455 EAST CALAVERAS BOULEVARD, MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA 95035-5479 GENERAL INFORMATION: 408-586-3005, WWW.MILPITAS.GOV
5/21/2024
Agenda Item No. C7
ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS
RECEIVED AFTER AGENDA PACKET
DISTRIBTUION
Item C7 – Receive Summary of 2024 Earmark Requests
- Letter to Assemblymember Alex Lee
CITY OF MILPITAS
OFFICE OF MAYOR CARMEN MONTANO
January 12, 2024
Honorable Assemblymember Alex Lee via E-mail:
1313 North Milpitas Boulevard, Suite 255 [email protected]
Milpitas, CA 95035
RE: City of Milpitas Priority Projects for 2024
Dear Assemblymember Lee,
On behalf of the City of Milpitas, I want to thank you again for your strong support for your hometown of Milpitas in prior year’s State budget processes, including, but not limited to, the funding homeless services, Milpitas SMART, bicycle lanes and more. As we move forward into 2024, I am sending you this list of priority projects in Milpitas that may be a match with potential areas of funding in the upcoming State budget process. Our City Manager’s Office will continue to work with your team on determining which of these projects may best match with your priorities. In the meantime, I wanted to provide you this list in advance in case you had any specific projects, programs, or priorities that you would like to discuss with me further.
• Milpitas Community Center Resiliency Project, 457 East Calaveras Boulevard, Milpitas, California:
The well-used Milpitas Community Center (MCC) has not had major renovations in nearly 40 years. The City has applied for a State grant through the Strategic Growth Council for $3.5 million but needs approximately $8 million to complete all repairs to continue to serve the community year-round and during disasters. As part of the grant request, the City requested funding for the replacement of the roof and HVAC system to allow for continued long-term use of the center along with the installation of a unisex restroom and children’s education garden.
These improvements would strengthen the services and resources provided to the community.
Additionally, the roof and HVAC system replacement will ensure the MCC’s continued use as a warming/cooling center during periods of extreme weather. While the entire Milpitas community would benefit from these improvements, both Seniors and lower income residents would be the primary beneficiaries as they often need additional support for day-to-day resilience as well as support during climate advisories or other emergencies.
The MCC serves as the primary community center for three Low Income Community census tracts as shown on the California Climate Investments Priority Populations 2023 GIS website:
Priority Populations 2023 (ca.gov)
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City of Milpitas Priority Projects for 2024 Page 2 of 4 January 12, 2024
The City has funded $285,000 for design work and is seeking an additional $3.5 million to $8 million for construction. The lower range of this request would meet the needs for the most urgent roofing, mechanical and communication systems including HVAC and internet needs and the larger range of this request would perform all major upgrades required for the center.
The City of Milpitas has applied for a California Strategic Growth Council Community Resilience Center grant for this project which, if received, would provide approximately $3 million in construction dollars towards this project. The City expects to hear the results of this grant in March 2024: https://sgc.ca.gov/programs/community-resilience-centers/ .
• Main Street Revitalization:
The Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan will provide a vision and policy framework to shape the continued transformation of this auto-oriented commercial area into a vibrant, mixed- use and more pedestrian-oriented community. The vision calls for a revitalized Main Street that includes housing, retail, entertainment, commercial and park spaces, and a safe and attractive pedestrian and bicycle network. Further planning information can be found here:
milpitasmainstreet.org. The Main Street lighting project is a key shovel-ready priority project intended to spur economic development activities, including the retention and expansion of local small businesses. This estimated $7.8 million project consists of design and placement of new streetlights and signal improvements along Main Street from Carlo Way to Great Mall Parkway.
The project is divided into three phases. Design is completed for the first phase (Carlo to Corning) and construction is estimated at $2.4 million. The City received a federal community project funding allocation of $500,000 for this project in calendar year 2023, however an additional $1.9 million is required/requested to complete the project.
• Cardoza Park Softball Fields Improvement; Kennedy Drive and North Park Victoria Drive, Milpitas, California:
The Police Athletic League Milpitas North Valley Softball League, formerly known as Milpitas North Valley Bobby Sox, has offered inclusive softball activities for Milpitas youth annually for over two decades focusing on giving young girls in our community the confidence and leadership skills to succeed in life, while also being active and healthy using the fundamentals of athletics. For most of the program’s life, it was held at the Russell Middle School Bobby Sox fields, owned the Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD). In 2021, MUSD renovated the school fields for multi-use play with a track, soccer field, and small softball field. To support the continuation of softball league activities, the City temporarily transitioned the PAL Softball Program to Dixon Landing Park Sports fields. Aside from the youth players and their families, thousands of interleague players and spectators stretching from San Lorenzo to the Central Valley, visit Milpitas for team play, scrimmages, and tournaments.
In December 2021, the City Council approved the City’s Parks Master Plan, which plans for four softball fields at Cardoza Park to ensure a permanent home for Milpitas softball activities.
Cardoza Park is located inside an AB 1550 Designated Low Income Community and, once renovated, would serve as the primary youth softball complex for three Low Income Community census tracts as shown on the California Climate Investments Priority Populations 2023 GIS website: Priority Populations 2023 (ca.gov)
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City of Milpitas Priority Projects for 2024 Page 3 of 4 January 12, 2024
As part of the FY 2023-2027 Capital Improvement Program, the City Council has allocated $800,000 towards project planning and design. Remaining costs are estimated at $7 million.
The City requests support for $7 million for the construction costs for the project.
• Fire Department Urban Search & Rescue Vehicle (State and Federal request):
In the year 2000, the Milpitas Fire Department acquired a heavy rescue apparatus (USAR-86).
The primary mission of a heavy rescue apparatus is to provide the Fire Department with a multifunction vehicle that can carry and rapidly deploy the thousands of pounds of heavy rescue equipment required to respond to the myriad of Special Operations and Technical Rescue Incidents expected of an urban “all hazards” fire department. The current equipment is at the end of its useful life.
The City has allocated nearly $400,000 for this equipment. The City requests support for the remaining $1.2 million in public funding necessary to purchase the new equipment.
• Calaveras Boulevard Widening, Milpitas, California:
This project provides for the replacement of the Calaveras Boulevard vehicle bridges between Milpitas Boulevard and Abel Street. These bridge structures were constructed in the early 1970s and are reaching the end of their service life, and the structures do not have adequate bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The City of Milpitas and the Valley Transportation Authority are partnering on the design and construction of a replacement bridge structure. The replacement structure will accommodate up to three vehicle travel lanes including a wide bike land and sidewalk in each direction. State Route 237 (Calaveras Boulevard) is owned by the State of California, and the City is the local project sponsor. At this time, project design and environmental work is fully funded. An additional $15 million to $22 million will be needed in two years for land acquisition, followed by an estimated $150 million to $210 million for construction.
The City requests funding support for all or a portion of the land acquisition costs.
• Milpitas Sports Center Football Bleacher Replacement; 1325 East Calaveras Boulevard, Milpitas, California (State request):
The project provides for the design and construction of the westerly football bleachers at the Milpitas Sports Center Complex. The bleachers were installed in the 1970s and are not in compliance with current building code and ADA regulations. Work includes removal of existing bleachers, installation of new bleachers that are compliant with the current building code and ADA regulations, providing ADA accessible routes and pathways, and storm drain improvements to comply with State regulations.
The Milpitas Sports Center is located inside an AB 1550 Designated Low Income Community and serves as the primary public sports center for three Low Income Community census tracts as shown on the California Climate Investments Priority Populations 2023 GIS website:
Priority
Populations 2023 (ca.gov).
The City has funded $200,000 for planning and design work and is seeking an additional $1,500,000 for construction.
City of Milpitas Priority Projects for 2024 Page 4 of 4 January 12, 2024
• Sandalwood Park Renovation, Sandalwood Court, Milpitas, California:
Sandalwood Park is a large, primarily turf park with a variety of mature trees, outdated play equipment, picnic areas, horseshoe pits and seating. Currently the park requires renovation due to a lack of ADA compliant furnishings and play equipment, aging amenities and infrastructure and eroding pathways. This project provides for the design and construction of improvements to Sandalwood Park. This 3.9 acre park was constructed in 1978 and expanded in 1988.
Improvements include a new picnic and playground area, ADA access and pathway improvements, renovation of irrigation and landscaping, and installation of a restroom.
Sandalwood Park is located within a 10 minute walk from an AB 1550 Designated Low Income Community as shown on the California Climate Investments Priority Populations 2023 GIS website: Priority Populations 2023 (ca.gov).
The City has funded $475,000 for design work (which is completed) and is seeking an additional $2,500,000 for construction.
Sincerely,
Carmen Montano
Mayor, City of Milpitas
C: Milpitas City Council
Ned Thomas, City Manager
Matt Cano, Assistant City Manager