To the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Dat: .. ::llk/Z."§"CAJL.. CC ../
cM CM _L'ocM (3) L
January 16, 2025
Council Memorandum
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2025007
To: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council From: Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Via: Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager ~~t...,
Re: Chestnut Avenue Underpass Project Update (District 1) This memorandum provides an update to the Council Memorandum dated January 11, 2024, on the Chestnut Avenue Underpass Community Enhancement Project (project), which started construction in February 2024.
Background
Attachment A, which is a Council Memorandum dated January 11, 2024, provides background information on the project.
As part of the Build North Coast Corridor (NCC) Program, the California Department of Transportation {Caltrans) and the San Diego Association of Governments (SAN DAG) are completing several community enhancement projects along the Interstate Highway 5 (1-5) corridor. One of these, the Chestnut Avenue Underpass Community Enhancement Project, is currently halfway through construction.
In addition to making the underpass more inviting for all modes of travel, the project includes a permanent public art component as part of the city's Art in Public Places program.
Discussion
On October 15, 2019, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2019-209, selecting the Chestnut Avenue underpass as the preferred undercrossing location for a Build NCC community enhancement project.
Enhancements to the Chestnut Avenue/1-5 undercrossing will include:
• Bike lanes and parking separated by a buffer
• Doubling the width of sidewalks
• Moving curbs to provide better pedestrian crossings
• Improved landscaping, with native shrubs, groundcovers and street trees • Enhanced landscaping facing Holiday Park
• New retaining walls (to make room for the widened sidewalks) Public Works Branch
Transportation Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2730 t Council Memo -Chestnut Avenue Underpass Project Update (District 1) January 16, 2025
• Additional fencing
• Shielded light-emitting diode (LED) street lighting fixtures • New lighting under the bridge
• Cobblestone paving
Updated construction schedule
The following updated construction schedule has been provided by Caltrans:
Restripe and place K-rail
Pour wall
Install sidewalk
Asphalt paving (56-hour road
closure of Pio Pico Drive)
Complete work
North wall
Completed
March/ April 2025
July 2025
August 2025
August 2025
South wall
Completed
Completed
Completed
Completed
The city's Communication & Engagement Department
has been working closely with Caltrans
and SAN DAG to ensure the community is aware of any temporary lane closures and other construction impacts.
Public art
Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 2.18.110 (Appropriation for arts) requires that a minimum of 1% of the cost of certain construction projects be dedicated to permanent public art. For the Chestnut Avenue Community Enhancement Project, the City Council has designated $400,000 from the General Capital Construction Fund for the permanent public art.
A contract was executed on August 12, 2024, with the artistic team Greenmeme, a collaboration between artists Freyja Bardell and Brian Howe. The artists met with the Caltrans team on October 24, 2024, to discuss technical considerations for the site and are working closely with the project team. Community engagement efforts will begin in early 2025, to incorporate resident input and ensure that the artwork reflects the history, heritage and identity of Carlsbad's Barrio and surrounding area.
Next Steps
City staff will continue to work with Caltrans and SAN DAG to keep the community informed about construction impacts.
Attachment: A. Council Memorandum dated January 11, 2024 Council Memo -Chestnut Avenue Underpass Project Update (District 1) January 16, 2025
cc: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Gina Herrera, Assistant City Attorney
Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer
Zach Korach, Finance Director
Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director
Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director
Suzanne Smithson, Library & Cultural Arts Director
Hossein Ajideh, Engineering Manager
Jason Geldert, Engineering Manager
Emily Hasegawa, Engineering Manager
Craddock Stropes, Cultural Arts Manager
To the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date l.lli.h.±_ CA ✓ CC ✓
CM _LACM ~CM (3) ✓
January 11, 2024
ATTACHMENT A
Council Memorandum
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2024003
To:
From:
Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Via:
Re:
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Com_runity Services Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manag~f (::f
Chestnut Avenue Underpass ProjecWpdate (District 1)
This memorandum provides an update on the Chestnut Avenue Underpass Community Enhancement Project, which is starting construction next month.
Background
As part of the Build North Coast Corridor {NCC) Program, the California Department of Transportation {Caltrans) and the San Diego Association of Governments {SAN DAG) are completing several community enhancement projects along the Interstate 5 (1-5) corridor. One of these, the Chestnut Avenue Underpass Community Enhancement Project, is scheduled to start construction in February.
In addition to making the underpass more inviting for all modes of travel, the project includes a permanent public art component as part of the city's Art in Public Places program.
Discussion
On October 15, 2019, the City Council adopted a resolution selecting the Chestnut Avenue underpass as the preferred undercrossing location for a Build NCC community enhancement project. The Build NCC project team had proposed either the Chestnut Avenue underpass or the underpass at Carlsbad Village Drive. The Carlsbad Village Drive location would have been more complex to execute due to its location ,at a freeway onramp and offramp, the nearby gas station, traffic signals at the intersections and the drainage system.
Enhancements to the Chestnut Avenue/1-5 undercrossing will include:
• Bike lanes and parking separated by a buffer
• Doubling the width of sidewalks
• Moving curbs to provide better pedestrian crossings
• Improved landscaping, with native shrubs, groundcovers and street trees • Enhanced landscaping facing Holiday Park
• New retaining walls (to make room for the widened sidewalks) • Additional fencing
Public Works Branch
Transportation Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2730 t Council Memo -Chestnut Avenue Underpass Project Update (District 1) January 11, 2024
• Shielded light-emitting diode (LED) street lighting fixtures • New lighting under the bridge
• Cobblestone paving
Construction schedule
The following construction schedule has been provided to city staff by Caltrans and SAN DAG:
Restripe and place K-rail
Pour wall
Install sidewalk
Asphalt paving (56 hours closure)
Complete work
North wall
Mid-Feb 2024
May 2024
Aug/Sept 2024
Sept/Oct 2024
South wall
Sept/Oct 2024
Nov/Dec 2024
March/ April 2025
May 2025
May/June 2025
The city's Communication & Engagement Department will work closely with SANDAG to help ensure the community is aware of any temporary lane closures and other construction impacts.
Public art
Carlsbad Municipal Code 2.18.110 (Appropriation for arts) requires that a minimum of 1% of the cost of certain construction projects be dedicated to permanent public art. For the Chestnut Avenue Community Enhancement Project, the City Council has designated $400,000 from the General Capital Construction Fund for the permanent public art.
Two artists and one artist team responded to a limited call for artists issued by the city last fall.
The city sought application submissions from artists with experience working on major transportation infrastructure projects, due to their complexity, engineering requirements and strict timelines.
In late 2023, staff created a public art advisory subcommittee for this project, based on the Art in Public Places program. That subcommittee met on January 4, 2024, to interview two artists and an artist team who responded to the call for artists.
The interviews focused on the artists' qualifications only, not specific ideas or design concepts for this project. The subcommittee voted unanimously to select an artist team known as Greenmeme, which is a collaboration between artists Freyja Bardell and Brian Howe. They will work with the community to develop a vision for the artwork that reflects the history, heritage and identity of Carlsbad's Barrio and surrounding area.
Next Steps
City staff will work with SANDAG to keep the community informed about the underpass construction. City staff will also execute a contract with the artist team selected. Community engagement for the public art is expected to begin this spring.
Council Memo -Chestnut Avenue Underpass Project Update (District 1) January 11, 2024
Attachment: A. Chestnut Avenue Underpass Community Enhancement Project cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer
Zach l<orach, Finance Director
Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director
Suzanne Smithson, Library & Cultural Arts Director
Gina Herrera, Assistant City Attorney
Attachment A
Chestnut Avenue Underpass Community Enhancement Project View from Pio Pico Drive
**Final design subject to change.
-Transportation art site
-The retaining wall exterior surface, cable railing, and the space between the back of the sidewalk and the wall is available for Transportation Art, subject to the artist interpretation and approval by Caltrans
10' 11' S' 12' 12' 5' 11' 10' I 10·
-~-i-----11---t+-+-1--
Sidewalk Park and Bike rn lanQ V/0 l,me Dike Park and Sidewalk --
Ta ENl1Lln91,5:1 Slope .
--~ notalnlng Wall ±711,
Bulfer Lan Lane Duffer
Chestnut Ave. Undercrossing Facing West
Typical Cross Section
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Exhllng ITrldge
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• to Exlsllna
1.5:1 Slope
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fJitJIIOWfll
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PROFllli VIEW RETAJNIJIG WALL '80" (South Sldt)
Top Cf 1-S Oo'~fCIUI UnQ
PLAN VIEW
CHESTIIUT AVEIIUE STREET IMPROVEMEJITS • RETAllllllG WALL COIICEPTS !SOUTH SIOEJ PROFILE VIEW RETAJHIIIG WALL "90" (North Sldo)
PLAIIVIEW
Conceptual Site Plan (South Side)
*"'Final design subject to change.
Ill....
.._
CHESTIIUT AVENUE STREET IMPROVEl,iEIITS • RETAINIIIO WALL CONCEPTS (UORTH SIDE) Conceptual Site Plan (North Side)
*"'Final design subject to change.