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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006/12/12 Item 11 COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item Meeting Date \1 12/12/06 ITEM TITLE: Resolution authorizing the filing of a grant application to the Caltrans community-based transportation planning grant program for funds to assess city infrastructure near public elementary schools; authorizing acceptance of the funds if granted; and certifying the commitment of matching funds. SUBMITTED BY: Director of Engineering~~ p'( # Acting Community Developmen~ector Planning and Building Director ~ REVIEWED BY: Interim City Manager d j (4/5ths Vote: Yes _No2L) BACKGROUND: The City has undertaken an effort to create a master Infrastructure Management Program to inventory, assess, and prioritize the city's missing infrastructure. This grant funding would support the City in working with the South Bay Partnership, to enhance the community input phase of this effort and support critical planning activities such as community- based walking audits centered around the city's 37 public elementary schools. Because Decision maker Conflicts exist in relation to five of the 37 public elementary schools, tonight's Agenda also includes companion Agenda Statements addressing those five schools. RECOMMENDATION: That Council adopt the Resolution: I. Authorizing the filing of a grant application to the Caltrans community-based transportation planning grant program; 2. Authorizing acceptance of the funds if granted; 3. Certifying the commitment of matching funds. BOARDS/COMMISSIONS: N/A DISCUSSION: The City's existing and planned transportation facilities vary dramatically in condition and availability from the newly developing areas of the City to the older aging pre-smart growth neighborhoods. The City Council frequently receives competing requests from the public for local infrastructure improvements. An overwhelming proportion of citizen requests directly correlate with the City Council's desire to ensure safe routes to schools. Public infrastructure and land use patterns in neighborhoods near schools strongly influence the health and safety of our school children. They influence neighborhood walkability, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, traffic circulation patterns and speeds, public transit systems, multimodal choices, and community character and pride. These issues, combined with a limited pool of resources for infrastructure improvements, now call for a J :\EngineerIAG ENDA \CAS2006\ 12-l2-06\Transportation Planning Grant.doc 11-1 T Page 2, Item---4-- Meeting Date 12/12/06 precise identification and pnontJzation of City pedestrian, bicycle, and traffic circulation improvements through community-based master planning efforts. To establish a long-term plan for prioritizing and funding improvements to the entire integrated network of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, the City has embarked on a major comprehensive initiative to inventory, assess, and master plan the City's infrastructure needs. The City believes that the answer to finding a comprehensive and balanced approach to addressing local transportation planning needs and funding priorities lies within its communities. Included in the project's goals are the following: (1) Inventory and assess pedestrian infrastructure near schools; (2) Initiate a comprehensive community-based specific transportation planning effort; (3) Prioritize infrastructure needs and deficiencies near schools; (4) Establish a Citywide infrastructure management program; and (5) Develop and implement traffic-calming and other pedestrian-friendly practices. The proposed project to inventory and prioritize the City's infrastructure dovetails with the City's new Southwest Community Improvement Strategy (SWCIS). The Planning and Building Department has been working closely with Community Development, Engineering, and other City Departments to develop the SWCIS, which will take a comprehensive approach to specific planning in Southwest Chula Vista. Components of the planning approach will include land uses, zoning, public safety, building and code enforcement, public infrastructure, redevelopment, housing, economic development, parks and other public facilities, social services, health care, and community engagement and outreach. Beginning with the Southwest area and eventually incorporating the entire City, the project will focus on the Y<-mile "buffer zones" surrounding each of the City's 37 public elementary schools (as shown on Attachment I). Observations are that parents residing within these zones are more apt to allow their children to walk to school; particularly if safe and adequate facilities are available for walking and biking. Therefore, the first stakeholders to gain benefits from this project will be the City's schoolchildren, their families, and their neighbors. Ultimately, the project will have positive impacts for all residents. A unique aspect of this project is its community-directed focus. Stakeholder organizations participating in this planning project will include Healthy Eating, Active Communities (HEAC) and Walk San Diego who have partnered as the South Bay Partnership. This partnership actively works at the community level to reduce childhood obesity by promoting walkability and reducing reliance on cars. The South Bay Partnership will be the City's key planning partner on this project. Other stakeholders will include the recently formed Southwest Chula Vista Civic Association, the Environmental Health Coalition, the Northwest Civic Association, and Crossroads. Local schools (where the community meetings will take place) and school districts, parent faculty groups and homeowners associations will have critical involvement throughout the process. Jurisdictional stakeholders such as City Cauncilmembers, the City's redevelopment agency, and impacted City departments such as Public Warks and Police will benefit from well-targeted planning outcomes and J :\Engineer\AGENDA \CAS2006\ 12-12-06\ TransportatIOn Planning Grant.doc 11-2 T Page 3, Item \ \ Meeting Date 12/12/06 directives from this project. A City interdepartmental project team will provide oversight, general project management, technical advisement, analysis, and report preparation. But the success of this fully collaborative effort, including design aspects, is predicated on the scope and depth of South Bay Partnership's community outreach, hands-on coordination of day-to-day community-level planning activities, and ensuring that planned tasks are accomplished by the community. Project Phasing and Planned Accomplishments: The planning project will be accomplished in two phases. Phase I is not part of the grant proposal. It is an already-funded effort that is currently underway. Phase I provides a technical baseline GIS-based assessment of the current state of the City's pedestrian transportation infrastructure and preliminary cost estimates from the perspective of elementary school attendance boundaries. City Council and City departments will receive a full presentation of the infrastructure maps and estimated cost estimates for missing sidewalks, curbs, gutters, ADA ped ramps, pavement and cross gutters, and other deficiencies. In addition, Phase I will provide City Council with a fiscal analysis of current policy challenges; current prioritization criteria and potential new considerations; current funding availability and allocations; alternate applications of current revenue; and potential new revenue sources. Comments, concerns, and other feedback from the initial presentations will be incorporated into the analyses. Alignment of the proposed improvements with the principles of smart growth and sustainability will be emphasized throughout all phases of the project. South Bay Partnership and other community-based organizations listed above will be presented with the baseline technical report of missing pedestrian and other facilities, and an inter-group/City dialogue initiated. Over the next several months, the process will generate valuable input, to be discussed and incorporated into the design and protocols for Phase II planning. Phase I will be completed by June 2007. Phase II, for which the City seeks grant funding, marks the beginning of community engagement in the transportation planning process. The now twice-improved infrastructure reports will be presented at community meetings facilitated by the South Bay Partnership. Community meetings will be held at each of the city's 37 neighborhood public elementary scbools, beginning with Southwest area schools. Residents will review the full range of infrastructure needs and share thoughts regarding priorities in their neighborhoods given the overwhelming needs and limited funding availability. The goal is to hear what missing infrastructure feels like to the people who live in the area and whose children are trying to walk to school. This will allow the City Council to consider how the community views and prioritizes missing sidewalks and other deficiencies as they work through the tough financial decisions associated with infrastructure management choices. These meetings would also explore community reaction to funding alternatives. Input from these meetings will help form the framework for creating mutually agreed upon protocols for the next infrastructure assessment step. Using the protocols, the South Bay Partnership will next work with the City and each of the 37 neighborhoods to complete a series of detailed neighborhood walking audits. Data from the audits, together with the GIS inventory, the community meetings, and lessons learned, will ultimately provide the basis for sound, responsive Citywide planning efforts. This community outreach component will be the most far-reaching step ofthe project and is scheduled for completion by February 2008. J :\Engineer\AGENDA \CAS2006\ 12-12-06\Transportation Plaruung Grantdoc 11-3 T Page 4, Item \ ~ Meeting Date 12/12/06 From February 2008 through May 2008, City staff will work with the South Bay Partnership to collect and analyze the considerable amount of data from the community outreach activities, incorporate the new findings into an updated report and cost estimates, to be presented to City Council and City departments. The report will also incorporate updated recommendations regarding potential policy revisions; prioritization criteria and potential new considerations; funding availability and allocations; alternate application of current revenue and potential new revenue sources based on community input. City project management staff will await City Council direction and feedback with regard to finalization of priority lists, refined project estimates, and implementation of revenue strategies. In the project's final step, the City would again work closely with the South Bay Partnership to return to the community for final review and comment on the pedestrian infrastructure priority list and other key aspects of the project. The additional community feedback will be incorporated before publication ofthe final report and presentation to City Council for adoption and dissemination to the public by December 2008. The City will then be well placed to implement the transportation improvements, school zone by school zone, according to community-directed priorities. Project Costs: The total estimated costs for the project are $302,000 (Attachment 2). Staff proposes applying for $241,600 in project funding from the Caltrans Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant Program to help meet those expenses. The grant program requires the commitment of a minimum 20% City match ($60,400) oftotal project costs which staff recommends providing as follows: half ($30,000) to come from Transportation Sales Tax (TransNet) funds programmed within the School Zone Safety Program, and half ($30,400) provided in in-kind staff services. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The Environmental Review Coordinator has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a "Project" as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines because the proj ect is for funding purposes only; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Although environmental review is not necessary at this time, once projects have been defined, environmental review may be required and a CEQA determination completed prior to commencing any development of the improvements identified. DECISIONMAKER CONFLICTS: Staff has reviewed the property holding of the City Council and has found no property holding within 500 feet of the boundaries of the property that is the subject ofthis action. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no impact to the General Fund from this action. If the resolution is approved, the City will apply for Caltrans grant funding in the amount of $241 ,600, and commit matching funds of$60,400 from a combination of Trans Net funds and in-kind staff services to meet the City's total project cost of$302,000. If the grant is awarded, staff will return to COlmcil with a recommendation to appropriate the grant funds and the match. J: IEngllleerlAGENDAICAS20061 12-12-06\Transporlation Planmng Grant.doc 11-4 T Attachments: Page 5, Item \ \ Meeting Date 12/12/06 I. City of Chula Vista Project Area 2. Cost Estimate - Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant 3. Letter of Support - South Bay Partnership J :\EngmeerIAGENDA \CAS2006\ 12-12-06\Transportation Plannmg Grant.doc 11-5 T 'Paqe G, r~JY\1\ <1> ~ - u co '" .11 "C '" co I- <1> m c ~ '"' CD ~ m .1! '" Z "C U 0 ~ "C CO CO 0 ~ ~ CO W q; '" .c rn " '" "C U W 3 0 U) CD E c ;;; '" ~ . ':2 '" ~ "C"C '" '" ~ c ~ z .m (J5l'D iil :E' 0 0)& ~:> :::c 0 0 c (; m .~ 0:::: ~ 0 0 E 0 () .c .co '" .co .~ "iij'lE ~ u u c> U) U) [jj U) .:2::;U:U ~ ~ " . o. I ! I I . ~i ~ . <( @- RI ~ II) >m ~...~ ,~ ,:;,g;;15;;:, . U.CU. ;~;;~.....' ._ 'C_.,' U 11-6 T Page 7 Item \ \ Meeting Date 12/12/06 Attachment 2 Estimated Project Costs. Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant Project Working Group City Project Manager, $ $ 3,900 $ 7,800 South Bay Partnership Public City Project Manager, Outreach/Community South Bay Partnership, $ $ 0 $ 136,200 City Project Team Walk Audits City Project Manager, $ $ 0 $ 36,700 South Bay Partnership Analysis of Findings City Project Team $ $ 30,000 $ 60,000 Interim Report City Project Team $ $ 11,300 $ 11,300 Final Community City Project Team, $ 34,800 $ 15,200 $ 50,000 Meetings and Re ort South Bay Partnership Totals $ 241,600 $ 60,400 $ 302,000 J:\Engineer\AGENDA\CAS2006\12-12-06\Transportation Planmng Grant.doc 11-7 Attachment 3 Letter of Support - South Bay Partnership Page B Item \ \ Meeting Date 12/12/06 r5~outh Bay YOrtnersh!p 2'iC~") E\ST Po [\,>{EO"i.c\L CT' c..\:'JF0RNL\ 919,){}-2')99 (619.1 ,r"72-46i A (cmmlJliHv wlldDoratian 3imeJ Jt improvinq beilltnal1dweIHfinqm).}uthreqtOliafSallD'Ieqa October II, 2006 Mayor Stephen C. Padilla City ofChula Vista 276 Fourth Avenue Chula Vista, CA 91910 RE: Support for "Kids Walk and Bike to Schoo/- Phase IF' Dear Mayor Padilla, The South Bay Partnership, a multi-level coalition focused on improving the health and quality of lif, of residents throughout the South Region of San Diego County since 1996, supports the City Chuk Vista's efforts in applying for a California Department of Transportation Community-Based Planninr, grant. The grant will help promote a strong and healthy community in Chula Vista by supportin, innovative approaches to providing children and their families with easily accessible and highl] efficient transportation options. The proposed planning project would be conducted in coordination with the South Bay Partnership', Healthy Eating, Active Communities (HEAC) initiative and key partner organizations, like Walk Sat Diego (WSD). The HEAC initiative and WSD offer an expertise in community-focused public healtl related to the build environment and community design. Their innovative approach has a specia emphasis on designing physical activity environments that are also pedestrian and bicycle-friendly The intent of our unique collaboration related to this project is to learn about infrastructure need, surrounding each of the city's elementary schools, through the lens of the stakeholders and residen groups. Our successful collaboration will produce a series of comprehensive walking audits that coul, then be used as the framework for well-targeted infrastructure planning. 1n recent years, the City of Chula Vista has worked closely with other expert entities such as Caltran: and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), to align infrastructure development "it! smart gro"\\w principles, which encourage and promote walkabiliry and bike friendly routes nea: schools. We applaud the City's efforts to work closely with HEAC and WSD in providing, comprehensive system of walkable conidors, which in turn \vill promote healthy lifestyles and redue, childhood obesity. We feel that this project "ill not only serve as a model for localized, child-focused transportatiol planning for other communities throughout the State, but will provide immeasurable benefits to the families living in this community. Jm'~'I? /) I a 4h~S~ ~ 'th____ _. Director 11-8 T RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA AUTHORIZING THE FlLING OF A GRANT APPUCATION TO THE CALTRANS COMMUNI'I'Y-BASED TRANSPORT A TION PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM FOR FUNDS TO ASSESS CITY INFRASTRUCTURE NEAR PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS; AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF THE FUNDS IF GRANTED, AND CERTIFYING THE COMMITMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS. WHEREAS. the City's existing and planned transportation facilities vary dramatically in condition and availability from the newly developing areas of the City to the older aging pre-smart growth neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, the City receives frequent requests from residents for local infrastructure improvements, an overwhelming proportion of which correlate with the City Council's desire to ensure safe routes to school; and WHEREAS, there is a limited pool of funding resources for infrastructure improvements; and WHEREAS, the proposed project would establish a 10ng-tenTI plan for prioritizing and funding improvements for the YH11ile walking zones surrounding public elementary schools; and WHEREAS, the critical importance of community direction, ideas, and input is recognized; and WHEREAS. the South Bay Partnership will be the City's key planning partner on the proposed project; and WHEREAS. staff recommends applying for a grant from the Caltrans Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant Program to help offset estimated project costs; and WHEREAS, grant requirements include City Council certification that matching funds are available and committed for the project; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Review Coordinator has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a "Project" as defined under Section 15378 of the State 11-9 CEQA Guidelines because the project is for tlmding purposes only; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(J) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA Although environmental review is not necessary at this time, once projects have been defined, environmental review may be required and a CEQA determination completed prior to commencing any developlnent of the improvements identified. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Chula Vista as follows: t. That it authorizes the filing of a grant application to the Caltrans Community- Based Transportation Planning Grant Program for funds to assess City infrastructure near public elementary schools. 2. That it authorizes the acceptance of the funds if granted. 3. That it certifies the commitment of matching funds. Presented by Approved as to fonn by Scott Tulloch Engineering Director ~p cl /1 ~-I--- ~ ()I~--C~A_-u Ann Moore City Attorney Arm Hix Acting Community Development Director Jim Sandoval Planning and Building Director II :\[NC-,1)\iEER\RESOS\Resos200()\ I ~-12-()()\TI':.ll1spl1rt:.lti(1I1 Planning (lr:lI1t R~sl1_doc 11-10 T