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Home My WebLink About2024-09-24; City Council; ; Revision of Project Title, Description and Scope of the Buena Vista Creek Concrete Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real ProjectCA Review GH Meeting Date: Sept. 24, 2024 To: Mayor and City Council From: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Staff Contact: Hossein Ajideh, Engineering Manager hossein.ajideh@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2756 Jason Evans, Associate Engineer jason.evans@carlsbadca.gov, 442-235-0348 Subject: Revision of Project Title, Description and Scope of the Buena Vista Creek Concrete Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real Project District: 1 Recommended Action Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or designee to revise the project title, description and scope of the Buena Vista Creek Concrete Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real Project, Capital Improvement Program Project No. 6619. Executive Summary The city established Buena Vista Creek Concrete Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real Project, Capital Improvement Program Project No. 6619, to provide routine maintenance of the Buena Vista Creek channel, which runs alongside and south of State Route 78. Over time, sediment and vegetation accumulate in the channel. Without this maintenance work, this material accumulates in the channel, reducing how much water the creek can carry and increasing the risk of flooding to nearby properties and infrastructure during heavy rainstorms. In its current form, Project No. 6619 includes the concrete-lined section of the channel starting at South Vista Way, extending approximately 900 feet upstream and eastward to about 230 feet east of El Camino Real. Work on this section of the channel occurred earlier this year after the City Council proclaimed a storm-related local emergency in response to major storms in January and February 2024 and the city received authorization to perform the work from the regulatory agencies. Field work and site inspections related to the emergency efforts indicated that vegetation, sediment and debris also needs to be removed from the earthen section of the channel, east and upstream of the concrete-lined section. Sept. 24, 2024 Item #3 Page 1 of 7 Project No. 6619 needs to be revised to account for this expanded maintenance work beyond the original concrete-lined section of the channel. Staff recommend: • Extending the project upstream by 1,500 feet to the Haymar Drive bridge • Updating the project’s title, description and scope to reflect the maintenance activities in both the concrete-lined and earthen sections, including removing the word "Concrete" from the title Only the City Council has the authority to make such changes to a Capital Improvement Program project, so staff are requesting that the City Council authorize the City Manager or designee to revise the project title, description and scope to expand the project area. Explanation & Analysis Overview The Buena Vista Creek runs along Carlsbad’s border with the City of Oceanside. The creek has portions that run through Oceanside and Carlsbad until it reaches Jefferson Street and the Buena Vista Lagoon, when it is solely within the City of Carlsbad. Some portions of the creek are lined with vegetated stream beds. Others have been constructed into a concrete drainage channel built by the California Department of Transportation in 1966 to convey runoff from the creek’s large eastern watershed – which extends approximately 10.6 miles inland – to the Pacific Ocean. Original project Project No. 6619 was initially focused on the western segment of the channel, starting at South Vista Way and ending about 230 feet east of El Camino Real, a total of approximately 900 feet. This concrete segment of the channel is entirely within the City of Carlsbad. The project was intended to remove the sediment and vegetation, make repairs within the concrete channel and maintain the channel each year. Staff anticipate this ongoing maintenance will need to be done every two to five years, but that may be adjusted as determined through annual inspections. The project is currently under environmental review. Emergency proclamation Two atmospheric rivers in early 2024 brought heavy rains that inundated the Buena Vista Creek channel with vegetation, debris and sediment. These rapid debris flows significantly diminished the water-carrying capacity of the channel. To mitigate the emergency conditions, the City Engineer recommended expedited – or emergency – removal of the sediment and vegetation in the concrete channel to increase its capacity, while the original maintenance project would continue to proceed through the environmental review and permitting process. The emergency work to remove vegetation and sediment within the concrete-lined western segment of the channel have been completed. Sept. 24, 2024 Item #3 Page 2 of 7 As part of the emergency work, and after closer inspection of the project site, staff determined that sediment, debris and vegetation in the earthen section east of the concrete channel, to Haymar Drive, also needs to be removed to further increase the channel’s capacity. Proposed revisions to project The emergency authorization for the channel work did not apply to the eastern segment. To maintain this area, staff propose expanding the project limits approximately 1,500 feet upstream, eastward of the concrete-lined section of the channel. This segment is mostly within the City of Carlsbad, although a small portion is within the City of Oceanside. The revised project area is about 2,400 feet, extending between the bridges at South Vista Way and Haymar Drive. The revised project would include maintenance activities in both the concrete-lined and earthen sections of the channel. The specific areas where vegetation, sediment and debris is to be removed will be determined based on environmental review and assessment, and coordination with the agencies that oversee water resources. To reflect the expanded project area, the project title, description and scope of Project No. 6619, the project needs to be modified as follows: • The project description and scope need to be revised to more accurately describe channel maintenance in both the concrete-lined section (western segment) and earthen section (eastern segment) of the channel. • The word “Concrete” needs to be removed from the project title to account for proposed work in the earthen portion of the channel. The revised project scope and environmental review will include an analysis of several alternatives for maintaining the eastern section and involve close coordination with the resource agencies, in part to secure the necessary permitting. Habitat mitigation Environmental resource agencies require impacts to habitat areas to be offset, or mitigated, by habitat restoration or preservation efforts elsewhere, or through the purchase of what are known as mitigation credits. These mitigation requirements are done at a ratio of the acres impacted to the acres to be restored or preserved. The ratio is set based on the type of habitat that is impacted and negotiation with resource agencies. As part of its environmental review for this project, the city will need to identify how it will mitigate the project’s impacts to the habitat. The eastern segment is not a concrete channel and is in a more natural condition. It’s also the sort of wetland habitat that is home to the least Bell’s vireo, an endangered bird that is known to nest along the creek. Because of these factors, it’s likely that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other resource agencies will require a higher mitigation ratio (i.e., 3:1 or 4:1) to mitigate the habitat impacts. A complete environmental review will be needed to determine the mitigation ratio. The project will also need to be scheduled to avoid the least Bell’s vireo breeding season. Sept. 24, 2024 Item #3 Page 3 of 7 Fiscal Analysis The project will be funded with the existing appropriation in Buena Vista Creek Concrete Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real Project, Capital Improvement Program Project No. 6619. The following table shows the project’s current balance. Staff are not currently seeking any additional funding appropriation. Next Steps Once the proposed revision is authorized by the City Council, the City Manager or designee will revise the project title, scope and description to expand the project area to the Haymar Drive bridge and include vegetation/sediment removal and maintenance in the eastern segment of the channel. Staff will work with the resource agencies on the mitigation ratio and required environmental permitting for the expanded project. Staff will also explore habitat mitigation opportunities, including habitat restoration within the city and use of mitigation credits from mitigation banks with a service area that includes the City of Carlsbad. Staff will coordinate with the resource agencies to determine the extent of work that can be performed in the eastern segment, evaluate agency responsibilities (i.e., cities of Carlsbad and Oceanside, Caltrans, etc.), and identify potential mitigation opportunities and costs. Staff will then incorporate this information into a revised project description and other supporting documents to further develop the project. Environmental Evaluation The City Planner, as outlined in Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 19.04.060, has determined that this project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act in accordance with Section 15262 - Feasibility and Planning Studies. This exemption applies because the project involves only feasibility or planning studies for potential future actions that the governing body has not yet approved or adopted. The guidance provided by the City Council for this action does not legally bind future discretionary decisions regarding the project’s approval. Exhibits 1. City Council resolution 2. Location map Buena Vista Creek Concrete Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real Project Capital Improvement Program Project No. 6619 Total appropriation to date $3,018,000 Total expenditures and encumbrances to date -$534,812 Total available funding $2,483,188 Sept. 24, 2024 Item #3 Page 4 of 7 Exhibit 1 Sept. 24, 2024 Item #3 Page 5 of 7 RESOLUTION NO. 2024-217 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE TO REVISE THE PROJECT TITLE, DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE OF THE BUENA VISTA CREEK CONCRETE CHANNEL MAINTENANCE AT EL CAMINO REAL PROJECT, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PROJECT NO. 6619 WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California has determined it necessary, desirable and in the public interest to revise the project title, description and scope of the Buena Vista Creek Concrete Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real Project, Capital Improvement Program Project No. 6619, or Project; and WHEREAS, on June 18, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-142, approving the · original project title, description and scope for the Buena Vista Creek Concrete Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real Project as part of the fiscal year 2024-25 Capital Improvement Program budget adoption; and WHEREAS, staff request revisions to the project title, description and scope to expand the project area to include the area between the bridges located at South Vi sta Way and Haymar Drive, for approximately 2,400 feet, including both concrete-lined and earthen portions of the Buena Vista Creek Channel; and WHEREAS, the project title will be revised by removing the word "Concrete," to account for the work in the earthen portions of the channel; and WHEREAS, the project description and scope will be revised to more accurately describe channel maintenance in both the concrete-lined section (western segment) and the earthen section (eastern segment) of the Buena Vista Creek Channel; and WHEREAS, the City Planner, as outlined in Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 19.04.060, has determined that this project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15262 -Feasibility and Planning Studies. This exemption applies because the project involves only feasibility or planning studies for potential future actions that the governing body has not yet approved or adopted. The guidance provided by the City Council for this action does not legally bind future discretionary decisions regarding project approval. Sept. 24, 2024 Item #3 Page 6 of 7 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as follows: 1. That the above recitations are true and correct. 2. That the City Manager or designee is authorized to revise the project title from "Buena Vista Creek Concrete Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real" to "Buena Vista Creek Channel Maintenance at El Camino Real." 3. That the City Manager or designee is authorized to revise the project description and scope to expand the project limits approximately 1,500 feet upstream (eastward) from South Vista Way to the Haymar Drive bridge crossing and to accurately describe channel maintenance in both the concrete-lined section (western segment) and the earthen section (eastern segment) ofthe Buena Vista Creek Channel at El Camino Real for a total of approximately 2,400 feet. The revised project scope will consist of vegetation, debris and sediment removal and ongoing maintenance in both the concrete-lined and earthen sections of the channel. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad on the 24th day of September, 2024, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: NAYS: ABSTAIN: ABSENT: BLACKBURN, BHAT-PATEL, ACOSTA, BURKHOLDER, LUNA. NONE. NONE. NONE. KEITH BLACKL~ SHERRY FREISINGER, City Clerk (SEAL) ·|}þ78·|}þ78 ·|}þ78·|}þ78 AVENIDADEANITA H AYMARDRSOUTHVISTAWY H AY M AR DR M A R R O N RD EL C A M I N O R E A L SR-78 EB SR-78 WB SR-78 OFF RA SR-78 R A S R-78 O N R A Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS,USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community, Copyrightnearmap 2015 Exhibit 2LOCATION MAP PROJECT NAME EXHIBIT2BUENA VISTA CREEK CHANNEL MAINTENANCE $!Å **#5$ **#5$·|}þ78 VISTA ENCINITAS S.D. COUNTY OCEANSIDE PACIFICOCEAN TAMA RA CKAV LA COSTA AV POINSE TTIA L N M E L R O S E D R C A R L S B A D B L ELC A MIN O REAL C A R L S B A D VILLAGE DR RANCHOSAN TAFE R D A V I A R APY A L G A R D CA NN O N R D NOT TOSCALE Created By: Sara Jadhav 8/15/2024 J:\SaraJadhav_Customers\DavidEdwards\LocalEmergencyBuenaVistaCreekChannel\LocationMap.mxd EXISTING PROJECT LIMIT(WESTERN) VICINITY MAP PROJECTNUMBER6619 $!Å EXTENDED PROJECT LIMIT(EASTERN) Sept. 24, 2024 Item #3 Page 7 of 7