Fremont City Council Meeting: 04/18/23 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 4860) DOC ID: 4860
Updated: 4/11/2023 3:48 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 1 THORNTON MIDDLE SCHOOL TRAFFIC SIGNAL - Approval of Agreement with Fremont Unified School District to Receive Funds estimated at $750,000 for the Construction of a Traffic Signal at the Intersection of Thornton Avenue and Oak Street for the Thornton Middle School Conversion; Appropriation of Funds; and Make Findings of CEQA Exemption.
Contact Persons:
Name: Noe Veloso Hans Larsen
Title: Assistant City Engineer Public Works Director
Div/Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: 510-494-4774 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to facilitate the construction of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Thornton Avenue and Oak Street that is required of the Thornton Middle School Conversion Project. The traffic signal will mitigate transportation impacts due to the middle school conversion and provide students another safe route to access Thornton Middle School.
BACKGROUND: The Thornton Middle School Conversion Project would convert Fremont Unified School District’s (FUSD) existing Thornton Junior High School from a 7th and 8th grade junior high school to middle school with 6th, 7th and 8th grades. The middle school conversion would include construction of new buildings and facilities on the existing campus, and upgrades to existing campus facilities. The project is intended to support an increase in school capacity from 1,259 students to 2,176 students. The Thornton Middle School Conversion is expected to be complete and ready for the 2023-2024 school year.
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the middle school conversion project in order to comply with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. The transportation impact analysis conducted as part of the EIR identified that new vehicle trips associated with the Thornton Middle School Conversion Project would create severe traffic congestion at the “two-way stop sign” controlled intersection at Thornton Avenue and Oak Street. To mitigate this impact, the EIR recommended the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Thornton Avenue and Oak Street. The traffic signal also improves safety and access for students walking and bicycling to school.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: In February 2022, the City Council provided direction to staff regarding design features of the Centerville Complete Streets Project. The project limits include Thornton Avenue between San Pedro Street and Fremont Boulevard. The Centerville Complete Streets Project currently proposes to install various improvements at the intersection of Thornton Avenue and Oak Street that include curb extensions, reduced curb return radii, and new curb ramps. These improvements are compatible and would complement a traffic signal, but a traffic signal was not part of the Centerville Complete Streets Project scope.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4860) Meeting of April 18, 2023 Updated: 4/11/2023 3:48 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 2 In 2022, FUSD representatives reached out to staff to discuss the Thornton Middle School Conversion Project and the required EIR mitigation measure to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Thornton Avenue and Oak Street. Staff offered to include the traffic signal in the Centerville Complete Streets Project with FUSD paying for the full cost of construction of the traffic signal and any related change orders, which is currently estimated at $750,000.
The City would include the design of the traffic signal in the scope of the Centerville Complete Streets Project at the City’s cost and maintain the traffic signal as part of the City’s inventory. The design for the Centerville Complete Streets Project is expected to be complete in Summer 2023 with construction to start in late 2023. The traffic signal work will be incorporated into the Centerville Complete Streets Project, which will be competitively bid and awarded to the lowest responsive bidder.
The draft Cooperative Funding and Mitigation Agreement was approved by the FUSD Board of Trustees on March 22, 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT: The estimated $750,000 in FUSD funds would supplement the existing funding for the Centerville Complete Streets Project, which includes $6,510,000 in Surface Transportation Program One Bay Area Grant 2 (OBAG2) grant funds and $2,000,000 in Alameda County Measure BB grant funds.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Execution of an agreement is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) as it can be seen with certainty that implementation of the agreement is not an activity that in itself has the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.
The environmental clearance for construction of the new traffic signal at Thornton Avenue and Oak Street is addressed through the Thornton Middle School Conversion Project and the Centerville Complete Streets Project.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Draft Cooperative Funding and Mitigation Agreement
RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the following actions:
1. Find that this project is categorically exempt from review under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) as it can be seen with certainty that implementation of the agreement is not an activity that in itself has the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.
2. Authorize City Manager, or designee to execute a Cooperative Funding and Mitigation Agreement with Fremont Unified School District for the construction of a traffic signal at the intersection of Thornton Avenue and Oak Street, which is estimated at $750,000.
3. Authorize appropriation of funds in the amount of $750,000 from Fremont Unified School District to PWC8956-502, Centerville Complete Streets Project.