DATE: 10/02/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
2024-51
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2017 FREEWAY MAINTENANCE
AGREEMENT BETWEEN CALTRANS AND THE CITY OF CORONA FOR THE
PROPOSED STORM DRAIN BOX EXTENSION UNDERNEATH CORONA AVENUE AND INTERSTATE 15 (APPLICANT: CITY OF CORONA, PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve an amendment to an existing Freeway Maintenance Agreement between the City and Caltrans to amend Exhibit A for the Corona Avenue undercrossing. The current agreement was executed in 2017 and includes the maintenance obligations of the City and Caltrans for certain facilities located along the Interstate 15 corridor within the City’s jurisdiction. Within the boundary defined by the 2017 Exhibit A is a drainage box underneath Corona Avenue and Interstate 15.
This box requires an extension to accommodate residential development associated with Tract Map 35851. However, Exhibit A of the Agreement does not show the existing drainage box. Consequently, the proposed Amendment will include this element, allowing Caltrans to issue an encroachment permit to the developer of Tract Map 35851 for the construction of the extension of the drainage box.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Approve the amendment to the Corona Avenue Undercrossing Exhibit shown in Exhibit A of the Freeway Maintenance Agreement executed on January 18, 2017, between the City of Corona and Caltrans.
b. Authorize the Public Work Director to approve the amended Corona Avenue Undercrossing Exhibit shown in Exhibit A of the Freeway Maintenance Agreement.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The City and Caltrans entered into a Freeway Maintenance Agreement in 20217 to define maintenance obligations for both parties for certain facilities located along the Interstate 15 corridor. The existing Agreement does not show the existing drainage box located underneath Corona Avenue and Interstate 15 in Exhibit A. The existing drainage box is 12 feet wide by 6 feet tall and will be extended westerly and encroach on a four-acre parcel approved for residential development according to Tract Map 35851. The storm water flows collected in the drainage box will outlet to the existing South Norco Channel, which is a Riverside County Flood Control facility.
The developer of Tract Map 35851 is responsible for designing and constructing the extension of the drainage box and is working with the Riverside County Flood Control District for the approval of the design. The new portion of the drainage box will match the size of the existing drainage box and extend approximately 170 linear feet, with approximately 66 linear feet of the drainage box constructed within Caltrans right-of-way.
Upon the completion of the construction of the drainage box, the Riverside County Flood Control District has agreed to operate and maintain the drainage box extension of approximately 170 linear feet.
ANALYSIS:
The amendment to the Corona Avenue undercrossing exhibit will now identify the location of the drainage box. This amendment meets the request by Caltrans to have this facility identified in the current Freeway Maintenance Agreement with the City. A separate agreement between the City and the Riverside County Flood Control District will be executed upon the completion of the construction of the drainage box, which will delegate the maintenance responsibility of the drainage box to the District.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no application fee associated with this request to amend the City’s existing Freeway Maintenance Agreement with Caltrans.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Per Section 15061(b)(3) of the State Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Section 3.06 of the City’s Local CEQA Guidelines, a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The proposed amendment to the existing freeway maintenance agreement between the City and Caltrans will have no significant effect on the environment.
PREPARED BY: MARIA MIRANDA, SENIOR ENGINEER
REVIEWED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Amended Exhibit A, Corona Avenue Undercrossing Exhibit
2. Exhibit 2 – Existing Freeway Maintenance Agreement dated January 18, 2017