Agenda Item No. 15
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council DATE: June 26, 2023 FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Greg Ray, Public Works Director/City Engineer Erin Wiggin, CIP Manager
SUBJECT: West Grand Avenue Streetscape 4th-8th Street (CIP 2287) Project Update
RECOMMENDATION
Review final draft plans for the West Grand Avenue Streetscape Project (CIP 2287) and provide direction to staff.
BACKGROUND
The City has placed significant emphasis on improving the West Grand Avenue corridor as part of the “Economic Development and Community Promotion” Major City Goal and West Grand Avenue Master Plan. Previous enhancements to West Grand Avenue included work from Highway 1 west to the beachfront area and from 2nd to 4th Street and from 8th to 11th Street. These improvements included landscaped medians, street trees, corner ramps and streetlights consistent with the Master Plan. The Council reviewed the Master Plan on February 9, 2021 and provided direction to focus the next phase of improvements on the section from 4th to 8th Street to include a landscaped center median and street trees and other streetscape improvements along with pavement rehabilitation. The Council reaffirmed this direction on October 21, 2021 to proceed with the West Grand Avenue Streetscape Project (CIP 2287) from 4th to 8th Street in FY 2022-23 given the significant redevelopment opportunities on this section of West Grand Avenue.
On June 27, 2022, the Council awarded a design contract to BKF Engineers to develop the project design and bid documents for this project. In August, the City was awarded a $1.5M Community Betterments Grant from the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) in recognition of the development opportunities related to this project, particularly with housing. Staff recently learned that the amount of this grant award will actually be approximately $1.8M. This grant helped provide funding for the project and allowed for expanding the scope to include the design and construction of storm drains on this section of West Grand Avenue. Staff is working with BKF Engineers to develop the design while using the West Grand Avenue Master Plan as a guide.
The project design scope includes the following items:
• Pedestrian improvements such as curb ramps, bulb outs, pedestrian beacons and sidewalk improvements at select locations
• Class 2 bike lanes including green lanes at intersections • Decorative concrete at crosswalks
• Drought-tolerant landscaped center medians and street trees • Pedestrian level streetlights
• Pavement rehabilitation
• Storm drain installation
Staff Report: West Grand Avenue Streetscape (CIP 2287) Project Update Page 2 June 26, 2023
The streetscape project is intended to create a sense of place and an enticement for residents to live, shop and stay within their community along with also attracting visitors to the city. West Grand Avenue is also an emerging hub for new multi-family housing and commercial development in Grover Beach and the streetscape improvements will support these developments. As an example, there are pending mixed-use housing developments at 402 West Grand Avenue and 401 West Grand Avenue that include nearly 100 new housing units and ground-level retail space. 402 West Grand Avenue has been approved with construction beginning this summer while 401 West Grand Avenue was recently submitted as a development application.
Attachment 1 shows the final draft design plans for the West Grand Avenue Streetscape Project.
Based on earlier Council direction, BKF has designed corner bulb outs at both 4th Street and 6th Street. The bulb outs are intended to reduce the pedestrian crossing distance, but that objective is balanced with a need to provide for appropriate truck turning movements. Part of that balance includes eliminating U-turns at these intersections; however, U-turns will be permitted at 5th and 7th Streets. The design also eliminates the unprotected pedestrian crosswalks at the intersections at 5th and 7th Streets to encourage pedestrians to utilize the enhanced safety crosswalks at 4th and 6th Street. In addition to bulb-outs, enhanced paving and improved striping, the design will include a pedestrian beacon at 6th Street similar to the pedestrian beacon installed at 3rd Street.
On December 5, 2022, staff presented surface treatment options for the enhanced crosswalks at 4th and 6th streets. The City currently has Lithocrete crosswalks on West Grand Avenue at 2nd and 3rd Streets and at the train station entrance. Lithocrete is attractive but difficult to maintain as there are only two companies in California that have been able to install Lithocrete and they are unable to provide reasonable repairs given the distance to their headquarters in Southern California. At the December meeting, Council recommended proceeding with concrete pavers instead with a consensus to use a vibrant color. However, after further research staff has found that the concrete pavers are only available in earth tones. The consultant found a paver product that could work but the product is still in the testing stages and will not be available in time for the project. Based on this information, staff is recommending a stamped asphalt surface with thermoplastic paint in a blue color to create a vibrant crosswalk. This will require more maintenance (painting) than Lithocrete, however the overall lifecycle costs fare better than the Lithocrete. A similar surface in a brick pattern and color was installed at the intersections around Ramona Garden Park and has lasted almost 20 years with no maintenance as shown in Attachment 2.
Staff is providing this opportunity for additional Council input on proposed design elements such as the bulb-outs, U-turns and crosswalk locations and final direction regarding the decorative paving treatment recommended for the crosswalks. Following this meeting, staff will work with the consultant to finish the design and prepare for construction bidding. The project is anticipated to begin construction in late summer/fall and last between 6-8 months dependent on weather. Staff will carry out a comprehensive communications effort during the construction process to inform affected businesses and property owners about the work and related traffic disruptions. This communication will build on an initial community meeting that staff held in September 2022 with affected businesses and property owners.
FISCAL IMPACT
The current cost estimate for the project (including design) is approximately $4.2 million with the addition of the storm drain. The Capital Improvement Program for FY 2023-2024 includes nearly $2M in funding from the General Fund along with funding from the Gas Tax, SB1, and SLOCOG Community Betterment Grant.
Staff Report: West Grand Avenue Streetscape (CIP 2287) Project Update Page 3 June 26, 2023
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Review the proposed concept plans for the West Grand Avenue Streetscape project (CIP 2287) and provide staff direction; or
2. Provide staff with additional direction
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act. A copy of this staff report was provided to individuals who attended the community meeting in September along with other stakeholders and property owners with development projects along this section of West Grand Avenue.
Attachments
1. Design Drawing
2. Photo of Stamped Asphalt
Attachment 1
Attachment 2