TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Director of Public Works
REPORT BY: Graham Wadsworth, P. E., Engineering Supervisor
SUBJECT: Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant for the Napa Valley Vine Trail - Yountville through St. Helena Project, RDS 23-19.
RECOMMENDATION
title
Authorize submission of an application for a Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant, and approve and authorize Amendment No. 2 to Agreement No. 240200B with Kimley-Horn to provide grant support for the Napa Valley Vine Trail (NVVT) segment from Yountville through St. Helena. (No Fiscal Impact, Discretionary).
body
BACKGROUND
The proposed project is to construct the NVVT adjacent to Highway 29 between Madison Street at the north end of Yountville and Pratt Avenue at the north end of St. Helena. The Project would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance accessibility and connectivity by promoting the use of transit, biking, and walking.
Approximately eight of the ten miles of the proposed NVVT are in the unincorporated County, with the remaining sections within the City of St. Helena and Town of Yountville. There is an alternative to continue the NVVT on the west side of Highway 29 between Madison Street and California Drive.
The U. S. Department of Transportation has Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant funding, and the County is eligible to apply for funding to implement the Project. In 2020 and 2022, the County applied for Active Transportation Program (ATP) Grant funding for the Project and was not successful. Because there is less ATP funding available this year, Staff recommends applying for the SS4A and ATP funding.
The SS4A Grant application is due May 16 and the ATP Grant application is due June 15. The Board previously approved applying for the ATP Grant on September 12, 2023. Kimley-Horn, NVVTC, and County staff have been working to complete as much of the environmental, design, and right-of-way acquisition work as possible before applying for the ATP Grant. SS4A Grant application support and additional bicycle and pedestrian counts for the grant application are not included in the scope of services with Kimley-Horn; therefore, staff requested an amendment proposal from Kimley-Horn that is attached to Amendment 2.
On November 7, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved agreement 240200B with Kimley- Horn to complete the Project Initiation Document (PID) and Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) Phases of the Project (Tasks 1 through 7). On January 9, the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 240200B with Kimley-Horn to create right of way plat maps showing necessary easements for the Project (part of Task 9).
In February, the Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition (NVVTC), Kimley-Horn, and County staff had five Stakeholder Meetings to present the Project to the public. People who own property on the west side of Highway 29 between Madison Street and Dwyer Road expressed concerns regarding the alignment of the path in the Napa Valley Wine Train right-of-way. At a March 7 meeting with property owners, Kimley-Horn presented preliminary design “strip map exhibits” showing eight alternatives along Highway 29 that the property owners requested. At the meeting, the property owners requested more details regarding two alternatives to see the size of easements that could be on their property. Staff requested an amendment proposal.
When the NVVTC hired Mark Thomas and Company to survey the path alignment in St. Helena, the consultant did not survey the west side of Highway 29 between Grayson Avenue and Mitchell Drive; therefore, Staff requested an amendment proposal to complete the surveying and utility mapping.
In March, Kimley-Horn staff prepared 35% plans and a cost estimate that is more than 50% higher than the $30 million preliminary cost estimate. Because of the estimated cost increase, County staff want an independent cost estimate to evaluate the 35% cost estimate and alternatives to realistically reduce the estimated cost. VSCE is a subconsultant to Kimley-Horn that has qualified staff with extensive construction experience who can prepare an independent estimate that County staff could present to the Board to make an informed decision on moving forward with parts of the Project or the entire Project. NVVTC, consultant, and County staff are also investigating other potential funding sources to determine if the current design is financially feasible.
In Amendment 1, there was $170,000 in the other direct costs budget for Kimley-Horn for potholing utilities, which Kimley-Horn staff said they can complete after July 1, 2024. Amendment 2 is written to increase the fee for various tasks and reduce the budget for the potholing expense; therefore, staff may request additional funding when requesting the Board to approve an amendment for Tasks eight through twelve.
Recommended Action.
Authorize submission of an application for a Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant and approve Amendment 2.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
|
Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
|
Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
|
Where is it budgeted? |
On November 7, 2023, the Board approved a budget amendment to transfer $2.5 million from the Accumulated Capital Outlay (ACO) budget (Fund 3000, Sub-Division 3000000) to Project 24012(Fund 2040, Sub-Division 2040500, Account 52310). |
|
Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
|
Discretionary Justification: |
Authorizing staff to apply for SS4A grant funding could provide more funding to construct the Project in 2026. If the County does not amend the agreement, then the County might not have a competitive SS4A grant application and construction could begin later at a higher cost. |
|
Is the general fund affected? |
No |
|
Future fiscal impact: |
If the County obtains grant funding for the construction, then the County would be responsible for maintaining the portion of the trail between the Town of Yountville and the City of St. Helena Limits. In the Maintenance Agreement for the St. Helena to Calistoga Segment, the County and the NVVTC share the cost. It is anticipated that the County and NVVTC will enter a similar agreement for the Yountville to St. Helena Segment. |
|
Consequences if not approved: |
The County will not be as competitive with the SS4A grant and the USDOT might award funding to another project. |
|
Additional Information |
In 2022, Congressman Thompson included $4 million of Community Project Funding (CPF) in the federal fiscal year 2023- 2024 Budget to complete the planning, engineering, and environmental work for the Project. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable. The County would be responsible for preparing and adopting a CEQA document, such as a Mitigated Negative Declaration, for this segment of the Napa Valley Vine Trail Project.