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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04252006 - C.6 'yo: v BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ?'' °� ; C ontra FROM: MAURICE M. SHIU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR ' o! 's Costa DATE: April 25, 2006 �o;.;A �rs County SUBJECT: Iron Horse Corridor Management Program, San Ramon,Danville,Alamo, Walnut Creek,Pleasant Hill, Concord. (Districts III & IV) SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDED ACTION: DESIGNATE the former Southern Pacific San Ramon Branchline Right of Way (SPROW) as the "Iron Horse Corridor." APPROVE and ADOPT the Iron Horse Corridor Adopt-the-Corridor Program Handbook for the Iron Horse Corridor Management Program. REFER the status of the Iron Horse Corridor Management Program to the Transportation,Water and Infrastructure Committee. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no impact to the County General Bund. All time spent in support of the Adopt-the-Corridor Program will be funded by the Iron Horse Corridor Trust Fund. Public Works staff time was needed to prep,are the Iron Horse Corridor Adopt-the-Corridor Program Handbook. All funds used to support the creation of this document came from the Iron Horse Corridor Trust Fund. Continued on Attachment: ® SIGNATURE: ❑ RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ❑ RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE ❑ APPROVE ❑ OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON 7/ 1.t5; r�4& APPROVED AS RECOMM DED OTHER ❑ 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. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS Sn� ) p qq n-. �, UNANIMOUS ABSENT /��/ ATTESTED: A�P-;I � F & ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AYES: NOES: JOHN CULLE , Clerk of the oard of Supervisors and County Administrator JPar G\GrpData\TransEng\2006\BO-TE\BO lmnHorseCOnl dor l Wld.doc By Deputy Orig.Div: Public Works(TE Division) Contact: Stephen Kowalewski(313-2225) cc: County Administrator J.Bueren,Deputy Public Works Director S.Kowalewski,Assistant Public Works Director SUBJECT: Iron Horse Corridor Management Program DATE: April 25, 2006 PAGE: 2 of 2 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS AND BACKGROUND: Designation of the former Southern Pacific San Ramon Branchline Right of Way as the "Iron Horse Corridor": The Corridor has been referred to in Board Orders and County legal documents by various titles, including the former Southern Pacific San Ramon Branchline Right of Way(SPROW),the San Ramon Transportation Corridor, and the Iron Horse Corridor. In order to be consistent across all documents concerning the Corridor, and in order to avoid confusion when discussing the Corridor with the public,staff recommends the Board designates the entire 18.5 mile long Corridor as the "Iron Horse Corridor," from the south end beginning at the Alameda County line in San Ramon to its termination at Mayette Avenue in Concord. Approve and adopt the Adopt-the-Corridor Program Handbook for the Iron Horse Corridor Management Program: County citizens have expressed interest in landscaping and beautifying the Iron Horse Corridor since its purchase by the County in the 1980's. The County purchased the Iron Horse Corridor using State funds, and as part of the funding agreement, the County is required to preserve the Corridor for future use as a busway or exclusive mass transit guideway. Since no formal program was in place to allow landscaping projects within the Corridor, some citizens implemented landscape projects within the Corridor without knowledge, review and approval by the County. In order to provide a way for groups not affiliated with the County to landscape and beautify the Iron Horse Corridor through projects such as mulching,planting,and landscape maintenance,the Board of Supervisors on July 22, 1997, directed the Public Works Department,the Community Development Department,and the County Redevelopment Agency to develop a Management Program for the Iron Horse Corridor. Within the Management Program, the Board directed that a landscaping program consistent with existing and committed uses be created. The Iron Horse Corridor Management Program Landscape Element was completed and adopted by the Iron Horse Advisory Committee on September 1, 2000. The Landscape Element contained landscaping criteria and an implementation process to guide landscaping within the Corridor. The first group to propose and carry out projects using the Landscape Element was the non-profit group Life Garden. During these first projects,issues arose which led County Staff and the East Bay Regional Park District Staff to realize that additional safety protocols and procedures were needed for these types of volunteer events. In response to this,the Public Works Deparitment,in conjunction with the East Bay Regional Park District and the Iron Horse Advisory Committee, began an effort to put together an Adopt-the-Corridor Program Handbook to outline the process by which groups could adopt sections of the Corridor to landscape and mulch. Public Works Staff consulted with Risk Management and County Council, who have reviewed and commented on the draft handbook. Staff strived to put together a program that would allow citizens to implement the types of projects being proposed for the Corridor in a safe and effective manner,while also protecting the existing easement holders and the County from undue risk and liability. Staff paid particular attention to the presence of highly volatile and potentially dangerous public and private utilities within the Corridor, and the program will insure that work within utility easements is in conformance with all license agreements, easements, and other utility agreements. On March 20, 2006, the Iron Horse Corridor Advisory Committee recommended the approval of the Adopt-the- Corridor Program Handbook. Public Works Staff is requesting that the Board approve and adopt the Handbook for the Iron Horse Corridor Management Program. FiUBJECT: Iron Horse Corridor Management Program DATE: April 25, 2006 PAGE: 3 of 2 Referral of Management Program to the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee: In May 2005, the Board referred the Iron Horse Corridor Management Program to the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee. In July 2005, the Committee discussed several unresolved issues and requested that County staff report to the Committee at a future date regarding progress made on these issues. The Iron Horse Corridor Management Program was inadvertently left off the 2006 list of referrals to the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee, necessitating Board action to add it back to the list. CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION: Failure to designate a single title for the Corridor will lead to continued use of multiple titles across County documents. Failure to approve the Iron Horse Corridor Adopt-the-Corridor Program Handbook would restrict most groups and individuals from implementing appropriate projects within the Corridor. Failure to refer this item to the Transportation,Water and Infrastructure Committee will prevent the Committee from receiving reports on the Iron Horse Corridor Management Program.