Discussion Item 4a
STAFF REPORT
City Council Discussion Item
DATE: March 17, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Brendan Byrd, Public Works Director/City Engineer SUBJECT: The Great Redwood Trail and Strongs Creek Trail – Project Update and Grant Opportunity
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive staff presentation and provide direction to staff on how to proceed with developing a grant application for the Great Redwood Trail and Strongs Creek Trail in Fortuna.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In 2014, the City finalized the John Campbell Memorial Greenway and Strongs Creek Trail Master Plan. This document was a feasibility-level planning study for the Strongs Creek Trail, which is a long-envisioned City plan for a Class I trail connecting the River Lodge area with Newburg Park.
Since the time the master plan was completed City staff have submitted a number of grant applications for funding, however, the City has ultimately been unsuccessful in obtaining any funding to move the trail project forward.
The Great Redwood Trail (GRT) is a non-motorized trail facility that would run along the alignment of the former railroad right of way, generally connecting Humboldt County to the northern San Francisco Bay area. Portions of this trail have been locally developed, with the trail essentially fully constructed in between south Eureka and Arcata (minus the Humboldt Bay Trail South, due to be completed in 2025). This larger Great Redwood Trail plan came closer to reality several years ago, when the former rail right of way was successfully rail banked from East Commercial Street in Willits to north Arcata, effectively setting the right of way aside for use as the trail. Through previous state legislation there has also since been the formation of the Great Redwood Trail Agency (GRTA), which is currently leading a master planning project and a programmatic environmental document for the trail. Staff from the GRTA will be attending the meeting, and will be providing an update on the GRT, the projects that have been completed along the right of way, and the projects that are currently in the planning phases.
Since 2019, the City has been actively completing project activities for the City’s two proposed interchange improvement projects, located at the Kenmar and 12th Street interchanges with Highway 101. Although these are interchange improvement projects, one of the main priorities in both locations is to provide for non-motorized transportation connectivity, which currently does not exist at either interchange. At Kenmar, the principal component of the non-motorized network would be the Strongs Creek Trail, which would run parallel to the interchange beneath the freeway, and into the former Palco Mill site. At both Kenmar and 12th Street the GRTA right of way, and future trail, move generally right through the center of the project area, running south to north.
Given the long-term importance of these trails, and how they interact with the interchange improvements, the design and location of theses crossing improvements has been a key part of the preliminary design for the projects.
Discussion Item 4a
As the interchange projects have continued to advance one item has become increasingly clearer to staff. To deliver the non-motorized improvements at these interchanges to the highest and best possible outcome, enough of the trail network needs to be developed in order to connect the interchange improvements to existing facilities and destinations within the City. As an example, in the short term should the Strongs Creek Trail at Kenmar only be designed and installed within the current boundary of the interchange project, the trail itself would not connect to any non-motorized facilities on either end. In summary, although the most difficult portion of the trail would have been constructed, it would not lead to any suitable destinations. Similarly, should the Mill Site begin any development activities the opportunity to have GRT connectivity, which ultimately could also connect to the Strongs Creek Trail, would not be a reality unless an agency took on the coordination and planning of the local section of trail in advance.
With this in mind, in mid-2024 staff began increasing efforts to identify possible grant programs that could fund the early development stages of Fortuna’s trail projects. Currently staff’s proposed approach would be to find a way to advance the engineering design and environmental portion of the trail projects, so that they are at a similar stage of readiness as the interchange projects. With that level of project readiness, the City would be better positioned to seek implementation funding through grants, as there is not currently a local funding source that could deliver these projects. A promising opportunity that staff are currently exploring is a grant through the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), which has been providing staff support to the GRTA since its creation. The SCC has been funding planning work for various portions of the GRT throughout the entirety of the trail alignment, and through early discussions there is certainly interest in exploring a grant opportunity in Fortuna. In addition to the GRT, City staff are interested in seeing if the environmental and design work for the Strongs Creek Trail could be included in a funding application to the SCC.
In exploring the concept of a trail grant award in Fortuna, a question that has been posed is how much of the trail itself would be covered in a Fortuna planning grant. After some initial discussion, City staff and the GRTA’s initial recommendation would be to develop the environmental document and design plans for the portion of the trail from Alton at the Highway 36 interchange, to Fernbridge. See the figure included as Attachment A, which shows the proposed extent. Although this results in some design work outside of the City limits, it would take the trail to more logical termination points/destinations. Beyond these termination points another agency, such as the County or Caltrans, would need to step in. Staff actually have coordination meetings with both of these agencies set up in the coming weeks, and can report back to the Council on what planning work, if any, is being done for the GRT near Fortuna. It should be noted that any decision now does not constitute a binding commitment that the City deliver the construction phases of the project, or that the City take on long term maintenance or enforcement activities in the County, these details would all need to be worked out at a future time.
Given that advancing the Strong Creek Trail project has been dormant for some time, and the GRT is still a relatively new topic locally, staff are hoping to get feedback from the Council on how they would like staff to proceed. Specific points staff are seeking direction are listed below:
1. Is the Council in support of staff seeking funding to advance the Strongs Creek Trail and the Great Redwood Trail?
2. Is the Council in support of the proposed Great Redwood Trail project limits, from Fernbridge to Alton, recognizing some portions of the proposed trail are in the County?
3. Are there other questions or concerns that the Council has regarding the proposed trail project?
Discussion Item 4a
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Currently there are no proposed City expenditures as a result of advancing this project, other than City staff time. Should the City be successful in receiving grant funds through the State Coastal Conservancy to advance the trail projects in Fortuna, that funding will need to be brought into the City budget as revenue. Staff do not anticipate there will be a requirement for local match funds as part of the grant application.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
Receive staff presentation and provide direction to staff on how to proceed with developing a grant application for the Great Redwood Trail and Strongs Creek Trail in Fortuna.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Attachment A – Proposed Projects Extents Map