Fremont City Council Meeting: 02/15/22 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Public Projects
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
STAFF REPORT (ID # 4536) DOC ID: 4536
Updated: 2/10/2022 10:08 AM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
SABERCAT TRAIL EXTENSION PROJECT - Public Hearing (Published Notice) to Consider Adoption of a Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Prepared and Circulated for the Sabercat Trail Extension Project (PWC 8977) in Accordance with the Requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act; and Approval of the Project and Funding Actions to Enhance and Expand the Scope of Sabercat Trail Corridor Contact Persons:
Name: Jeanne Suyeishi Hans Larsen
Title: Senior Civil Engineer Public Works Director
Div/Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: 510-494-4728 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to facilitate the planning and development of the Sabercat Trail Extension Project. Project planning and design funding has been provided through a State grant. This report recommends approval of environmental clearance for extending the existing Sabercat Trail over Interstate 680 to connect with the Irvington community and the planned Irvington BART station. Based on community input and opportunities to potentially secure new Federal infrastructure investment, new funding allocations in the amount of $200,000 are recommended to:
upgrade the existing Sabercat Trail, provide an eastern extension of the trail to Ohlone College and the Mission Peak Trail, and provide a northwestern extension of the trail to connect with the East Bay Greenway Trail and Central Park.
BACKGROUND: The Sabercat Trail Extension Project is identified in the City’s General Plan and the City’s master plans for trails, bicycling, and pedestrians. The purpose of the Sabercat Trail Extension Project is to provide an enhanced recreational path and an option to better connect the Mission San Jose and Irvington communities by walking and bicycling.
Notable destinations along the expanded trail corridor include the future Irvington BART Station and Ohlone College. The scope of the Sabercat Trail Extension Project would extend the existing Sabercat Trail (from within the Sabercat Historical Park) that includes a new bridge over Interstate 680 and an overhead crossing over the BART and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks positioned along the south side of Blacow Road.
The City of Fremont obtained a funding grant for the project from the State Natural Resources Agency in the amount of $5,586,000. The funding grant was facilitated by State Senator Wieckowski as part of the State’s budget process. It is noted that the scope of the project grant also included environmental clearance for a paleontology museum to showcase excavated fossils and the natural history of the area. The City Council approved the grant funding agreement on October 1, 2019. Subsequently, the consulting firm of TY Lin International (TY Lin) was selected to facilitate the Concept Planning and Community Outreach, Environmental Clearance, and Final Design milestones for this project. The City Council approved a contract with TY Lin on January 14, 2020.
Staff Report (ID # 4536) Meeting of February 15, 2022
Updated: 2/10/2022 10:08 AM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
In an effort to address the potential impacts that the Sabercat Trail Extension Project would have to the natural environment and the community, a public outreach process was initiated with TY Lin leading these efforts. The goals of these efforts were to gather concerns, respond to questions, and help guide the design for the project.
Three separate community meetings were held (virtually), as well as an online survey, and opportunities for additional public comments following each meeting to: 1) share the purpose of and concepts for the project and gather community feedback; 2) provide the community with an update on how their input has influenced the project design and gather further input on the refined design concepts; and 3) to separate the museum element from the project, to understand how the environmental process helped shape the project, and to discuss safety and security issues that were brought up during the community engagement process.
A project webpage includes information from the community meetings and a separate Q&A document summarizes all the community concerns and questions to date. See weblink below.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: TY Lin has completed the Concept Planning and Community Outreach milestone. The Environmental Clearance process is nearing completion. At this time, staff recommends the City Council consider the potential environmental impacts, proposed mitigation measures, and approve the project. See additional information later in this report on the environmental review process.
Once approved, work can begin to prepare final design plans for the trail extension with new bridges over Interstate 680 and over the BART/UPRR tracks in the Blacow corridor.
Additionally, planning work is continuing for the proposed paleontology museum. Final design for the trail and museum planning work is all funded by the State grant.
During the community outreach process, interest was expressed to enhance and expand the scope of the Sabercat Trail project to include the following:
• Upgrading the Existing Sabercat Trail. The existing trail in Sabercat Historical Park narrows down to seven feet in some sections and has an asphalt surface that is cracked and settling. There are steep slopes above and below the trail, and areas where erosion is evident. Staff is proposing to upgrade the existing trail condition and width to be suitable for increased bicycle/pedestrian use expected from the trail extension. There are areas where retaining walls will be needed in order to widen the trail as well as stabilize the steep slopes. Also, measures are planned to control the speed of bicycle travel in the corridor, in order to maintain a safe and pleasant experience for all trail users. Upgrading the existing trail is now proposed to be implemented together with the trail extension project and funding is recommended to initiate the project development process.
• Additional Expansion of the Sabercat Trail. The Sabercat Trail is close to other regional trail systems and parks. Advocacy has been expressed to consider further expansions of the trail to connect in the easterly direction to the Mission Peak Trailhead located at Ohlone College, and in the northwesterly direction to connect to the future Irvington BART station, East Bay Greenway Trail and Central Park. With the opportunity to capture new funding investment from the Federal Infrastructure Staff Report (ID # 4536) Meeting of February 15, 2022
Updated: 2/10/2022 10:08 AM by Susan Gauthier Page 3
Bill and other regional sources, staff is also recommending to initiate planning work for these expansions to allow the Sabercat Trail to be part of a more integrated trail network. Recent community surveys conducted for the Fremont Trail Plan and the Fremont Parks and Recreation Master Plan revealed very strong support for a larger network of City trails.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Sabercat Trail Extension Project is funded in the amount of $5,586,000 from a State grant managed by the California Natural Resources Agency. New funding in the amount of $200,000 is recommended to enhance and expand the project scope. The source of new funding is from an existing project not currently eligible for regional grants (Mission Creek Trail, PWC 8972).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Environmental Review and Mitigation Measures
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), an Initial Study and Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (Exhibit “A”) have been prepared for this project. The environmental analysis identified concerns regarding potentially significant impacts related to biological resources (special status species including California tiger salamanders, red legged frog, Alameda whipsnake, western pond turtle, burrowing owls, roosting bats, and migratory and nesting birds and riparian areas due to construction activities including ground disturbances and tree removal and construction outside of established work hours); paleontological resources (from earth moving activities such as grading and excavation), and tribal cultural resources (from ground disturbances).
The Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration includes recommended mitigation measures, which, if adopted and implemented in accordance with staff’s recommendation, reduce all identified potentially significant impacts to less-than-significant levels. A summary of the mitigation measures includes the following: preconstruction biological surveys for special status species; measures to avoid or relocate special status species during construction; mitigation to an existing biological mitigation site; paleontological plans and training; and tribal cultural resources review and coordination. These mitigation measures will be required to be implemented as conditions of approval for this project and are provided in the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) included as part of Exhibit “B.” The MMRP outlines the process for implementation of the mitigation measures and responsibility for reporting.
Measures Incorporated During Construction (Not Mitigation)
The City of Fremont has established standard development requirements to address resource protection (Fremont Municipal Code (FMC) Chapter 18.218). These requirements apply to air quality (construction-related emissions), biological resources (special-status species), cultural resources (notification of affiliated California Native American Tribes and accidental discovery of cultural resources), and noise (construction-related noise). In addition to FMC Chapter 18.218, the proposed project would also comply with the requirements of FMC Chapter 18.215, Tree Preservation. The requirements for tree protection typically apply to private property but for this proposed Project would be applicable to trees within the public right-of-way to ensure tree removal and replacement is addressed consistently. The proposed project would also comply with the applicable City of Staff Report (ID # 4536) Meeting of February 15, 2022
Updated: 2/10/2022 10:08 AM by Susan Gauthier Page 4
Fremont Standard Details which are generic drawings that illustrate and describe a c ommon activity for improvements within the public right of way including Curb, Gutter, and Sidewalk; Signs, Streetlights, Utilities, Trails, and Other Miscellaneous; Traffic; and Landscape. The proposed project would comply with these standard development requirements and standard details, which are described in greater detail in the relevant topical area of the Initial Study (Exhibit “A”).
WEBLINK: https://www.fremont.gov/3633/Sabercat-Trail-Extension-Project
ATTACHMENTS:
• Exhibit A – Initial Study and Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration, PWC 8977 • Exhibit B – Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the following actions related to the Sabercat Trail Extension Project (PWC 8977):
1. Convene the Public Hearing.
2. Find that the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration has been completed in compliance with CEQA and reflect the independent judgment and analysis of the City of Fremont.
3. Adopt the Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program as shown in Exhibit “A” and Exhibit “B,” and find, in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15074, on the basis of the whole record before it (including the Initial Study and any comments received) that:
a. with implementation of the adopted mitigation measures, there is no substantial evidence that the project as mitigated will have a significant effect on the environment; and
b. that the Mitigated Negative Declaration reflects the independent judgment and analysis of the City of Fremont
4. Approve the Sabercat Trail Extension Project (PWC 8977) and the following funding actions:
a. Reallocate $100,000 from PWC 8972-136 to PWC 9082-136 for the Existing Sabercat Trail Improvement Project (PWC 9082).
b. Reallocate $50,000 from PWC 8972-136 to PWC 9083-136 for the Sabercat Trail Extension to the East Bay Greenway Trail Project (PWC 9083). c. Reallocate $50,000 from PWC 8972-136 to PWC 9084-136 for the Sabercat Trail Extension to the Mission Peak Trail Project (PWC 9084).