Attachment A
*NOT YET APPROVED*
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ORDINANCE NO. _____
Ordinance of The Council of The City of Palo Alto Approving a Plan for Park Improvements at the City’s Baylands: Authorizing the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure Phase 1: Seismic Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows:
SECTION 1. Findings and Improvements. The City Council finds and declares that:
(a) Article VIII of the Charter of the City of Palo Alto and Section 22.08.005 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) require that, before any substantial building, construction, reconstruction or development is commenced or approved, upon or with respect to any land held by the City for park purposes, the Council shall first cause to be prepared and by ordinance approve and adopt a plan therefor.
(b) The Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure (Structure) is part of the Adobe Creek Loop Trail (Trail). The Structure is located in the City’s Baylands, which is dedicated parkland (See PAMC § 22.08.020 et seq.)
(c) The City of Palo Alto intends to authorize Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) to perform a seismic retrofit and rehabilitation of the 1957-built Structure. The retrofit intends to reduce seismic vulnerabilities and the rehabilitation aims to extend the existing Structure’s service life. Based on the Conditional Structural Assessment of the existing Structure and reduced functionality, the Structure is planned to be seismically retrofitted and rehabilitated.
(d) The plan of improvements (Plan) shall comprise, as follows:
(1) The Project will install a deep foundation system on each end of the existing Structure consisting of two reinforced concrete pile s topped with a rectangular- shaped reinforced concrete pile cap. The pile cap contains steel dowels to positively connect the deep foundation system to the side of the existing Structure. Select plan sheets showing the in -progress design are attached as Exhibit “A”.
(2) The Project will repair large cracks and spalls in the concrete surface of the existing structure and then apply a Polyester Polymer Concrete (PPC) overlay for added protection. Select plan sheets showing the in-progress design are attached as Exhibit “A”.
(3) The Project will replace the existing 42” tall fence with a new 48” tall fence.
Select plan sheets showing the in-progress design are attached as Exhibit “A”.
Attachment A
*NOT YET APPROVED*
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(4) The Project will create improved maintenance access from the deck to the flood basin with ladders and an opening in the tra sh rack. Select plan sheets showing the in-progress design are attached as Exhibit “A”. (5) The Project will require temporary closures to portions of the Trail to accommodate construction of the seismic retrofit and rehabilitation work. A diagram illustrating anticipated Trail closures is attached as Exhibit “ B”. If the seismic retrofit and rehabilitation work to the Structure is not constructed, future degradation of the existing Structure will occur and would eventually require closure of the Trail for an unknown duration of time.
(e) The Project described above and as otherwise depicted in the attached exhibits is consistent with “park, playground, recreation or conservation purposes” as required under PAMC section 22.08.020 et seq.
(f) The City Council desires to approve the Plan for the Project described above and as depicted in Exhibit "A" and Exhibit “B”.
SECTION 2. The City Council hereby approves the Plan for construction of the Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure Phase 1: Seismic Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project as described in this Ordinance.
SECTION 3. V alley Water is the Lead Agency for the Project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Valley Water performed an Initial Study and determined that a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) is the appropriate level of review for the previous Project scope of a Structure replacement. A resolution adopting the Final MND (Resolution) was signed by Valley Water’s Board on April 27, 2021. Since the work for the Seismic Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project is smaller in scope and has less impacts, an addendum to the Final MND has been completed stating that the modifications to the original Structure replacement project will not result in new significant impacts or increase the severity of the already disclosed impacts. On October 22, 2024, Valley Water’s Board considered the addendum to the Final MND and approved the Modified Palo Alto Tide Gate Replacement Project. The CEQA documents are available online from the project website:
https://www.valleywater.org/pafbtidegates.
The City Council finds that the City of Palo Alto is a responsible agency under CEQA for the Project and certifies that it has reviewed and considered the information contained in Valley Water’s MND as updated by the addendum.
Valley Water will apply for new regulatory permits or amend the existing regulatory permits from six resource agencies and will be working with the resource agencies for updated mitigation requirements and permit conditions.
Attachment A
*NOT YET APPROVED*
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SECTION 4. This ordinance shall be effective on the thirty -first day after the date of its adoption.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
____________________________ ____________________________ City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
____________________________ ____________________________ Assistant City Attorney City Manager
____________________________
Director of Community Services
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EXHIBIT B PAGE 1 OF 2
5000 ft
N ➤ ➤
N
Image © 2024 Airbus
Image © 2024 Airbus
Byxbee Park
Parking Lot
PROJECT LOCATION
Palo Alto Airport
Palo Alto
Flood Basin
HWY 101
San Antonio Rd
±0.8 MILES TRAIL
SEGMENTS CLOSED
FOR 5 MONTHS
(SEPTEMBER 2025
TO JANUARY 2026)
OTHER TRAIL
ROUTES & DETOUR
OPEN ALL THE TIME
Existing Tide
Gate Structure
FLAGGERS WILL BE PRESENT
DURING HEAVY EQUIPMENT
MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATION
⚑
⚑
⚑
FLAGGERS WILL BE PRESENT
DURING HEAVY EQUIPMENT
MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATION
⚑
⚑
Coast Casey
Pump Station
⚑
Embarcadero Rd
E Bayshore Rd
Faber Pl
Adobe Creek
Loop Trail
Bay Trail
TRAIL CLOSURE
SIGN SIZE
4’ x 4’
48” x 48”
5’ x 3”
Construction Sign for Palo Alto Flood Basin Project
EXHIBIT B PAGE 2 OF 2