TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Director of Public Works
REPORT BY: Graham Wadsworth, P. E., Engineering Supervisor
SUBJECT: Amendment with Kimley-Horn to provide consultant services for the Napa Valley Vine Trail - Yountville through St. Helena Project, RDS 23-19.
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize Amendment No. 6 to Agreement No. 240200B with Kimley-Horn, with no change to maximum compensation or term, to provide consultant services to revise the plans and environmental studies for the Bale Slough crossing for the Napa Valley Vine Trail segment from Yountville through St. Helena. (No Fiscal Impact)
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BACKGROUND
The proposed project (Project) is to design and construct the Napa Valley Vine Trail (NVVT) adjacent to Highway 29 between California Drive or Madison Street in Yountville and Pratt Avenue in St. Helena. The Project would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance accessibility and connectivity by promoting the use of transit, biking, and walking. The Project would also provide safe routes to schools, jobs, services, and recreation.
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. In 2022, Congressman Thompson included $4 million of Community Project Funding (CPF) in the federal fiscal year 2023-2024 Budget for the planning, engineering, and environmental work of over 10 miles of Class I and Class III multiuse path between the existing paths in Yountville and St. Helena. On September 12, 2023, the Board approved a $714,000 Funding Agreement with the Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition (NVVTC) to reimburse the County for the design and environmental documents.
Based on the value engineering analysis of the 35% design estimate and alignment refinements, the total project cost could be $50 million. With federal and state grants, Napa County, the NVVTC, and the City of St. Helena are required to provide a “local match” of at least 20% of the Project application amount. The NVVTC committed $5 million and the City of St. Helena verbally committed $900,000 for the Project.
On November 7, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved Agreement No. 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, 2024, 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). On April 9, 2024, the Board approved Amendment No. 2 to support preparing a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant application, collect bicycle and pedestrian counts for grant applications, value engineer the cost estimate, perform additional utility mapping, and prepare alternatives exhibits for use in discussions with property owners along the Vine Trail. On May 24, 2024, the Board approved Amendment No. 3 to support preparing a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Environmental Impact Report (EIR) instead of a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND).
On September 10, 2024, the Board approved Amendment No. 4 to support preparing an Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) grant application, analyzing three alternative alignments along Highway 29 in the EIR, designing additional railroad crossings, and preparing the 65% design.
On May 20, 2025, the Board approved Amendment 5 that includes moving part of the budget for the 65% plans, specifications and estimate (Task 10) to complete additional engineering and environmental studies, and change the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document from a Categorical Exemption to an Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the Locally Preferred Alternative and Alternative Alignment 4. Since the NEPA EA requires expanded studies, Kimley Horn staff proposed additional scope and fee that would be offset by a reduction in scope and fee for Task 10.
During meetings with Caltrans staff to discuss the project design, Caltrans staff raised concerns about maintaining the triple-box culverts that carries water in Bale Slough under Highway 29. The current plan is to construct a bridge over Bale Slough, which is approximately 600 feet south of Mee Lane. Caltrans removes sediment deposits in the box culverts after most winters, and the bridge would block access for cleaning the box culverts.
Caltrans, Kimley Horn, and Napa County staff recommend the option to extend the box culverts to the east, widen Highway 29 to the east, construct the Vine Trail and concrete barrier over the west end of the existing box culverts, and restripe Highway 29. Removing the bridge from the Project will reduce the construction cost by approximately $400,000. Kimley Horn staff submitted an amendment proposal to revise the design plans and environmental documents for this change at no additional cost to the County. To keep the amendment cost-neutral, the proposal shifts the budget for the Final Environmental Document (Task 7) and budgets for two subconsultants performing work across multiple tasks to the budgets for Data Collection (Task 2), Engineering Studies and Project Report (Task 4), and Environmental Studies and Draft Environmental Documents (Task 5). Before proceeding with the final environmental documents, staff will ask the Board to approve an amendment with funding for Task 7.
Staff recommends that the Board approve Amendment No. 6 to Agreement No. 240200B with Kimley-Horn to provide consultant services to revise the plans and environmental studies for the Bale Slough crossing.
Recommended Action:
Approve and authorize Amendment No. 6 to Agreement No. 240200B with Kimley-Horn for the Napa Valley Vine Trail segment from Yountville through St. Helena.
FISCAL IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
Approving the amendment would authorize Kimley-Horn staff to prepare additional engineering and environmental studies for the Bale Slough crossing to include in the NEPA EA and CEQA EIR. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
The services provided with Amendment 6 will continue in fiscal year 2026-27. Funding for final environmental documents will be needed in the future. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
The County will not provide additional engineering and environmental studies for the Bale Slough crossing and Kimley Horn staff would investigate other options for Caltrans approval. |
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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. On November 7, 2023, the Board approved a budget amendment to transfer $2.5 million from the Accumulated Capital Outlay (ACO) budget to Project 24012. On September 10, 2024, the Board approved a budget amendment to transfer $2,214,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund (CIF) budget to Project 24012. The CIF will be reimbursed in full as CPF and NVVTC funding is received. Strategic Initiative: Build Healthy, Connected Communities |
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 proposed action merely approves entering into agreement to conduct detailed design for a potential future trail, which will only be constructed if funding is available, full CEQA review is conducted, and the trail is approved by all required public agencies. The County has not committed to approving this section of the Vine Trail or any potential Vine Trail alignment, or any other specific project that may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment.