To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: APPROVE the plans and specifications for the Vasco Road Safety Improvements Phase 2 project and ADOPT Addendum 2 to the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Vasco Safety Improvements Project in accordance with CEQA, Byron area.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE the plans and specifications for the Vasco Road Safety Improvements Phase 2 Project; and
ADOPT Addendum 2 to the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Vasco Road Safety Improvements Project, finding that the Addendum has been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and that no subsequent or supplemental environmental document is required pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15162, 15163, and 15164; and
FIND, on the basis of the Addendum to the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and any comments received and staff responses thereto, that there is no substantial evidence the Project may have a significant effect on the environment, and that the CEQA documents reflect the independent judgment and analysis of the lead agency, Contra Costa County (County); and
DIRECT the Director of the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD), or designee, to cause a CEQA Notice of Determination (NOD) to be filed with the County Clerk and State Clearinghouse; and
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to arrange for payment of a $50 fee to the County Clerk for filing the NOD.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No impact to the General Fund. The Project will be funded by Regional Measure 3 (RM 3) (43%), Senate Bill 1 Local Partnership Program - Formulaic (SB1-LPP-F) (15%), and East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing Authority (ECCRFFA) (42%).
BACKGROUND:
The Vasco Road Safety Improvements Project was developed to improve safety along Vasco Road by reducing the risk of cross-median collisions. Through evaluation of roadway conditions and collision history, Public Works identified a segment of Vasco Road where installation of a median barrier and related roadway improvements would provide significant safety benefits.
The Project consists of widening lanes and constructing a concrete median barrier along approximately 1.5 miles of Vasco Road beginning approximately three miles north of the Contra Costa/Alameda County line. The roadway will be widened to accommodate the median barrier while maintaining the existing number of travel lanes. Additional improvements include signing and striping, turn pockets, retaining walls, drainage improvements, wildlife mitigation measures, bridge widening, and barrier end treatments.
The Board approved an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Project on August 25, 2009. Phase I construction was completed in January 2012. Following changes to the Phase II construction approach involving full roadway closures, the Board adopted Addendum 1 to the IS/MND on April 24, 2012. Due to funding constraints, Phase II was subsequently delayed until 2025. As a result of the delay and the need to incorporate improvements required under current standards, Addendum 2 was prepared to evaluate the updated Project. Because the current Project differs from the version approved in 2009, a new Notice of Determination will be filed following Board action.
The Project is being delivered in partnership with the State Route 4 Bypass Authority (SR4BA). The County serves as the lead agency for CEQA compliance and project approvals, while the SR4BA prepared the plans and specifications and will advertise the Project, receive bids, award the construction contract, and administer construction.
The SR4BA has completed the project design, and the plans and specifications are ready for implementation. Board approval of the plans and specifications is necessary to establish discretionary approval of the design by the governing body and support the County's eligibility for design immunity protections pursuant to Government Code Section 830.6.
Environmental review has been completed through Addendum 2 to the previously approved IS/MND. The Addendum concludes that the updated Project will not result in any new significant environmental impacts, substantially increase the severity of previously identified impacts, or require preparation of a subsequent or supplemental environmental document. Staff has determined that the Addendum complies with CEQA Guidelines Section 15164 and that none of the conditions described in CEQA Guidelines Sections 15162 or 15163 are present.
Based on the environmental analysis and the entire administrative record, staff recommends that the Board approve the plans and specifications, adopt Addendum 2, find that there is no substantial evidence the Project may have a significant effect on the environment, direct filing of a Notice of Determination, and authorize payment of the required filing fee. These actions will allow the SR4BA to proceed with advertisement and procurement of construction services.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Delay in approving the Project may result in a delay of advertising and construction and may jeopardize funding.