meeting on April 5, 1999 to review a draft of the County's comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)for the project. The Committee felt it would be appropriate to coordinate comments with other jurisdictions that may be affected by the project. Representatives from the Cities of Walnut Creek, Danville and San Ramon, the East Bay Regional Park District and the San Ramon Valley Eire District attended the meeting and offered their concerns and comments about the project. The draft comments were revised per the input received at the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee. The Board of ►uipervisors ����~ Phileik Bathe elor Costa � d County Administration BuildingCounty 651 Pine Street; Room 106 (925)335-1900 Martinez, California 94553-1293 County John Gloia, 'st District Gayle Ullkema,2r3a District Donna Gerber,3rd District r ,t Mark Desauinier,4#h District Joe Canciamilla,5th District May 4, 1999 Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District 376 Eleventh Street Oakland, CA 94607-4240 RE: Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project DEIR Dear Mr. Hanoian: County staff has reviewed the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)for the Walnut Creek- San Ramon Valley Improvement Project. The project has the potential to create several impacts to residents and businesses in Alamo and the City of Walnut Creek as well as major disruption to the roads and trails in the project area. Our specific comments are as follows. Project Need The DEIR states that the project need is identified in East Bay Municipal Utility District's (EBMUD) 1984 San Ramon Valley Master Plan and confirmed in the updated San Ramon Valley Water Service Facilities Draft Master Plan (1999). What is the process and schedule for adopting the 1999 Master Plan? Will it include an environmental evaluation and public participation? On page 2-8, the DEIR states that the 69-inch diameter pipeline is needed to meet the 230- level demand projections as well as to provide flexibility to respond to several factors. It appears that extra capacity is built into the project. The document should clarify what size of pipe is needed to meet the 230-level demand projections and further analysis is required to document the need for anything larger, Appendix H, Annexation, Service to Dougherty Valley, and Secondary Effects of Growth discusses the possibility of EBMUD being the water service provider for Dougherty Valley. If that turns out to be the case, it appears that additional improvements to the Walnut Creek Treatment Plant and the Danville Pumping Plant would be required beyond the scope of what is evaluated in this DEIR. The timing of the decision on the water service provider is Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 4, 1999 Page 2 uncertain. If EBMUD does became the provider for Dougherty Valley, it would be preferable to incorporate any additional improvements required into the current proposed project to avoid two construction phases and minimize the disruption to the surrounding residents. Is it possible to delay construction pending a decision on the water service provider for Daugherty Valley and, if EBMUD is to be the service provider, to conduct the planning and environmental studies necessary and incorporate the additional expansion into the project that is currently proposed? • Visual Quality The disturbance and removal of vegetation for construction of the proposed pipeline within the County's transportation and utility corridor (TUC), the former Southern pacific Right of Way, between Rudgear Road and Sterne Valley Road in Alamo is considered to be a significant, but mitigatable impact. The County is developing a management program for the Southern Pacific Right of Way that would continue its use as a joint use facility for transportation and utility purposes but would also allow for the corridor to be enhanced with landscaping improvements. The section of the project between Rudgear Road and Stone Valley Road is considered a very desirable segment of the corridor. This section of the TUC has considerable mature vegetation that will be severely impacted by the construction of the pipe and the mitigation measures to restore the corridor are not clearly defined in the DEIN. Mitigation should include restoration of the lost vegetation. Trees should be replaced at a 3:1 ratio, minimum 15 gallon size. EBMUD should provide irrigation and be required to maintain the mitigation landscaping to ensure the replanting establishes. Mitigation should be consistent with the Landscaping Element of the Management Program and with County Ordinances. • Traffic, Circulation and Recreation Impact 3-2; Pipeline installation within and across streets would reduce the number of, or the available width of, travel lanes on roads, resulting in temporary disruption of traffic flows and increases in traffic congestion, as well as affecting access to adjacent land uses for both general and emergency access. Additional analysis is required to determine the impacts of the proposed lane and road closures. The DEIR presents two alternatives for construction within the County's TUC along the South Broadway Extension between Newell Avenue and Danville Boulevard. The DEIR proposes to reduce the width to one lane, requiring alternate one way travel, or to close the road completely to expedite construction. There is not sufficient analysis of the impacts of either of these alternatives or a thorough discussion of mitigation measures. The project will disrupt traffic on many local roads within the project area. The DEIR discusses open-cut construction across Nillgrade Avenue, where limited alternative access is available, and across several local residential serving roadways where no alternative access is available, including Livorna Road West, Ramona Way, Litina Drive, Cervato Drive, Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 4, 1999 Page 3 Cervato Circle and Lunada Lane. The project also proposes open-cut construction into Danville Boulevard. In addition to the mitigation Measures 3-2a and 3-2b on page 3.3-26 of the DEIR, EBMUD should be required to notify affected residents and emergency services of lane closures and traffic disruptions. EBMUD should provide a community liaison to help resolve issues and problems as they arise during construction and provide an 800 number for the public to call for information or to register complaints. Two lanes of traffic on Danville Boulevard must be provided at all times during construction and any disruption or closures of the bicycle lanes on Danville Boulevard will not be allowed if the Iran Norse Trail is not in operation. Impact 3-3: Project construction could increase wear and tear on area roadways used by construction vehicles. Mitigation Measure 3-3 includes conducting a pre-construction survey to document road conditions on key access routes to the project site. This survey should include a thorough road condition survey on all affected County and private roads and the San Damon Greek Bypass area through the use of photo and video recordings. We recommend that an independent engineering consultant be mutually selected for this survey. The repair of all damaged areas may include additional mitigation measures if an affected County or private road was recently resurfaced. Impact 3-4r Project construction would increase potential safety hazards for vehicles, bicyclists and/or pedestrians on public roadways and trails. This is identified as a Significant and Unavoidable Impact in the DEIR. Closure of the Iron Norse Trail during construction creates a significant impact for users of the trail, many of which use the trail for transportation to jobs and to school. In many locations, the only parallel route for a detour is Danville Boulevard which does have bicycle lanes but no facilities for pedestrians. Even with the bicycle lanes, detouring bicycle traffic from the trail to Danville Boulevard will require anyone travelling northbound to cross Danville Boulevard which averages 13,000 vehicles per day in the project limits. Detours should be limited to the three signalized intersections on Danville Boulevard at Rudgear Road, Livoma Road and Stone Valley road. Any detour of trail traffic needs to be well signed and easy to follow. In addition to providing transportation benefits, the Iron Norse Trail is also a major recreational facility in the area. It is heavily used by walkers, runners, in-line skaters and families with small children. It is more difficult to safely detour these activities to Danville Boulevard. The DEIR assumes closure of the Iron Norse Trail to accommodate the construction. EBMUD should explore alternatives to maintain the trail during construction, such as relocating the Harvey`la. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bey Municipal Utility District May 4, 1999 'age 4 trail within the right of way and applying alternative construction methods. Another possibility may be to allow for the trail to be open during weekends and holidays when the recreational use is high. If it is determined that complete closure of the trail is necessary, a more thorough analysis of impacts and mitigation is required. The DEIR identifies the closure of the Iron Horse Trail as a Significant and Unavoidable Impact. To help offset this impact, EBMUD should consider enhancing the Iron Horse Trail when it is restored with landscaping, irrigation and amenities such as drinking fountains, informational signage and benches to mitigate for the inconvenience and disruption of use due to construction of the pipeline. Impact 3-9: Construction of the project could disrupt newly repaved streets. Mitigation Measure 3-9 states that EBMUD will comply with encroachment permit standards with respect to rehabilitation of roadways that have been recently paved or treated. The County will require EBMUD to comply with permit standards for all roadways impacted by the project, regardless of whether they have been recently paved or treated. One of the permit conditions may include the restoration of the entire width of the roadway within the construction area with an acceptable type of resurfacing material such as a slurry seal. In addition to pavement restoration, EBMUD will also be required to replace any traffic control devices, signing or striping that is removed for the project. The County is currently pursuing a project to install a lighted crosswalk on Hillgrade Avenue at the Iron Norse Trail. The project should be completed this year and will be in place during EBMUD's proposed construction. : wise Construction along the County's TUC south of Rudgear goad and increased truck traffic on the local roads to access the construction will create a noise impact for the residents whose homes back up to the TUC and who live along the proposed access routes. EBMUD should provide a community liaison to help resolve issues as they arise during construction and provide an 800 number for the public to call for information or to register a complaint. Specifications for construction contracts should include notice to the contractor(s) of the noise requirements and hours of work and specify fines for violation. « Surface Water Quality The comments of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (Flood Control District) are included as follows. In addition to the measures outlined in Section 3.8.3, "Surface Water Quality, Environmental Setting, Impacts and Mitigation Measures," The Flood Control district requests EBMUD adhere to the following: 1. As stated in the DEIR, construction within Flood Control District right of way will require encroachment permits. This will require proof of consultation with and required permits Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 4, 1999 Page 5 from the California Department of Fish and Game,the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Regional Water Quality Control Board to assure that construction activities are in compliance with the jurisdiction of those agencies over wetlands or streambeds. Encroachment permits would apply to the following locations: the Proposed Alignment adjacent to and under Walnut Creek at Civic Park, underneath the San Ramon Creek Bypass box culvert undercrossing; the Carmel Drive Variant underneath Walnut Greek near the softball field; and the Alternative Alignment that includes the 1-680/1-as Trampas Creek Variant, which proposes crossing both Las Trampas and Tice Creeks adjacent to 1-680. We also request that the Flood Control District be allowed to review construction plans for all work to be performed in the vicinity of any District facilities. Primary concerns include: a) The potential effects of trenching near flood control channel walls (along the San Ramon Bypass Channel). The release of soil pressure from the channel walls during the trenching process, and pressure created during back filling of the trenched sections, could threaten the integrity of the channel structures. We request that a Geotechnical or Structural report addressing these issues be submitted to the Flood Control District for review and approval. b) The proposed pipeline crosses a number of existing and future drainage lines in Drainage Areas 10, 13, and 67. A large diameter pipeline with 6 feet of cover could preclude the Districts ability to cross their local lines to the creek due to insufficient fall. Therefore, the Flood Control District should be given an opportunity to review plans for any construction in these areas. The Flood Control District also has a proposed drainage line that parallels the new pipeline in the West Alamo area, and may like to construct that line In a collaborative effort with EBMUD. c) A 5-foot minimum vertical clearance is required for crossings beneath Flood Control District facilities. d) Vertical clearance for crossings over Flood Control District facilities must allow clearance for a 100-year storm event plus one foot of freeboard. e) Any permit will include provisions requiring bonding to ensure protection of Flood Control District facilities against damage incurred during construction. 2. The 1-680/1-as Trampas Creek Variant of the Alternative Alignment calls for either open- cut trenching across Las Trampas Creek on the west side of 1-680 or jack-and-bore construction of the pipeline under Las Trampas Creek on the east side of 1-680. Since it would be less invasive to the natural creek channel, we favor the jack-and-bore method to the open-trench style of crossing the creek, should the Alternative Alignment prove necessary. Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East B.ay Municipal Utility District May 4, 1999 Page 6 3. EBMUD must enter into a license agreement, or obtain an easement, for use of Flood Control district right of way where it is held in fee title or a joint use agreement where the District has an easement. • Growth Inducement The document concludes that the growth projections are consistent with County and City general plans without thorough analysis to support such statements. From the information presented in the DEIR, one cannot determine if the demand projections that the project proposes to address are consistent with the growth projections of the County and City general plans. The boundaries of ABAG growth forecasts are typically not coterminous with the boundaries of urban development permitted in adopted general plans. It would also be useful to see an overlay of the EBMUD Ultimate Service Boundary on the County's urban limit line to determine if any growth is projected outside the urban limit line or within areas designated agricultural land/open space. • Analysis of Alternatives In Section 6.2, Alternatives to the Project, the DEIR discusses three alternatives to the project that were evaluated: Alternative 1, Expanding the existing Upper San Leandro Water Treatment Plant; Alternative 2, Constructing a new water treatment plant at the Rifle Range Site in Alameda County; and Alternative 3, No Project Alternative required by CECA. Table 6-1 on page 6-3 shows that both Alternatives 1 and 2 meet the project objectives to provide capacity to meet existing and forecast demands within the Ultimate Service Boundary to the year 2920, to improve system flexibility and reliability and to provide for changing water quality regulations. Table 6-1 also shows that Alternatives 1 and 2 will not meet the project - objectives to minimize costs to customers and to minimize environmental impacts. However, the comparison of impacts of the proposed project to the alternatives, shown in Table -3, are qualitative and need further analysis to support the conclusion that the Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project is the preferred alternative. Table 6-5 in Section 6.5, Alternatives Rejected Prior to Evaluation in this EIR, lists four potential alternatives to the project that were considered, but not evaluated in this DEIR. The DEIR does not provide much explanation as to why these alternatives were rejected and should include an analysis of cost, technical feasibility and environmental impacts. In addition, since the San Ramon Valley is the area of greatest demand and will receive the most benefit from the project, it seems an evaluation of a water treatment facility in the San Ramon Valley would be appropriate. • Flight of Way Issues Construction in the County's TUC will limit access for the County to maintain the right of way. EBMUD should be required to provide maintenance such as weed abatement and maintain drainage within the TUC for the duration of the project. I . I Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 4, 1999 Page 7 The former Southern Pacific Right of Way contains many subsurface easements for underground utilities, including a high pressure petroleum line, fiber optic cable, sanitary sewer, gas and water lines, There are also surface easements for access and maintenance of these facilities. The East Bay Regional Park District has a license agreement to operate and maintain the Iron Horse Trail. Walnut Creek has an easement for the South Broadway Extension and the County Flood Control District has an easement for their Walnut Creek Channel. The County is required to provide for the opportunity to develop a transit facility within the corridor. All of the existing rights and the provision for a future transit facility precede any new rights granted for additional uses. Now EBMUD's project will impact the existing facilities within the right of way needs to be addressed. Granting rights for a new facility limits future opportunities within the corridor and this impact should also be addressed. Though our comments relate to the impacts in the unincorporated area of the County and to our ownership of the former Southern Pacific Right of Way, we have also received comments from residents in the incorporated areas of Walnut Creek that will be impacted by the project. We have worked to coordinate our comments with the City of Walnut Creek, the East Bay Regional Park District and the Town of Danville and are supportive of their concerns regarding the project, Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Please call Julie Bueren in our Public Works Department at (925) 313-2342 if you have any questions. Very truly yours, J 0 ph ranciamilla Jo Chair, oard of Supervisors JRB:ehJe gAtranseng\1 M\99tatempOEIRESMUD cc: M.Wafford,Public Works Director M.Shiu,Deputy Public Works Director G.Connaughton,PWD Maintenance J.Bueren,PWD Transportation T.Williams,Flood Control District D.Barry,Community Development Director D.chamberlain,community Development S.Goetz,CDD Transportation W.Kirkpatrick,EBMU F.Kennedy,City of Walnut Creek M.Kimmerer,City of Walnut Creek S.Lake,City of Danville S.Flaia,EBRPD