July 22, 2021 Page 1 of 2
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
DATE: July 22, 2021
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM: Joe Leach, PE, Public Works Director
Lina Velasco, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Cooperative Funding Agreement with the East Bay Re gional Park District to construct the Point Molate Bay Trail Project
STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE:
The City and East Bay Regional Park District (“EBRPD” or “Park District”) have been working cooperatively, for many years now, to design and plan the Point Molate Bay Trail that will connect the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to the Winehaven Historic District at Point Molate, comprised of two 1.25 miles segments. Both entities have been successful in applying for grants to fund the construction of each of their respective segments and now the parties would like to enter into a Cooperative Funding Agreement to construct the Point Molate Bay Trail Project.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
AUTHORIZE the city manager or designee to enter into a Cooperative Funding Agreement with the East Bay Regional Park District to construct the Point Molate Bay Trail Project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no direct cost to the City as a result of this action. Approximately $3.3 million in grants and City funds have been allocated for the City’s segment of the project and the Cooperative Funding Agreement would allow the EBRPD to bid the project as one project and hire a construction management firm for the whole project. The City will reimburse the Park District for actual construction and construction management expenses. The project funding and expenditures are included in the 5-year Capital Improvements Plan (CIP).
AGENDA REPORT
July 22, 2021 Page 2 of 2 DISCUSSION:
As part of the collaboration between the City and the EBRPD, the EBPRD took the lead on preparing an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and preparing 60% design drawings for the Point Molate Bay Trail Project, comprised of both segments. The EBRPD adopted the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) with minor revisions and modifications on May 1, 2018 and approved the segment of Bay Trail to the south of the City’s proposed segment. The City Council of the City of Richmond adopted the IS/MND in March 2020. The Point Molate Bay Trail project is separate from the Point Molate Mixed-Use Project and is not impacted by the on-going litigation challenging the adequacy of the CEQA document associated with that project.
The City of Richmond has also received grant funding on behalf of the California Natural Resources Agency and State of California Coastal Conservancy for the 1.25-mile extension of the Beach to Winehaven segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail at Point Molate. The EBRPD has received grant funding on behalf of the California Natural Resources Agency, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and State of California Department of Parks and Recreation for the 1.25-mile extension of the Bridge to Beach extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail at Point Molate. Both segments comprise the
2.5-mile extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail at Point Molate and will provide previously inaccessible shoreline to the public and create safe public access to a scenic stretch of shoreline.
The Park District is willing to implement the Bridge to Beach extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail and the Beach to Winehaven extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail segments to minimize costs and promote efficiency. City staff is recommending entering into a Cooperative Funding Agreement, which authorizes the EBRPD to construct both segments as one project and accept reimbursement for the actual costs of the City of Richmond’s portion of the project.
CONCLUSION:
The Public Works Director recommends that the City Council authorize entering into a Cooperating Funding Agreement with the EBRPD for construction of the Point Molate Bay Trail project
to minimize costs and promote efficiency.
ATTACHMENTS:
ATTACHMENT 1 – Draft Cooperative Funding Agreement