REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 10/19/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Authorize the creation of Capital Improvement Project No. 2022-12 for the Widening of Ontario Avenue at Lincoln Avenue and approve the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Reimbursement Agreement with Western Riverside Council of Governments as funding assistance for the project.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks for the City Council to approve a funding agreement with Western Riverside Council of Governments, which will allow the City to move forward with improvements along a section of Ontario Avenue between Oak Avenue and S. Vicentia Avenue. The improvements include widening Ontario Avenue and constructing missing curb and gutter and Americans with Disabilities Act curb ramps, which will alleviate traffic congestion experienced during peak hours at the intersection of Ontario and Lincoln. Additionally, the project will construct missing infrastructure in the area, such as sidewalks, parkways, driveway approaches, and street lighting, which will improve pedestrian accessibility and continuity.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Authorize the creation of a new Capital Improvement Project titled “Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue,” Project No. 2022-12.
b. Approve the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Reimbursement Agreement with Western Riverside Council of Governments for the reimbursement of Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Funds for the design, right-of-way, and construction of the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project.
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to finalize and execute the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Reimbursement Agreement with Western Riverside Council of Governments for the reimbursement of Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Funds for the design, right-of-way, and construction of the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project, including making minor and non-substantive changes.
d. Authorize a transfer of $796,166 from the South Corona Master Planned Landscape Project No. 80080 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the South Corona Landscaping Fund (274).
e. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $404,560 from the South Corona Landscaping Fund (274) to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
f. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $394,133 from the Drainage Fee Fund (212) to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
g. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $968,276 from the Street and Traffic Signals Fund (211) to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
h. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $55,000 from the Development Agreement account within the General Fund to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
i. Authorize a transfer of $276,333 from the Rock Vista Drive Subdrain Project No. 78060 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the Measure A Fund (227).
j. Authorize a transfer of $503,414 from the Oak Avenue Street Improvement Project No. 76030 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the Measure A Fund (227).
k. Authorize a transfer of $45,500 from the Household Hazardous Waste Facility Project No. 71990 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the Measure A Fund (227).
l. Authorize a transfer of $256,618 from the City-Wide Sidewalk and ADA Improvement Project No. 72210 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the Measure A Fund (227).
m. Accept $2,300,000 in funds from the Western Riverside Council of Governments Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee for the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
n. Authorize the Project to pay for the cost to construct sewer laterals from the existing main line to the property line of residents on Ontario Avenue between Lincoln and Conejo.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The recently adopted City of Corona (City) Strategic Plan identified several goals, including providing sound infrastructure and a safe community. Providing sound infrastructure can be achieved by investing in public infrastructure, including adequate roadways, drainage, sidewalks, parkways, ADA ramps, street lighting, traffic signals, crosswalks, and raised medians. Providing a safe community can be achieved by investing in public infrastructure.
The south side of Ontario Avenue between Lincoln Avenue and Conejo Street has not been widened to the ultimate width of the street; this section currently provides two lanes for eastbound traffic and lacks ADA sidewalks, street lighting, curb and gutter, parkways, and standard driveway approaches. This is the only section on Ontario Avenue between Paseo Grande and Compton Avenue that has yet to be addressed with capital improvements. The east side of Lincoln Avenue between Ontario Avenue and Othello Lane lacks ADA-compliant sidewalks, and is the only remaining section of Lincoln Avenue between the SR-91 and Mountain Gate Drive that has not been addressed. Additionally, a signalized intersection at Lincoln Avenue and Othello Lane is warranted in the Traffic Signal Master Plan.
The Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) Network includes an allocation for the widening of Ontario Avenue from 4 lanes to 6 lanes between Lincoln Avenue and Buena Vista Avenue. The City of Corona notified WRCOG of our intent to move forward with this project, and WRCOG met on June 16, 2022, and approved a recommendation for the Executive Committee to approve the funding for this project. The WRCOG Executive Committee approved the action on July 11, 2022. The City will enter into a reimbursement agreement with WRCOG for the funds allocated in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). A total of $2,300,000 is allocated for this project, including $300,000 for design, $1,000,000 for right-of-way, and $1,000,000 for construction.
ANALYSIS:
Staff recommends the creation of a new Capital Improvement Project titled “Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue,” Project No. 2022-12, to address the remaining improvements needed on Ontario Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. The project will construct the street widening, curb and gutter, parkways, sidewalks, driveways, driveway approaches, street lighting, drainage facilities, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramps on the south side of Ontario Avenue, between Lincoln Avenue and Conejo Street. The project will also include traffic signal improvements at the intersections of Lincoln Avenue/Ontario Avenue and Lincoln Avenue/Othello Lane, and parkways, sidewalks, driveway approaches, and street lighting on the east side of Lincoln Avenue between Ontario Avenue and Othello Lane.
The proposed improvements will complete the missing street features that will provide roadway connectivity and reduce the accidents that have historically occurred within the project limits. Maintaining continuity within a roadway cross section provides additional safety to vehicular traffic. Constructing bike lines, raised medians, sidewalks, and roadway lighting provide crash reduction factors of between 25% and 80% further providing additional safety for the public, per the Caltrans Local Road Safety Manual.
At the September 21, 2022 City Council meeting, residents along Ontario Ave. expressed the following concerns related to the project. Staff has attempted to provide responses to address the concerns presented:
1. Concern: Effects of the project on property driveways and access to residential properties.
a. Response: As part of the design process, staff will work with residents to address their driveway and access concerns. Driveways may be modified, by design and grading to address accessibility. With the proposed installation of the raised median, alternative routes for accessibility will be identified.
2. Concern: Impacts to property frontages, yards, and mature landscaping.
a. Response: The designer will explore options that may include grading, retaining walls, and landscape replacement. Impacted residents will be involved in the design process that will affect their frontages, driveways, landscape, and transitions onto their private properties. The City will explore options that will minimize impacts to the residents or provide alternatives to mitigate their concerns. There will be no landscaping impacts to the properties on the north side of Ontario.
3. Concern: Noise caused by additional lanes of traffic.
a. Response: The City will work with the designer and residents to explore ways to reduce noise. Some potential options may include reduction of lane widths to discourage speeding, installation of trees and landscaping to provide a natural noise barrier, or the feasibility of rubberized asphalt pavement.
4. Concern: How the improvements may impact traffic on Ontario Ave.
a. Response: The project aims to increase safety completing the street and providing for missing roadway features such as bike lanes, sidewalks and will consider a reduction of lane widths to reduce speeds. Operational efficiencies will be improved through the modification and installation of traffic signals and providing for turn pockets for vehicles. These improvements aim to improve traffic safety.
5. Concern: Accident history.
a. Response: The primary purpose and need of the project is to reduce or eliminate potential accidents by providing for traffic safety enhancements such as installation of a raised median and openings, installation of bike lanes and sidewalks, and provide for additional roadway lighting. These roadway features statistically have reduced accidents per the Caltrans Local Road Safety Manual.
6. Concern: Funding can be better used at a different location.
a. Response: The project’s purpose and need have been identified in studies and specific plans specific to this project and location. There are funding needs for other projects such as the Ontario Avenue at I-15 interchange; however, funds already programmed for projects is not always transferable.
Potential Sewer Infrastructure Improvements
Most properties on the south side of Ontario Avenue between Lincoln and Conejo are currently on septic sewer systems. Should these septic systems fail, the property owner would be required to connect to the City’s existing sewer mainline on Ontario Avenue or to the mainline on Lincoln Avenue in the case of the corner property. The City’s mainline is located in the center of these streets. In order to gain access to the City’ sewer service, a sewer lateral line is installed from the home out to the City’s mainline in the street. The construction of a sewer lateral is generally the responsibility of each individual homeowner to complete. Should the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project move forward, upon completion of the project, there will be a three-year moratorium prohibiting any work in the right-of-way. This will limit any construction taking place or will significantly increase the cost for work needing to take place on Ontario and Lincoln Avenue after construction is complete. Should work be required to take place, such as a sewer line installation, the roadway will need to be resurfaced in compliance with City of Corona Standard Plans, which will significantly add to the cost for the resident. To facilitate future sewer connections to these properties and to assist with the high cost of construction during the moratorium period, having the City construct the sewer laterals as part of the Ontario Widening Program is recommended. In addition, having the City construct the sewer lateral segments within the public right-of-way will protect the City’s investment so that additional work within the public right of way for future sewer connections would not be required.
Proposed sewer lateral construction as part of this project would be limited to the portion within the City’s right-of-way only. The property owner would be responsible for constructing the remaining portion of the sewer lateral from the Right of Way/Property Line to the home. Options and estimated costs for the construction of a sewer lateral to each home’s property line at the right-of-way are provided below for the City Council’s consideration:
Option 1: Do Not Include Sewer Laterals as Part of the Project.
• This option does not include the installation of sewer laterals as part of the Ontario Widening Project. As a result, there will be no additional costs incurred by the project for sewer laterals and each property owner will be responsible for all future costs associated with the construction of the sewer lateral, restoration of the public improvements, permit requirements, traffic control, and any additional associated cost. When the sewer lateral is installed in the future, each property owner will be required to cut into the Ontario Avenue roadway to construct a lateral sewer line from the existing sewer main to the home. In addition, if the installation of the sewer lateral occurs within the three-year moratorium period, where construction is not allowed on the newly installed and resurfaced roadway, there would be significantly higher costs for the property owner to repair or resurface the roadway. Under moratorium conditions, the property owner is required to resurface and repair the road on a much larger scale to avoid scarring and damage to newly installed pavement. Should a septic system fail, the property owner would also be required to connect to the mainline in the street and would be required to reconstruct and repair all public roadway facilities that may include asphalt, curb, gutter, sidewalk, and landscaping.
Option 2: Include the Sewer Lateral as Part of the Project.
• The option to include the construction of sewer laterals from the sewer mainline up to the property lines as part of the project is staff’s recommended option. This option will accommodate any future connections by the property owners and keep the future lateral construction within private property limits, which would not affect any portions of the City right of way. There will also be a cost savings to the property owners if the City constructs the necessary sewer laterals as part of the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project. The property owners would be saved the cost of the public improvements, traffic control, permit requirements, and the associated costs of work in the public right of way, which are already part of the Ontario Avenue Widening Project. In addition, due to cost savings of bulk pricing, the per linear foot cost of constructing sewer laterals would be significantly less if they are all constructed as part of one project. Should this option be considered by the City Council, options to fund the project are provided below:
A. City to pay for all costs to construct the sewer laterals from the existing main line to the property line. The current cost estimate to stub out the sewer lateral from the mainline to the property line is approximately $30,000 per property. There are approximately 6-8 properties that may still be on septic.
B. The City can fund for the labor cost and the property owner can fund the material costs. Of the $30,000 for the sewer lateral, the estimated labor cost is $15,000 and the estimated materials cost is $15,000.
C. The property owners would be responsible for all costs associated with the sewer lateral construction. The City would enter into a reimbursement agreement and a payment plan, and the property owner would reimburse the City for its expenses.
Staff is requesting direction from the City Council on whether the Ontario Avenue Widening Project proceeds, should it include the construction of sewer laterals for the properties on septic systems on the south side of Ontario from the existing sewer main to the property line/right of way limit?
Pros for constructing sewer laterals:
• Provides an incentive for residents to convert their septic systems to City sewer, which is more environmentally friendly.
• Provides cost savings to the residents: gain economies of scale through the City’s sponsored project and prevents duplicative work as the City will already be trenching and providing traffic control in this area; forgoes any increased costs for emergency work done in the right-of-way during the moratorium period.
• Prevents the need for damaging the City’s new roadway each time a resident is required to convert to the City’s sewer system.
Cons for constructing sewer laterals:
• Increases the cost of the project.
• City would provide the work generally completed by the resident.
City staff has conducted research of the site, prepared a scope of work and Engineer’s Estimate for this project, and identified possible funding sources. Staff recommends a transfer of funds from the available funding sources discussed in the Financial Impact section of this report to the Ontario Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project, Project No. 2022-12, to proceed with a Request for Proposals for Design and Environmental Review and facilitate conversations with the directly affected property owners. In addition, staff will continue to pursue other funding opportunities to offset any additional costs to fully execute this project.
Should the project move forward, staff will work with the residents to address their concerns regarding noise, landscape, driveway modifications, and to minimize or avoid any impacts to their properties where possible.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in a transfer of $796,166 from the South Corona Master Planned Landscape Project No. 80080 within the South Corona Landscaping Fund (274); an appropriation in the amount of $404,560 from the South Corona Landscaping Fund (274); an appropriation in the amount of $394,133 from the Drainage Fee Fund (212); an appropriation in the amount of $968,276 from the Street and Traffic Signals Fund (211); an appropriation in the amount of $55,000 from the Development Agreement account within the General Fund; a transfer of $276,333 from the Rock Vista Drive Subdrain Project No. 78060 within the Measure A Fund (227); a transfer of $503,414 from the Oak Avenue Street Improvement Project No. 76030 within the Measure A Fund (227); a transfer of $45,500 from the Household Hazardous Waste Facility Project No. 71990 within the Measure A Fund (227); a transfer of $256,618 from the City-Wide Sidewalk and ADA Improvement Project No. 72210 within the Measure A Fund (227); and an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $2,300,000 from the Public Works Grants/Agreement Fund (243) to the newly created Capital Improvement Project, “Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue. With these transfers, appropriations, and the acceptance of the WRCOG TUMF funds, the Project fund will total $6,000,000, which matches the current Engineer’s Estimate. There is sufficient fund balance in the respective funds for the recommended actions.
|
Funding Source |
Amount |
|
General Fund (Development Agreement) |
$55,000 |
|
South Corona Landscaping Fund (274) |
$1,200,726 |
|
Drainage Fee Fund (212) |
$394,133 |
|
Street and Traffic Signals Fund (211) |
$968,276 |
|
Measure A Fund (227) |
$1,081,865 |
|
Public Works Grants/Agreement Fund (243) - WRCOG TUMF Allocation |
$2,300,000 |
|
Total |
$6,000,000 |
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
These actions are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Action (CEQA), as the actions are not a “project” as defined by CEQA (PRC Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378), guidelines which define a “project” as the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or reasonable foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and that is an activity directly undertaking by any public agency including public works construction and related activities. These actions involve the approval of a funding agreement and the transfer of funds from various project accounts. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required at this time.
After approval of the recommended actions herein, staff will proceed with the next phase of the project and applicable documentation will be prepared and filed at that time.
PREPARED BY: JULIANNA ZALESKI, ASSOCIATE ENGINEER
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Location Map
2. Exhibit 2 - TUMF Agreement