To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: APPROVE the Conveyance of six Temporary Construction Easements and one Fee parcel to Contra Costa County, Martinez/Pacheco area
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
As the governing body of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (“District”):
APPROVE the conveyance, by the attached Right of Way Contracts, six temporary constructions easements and by the attached grand deed, one fee parcel, located at Grayson Creek on the east and west side of I680 at SR4, to Contra Costa County in exchange for Contra Costa County’s payment of $9,550, pursuant to Government Code Section 25526.5 and Section 31 of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Act. (Project No. 4660-6X4175) (SCH 2006082017).
DETERMINE that said property to be surplus and no longer necessary for flood control purposes or other public purposes of the District, and its estimated value does not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).
DETERMINE that the conveyance of these property rights is in the best interest of the public and that they will not substantially conflict or interfere with the use of the District’s remaining property.
ADOPT the attached resolution declaring the fee parcel which consists of ±.36 acres, located at Grayson Creek on the east and west side of Interstate 680 at State Route 4 in Martinez/Pacheco area, to be “exempt surplus land,” as defined in the Government Code section 54221(f)(1)(D), and no longer required for District purposes, in accordance with Section 31 of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation Act and the Surplus Land Act.
AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer, or designee, to execute the Right of Way Contract and Temporary Construction Easements on behalf of the District.
AUTHORIZE the Chair, Board of Supervisors, to execute a Grant Deed on behalf of the District.
DIRECT the Real Estate Division of the Public Works Department to cause said Grant Deed and a certified copy of this Board Order to be delivered to the grantee for recording in the office of the County Clerk-Recorder.
As the governing body of Contra Costa County (“County”):
ACCEPT the attached Right of Way Contracts conveying the six temporary construction easements and the attached Grant Deed conveying one fee parcel to the County.
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to execute the Right of Way Contract-Temporary Easement on behalf of the County.
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to cause the Grant Deed to be recorded in the Official Records of the County Clerk-Recorder.
As the governing body of both the District and the County:
CONSIDER the Initial Study and Negative Declaration/Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (the “CEQA/NEPA document”) prepared by the State of California, Department of Transportation - the lead agency - for the I-680/SR4 Interchange Project (State Clearinghouse No. 2006082017); and DETERMINE that the Project will not have any significant effects on the environment, as disclosed in the CEQA/NEPA document.
DIRECT the Public Works Director/Chief Engineer, or designee, to file a CEQA notice of determination with the County Clerk-Recorder and the State Clearinghouse for each agency; and
AUTHORIZE each agency to pay the Clerk-Recorder in the amount of $50 for the required filing fee.
FISCAL IMPACT:
100% CCTA Funding
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
propose to construct Phases 2A and 4 improvements for the Interstate 680 (I-680) / State Route 4 (SR 4) Interchange Project in Contra Costa County to improve specific safety and operations deficiencies associated with the existing facility. Contra Costa County Public Works Department, Real Estate Division will be doing Caltrans oversight work ensuring the property acquisitions and/or relocations are completed to Caltrans’ standards, issuing a Right of way Certification prior to project advertisement and will be conducting eminent domain work, if necessary. All acquisitions will be in the County’s name and permanent acquisitions will be transferred to Caltrans.
The proposed project would consist of the following primary improvements:
Phase 2A
- Widen diagonal ramp from EB SR 4 to SB I-680 from 1 to 2 lanes. Widen a portion of loop ramp from WB SR 4 to SB I-680 from 1 to 2 lanes. This will require widening of the existing Grayson Creek Bridge.
- Construct auxiliary lanes as follows: Along SB I-680 from the EB SR 4 to SB I-680 to 300 feet north of Center Avenue
- Install ramp metering facility for SB I-680 on-ramp
Phase 4
- Construct a two-lane direct connector from SB I-680 to EB SR 4
- Realign northern portion of SB I-680 to WB SR 4 diagonal ramp
- Remove existing loop ramp from SB I-680 to EB SR 4
- Construct auxiliary lane along EB SR 4 from the entrance of the direct connector stated above to 1,000 feet north of Peralta Road
- Along EB SR 4, realign Solano Way off-ramp and on-ramp to accommodate above mentioned auxiliary lane
- Remove the Collector-Distributor (C-D) road parallel to SB I-680 and realign entrance of loop ramp from WB SR 4 to SB I-680
- Widen southern portion of diagonal ramp from NB I-680 to EB SR 4 from 1 to 2 lanes
- Install ramp metering facility for SB 680/EB SR 4 on-ramp”
In 2008, the State of California, Department of Transportation, as the lead agency, adopted an Initial Study and Negative Declaration/Environmental Assessment and Findings of No Significant Impact (the “CEQA/NEPA document”) for the I-680/SR4 Interchange Project, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) and National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA). The improvements are proposed to be implemented over
five phases. Each project phase can be independently constructed to provide incremental benefits in meeting the overall
project goal to improve operational efficiencies and traffic flow, address safety concerns associated with the existing interchange configuration, and accommodate existing and planned growth on this segment of highway.
District staff have reviewed the property being conveyed to the County for the Project, and they have determined that the Fee Parcel is “exempt surplus land” of the District and no longer needed for District purposes, as further described in the attached resolution declaring the Fee Parcel to be exempt surplus land. Additionally, staff determined that the County’s use of the temporary easement areas will not substantially conflict or interfere with the District’s flood control activities or other activities of the District. The Real Estate Division staff determined that the Fee Parcel and temporary easements are valued at approximately $9,550.
The County is responsible for acquiring right-of-way for these next phases of the Project, and, in that capacity is acting as a CEQA responsible agency. The District also is taking a discretionary action by selling property to the County and is considered a responsible agency under CEQA. As a responsible agencies, the County and the District are required to consider the CEQA/NEPA document and determine whether the Project will have any significant environmental effects. Public Works staff have reviewed the CEQA/NEPA document and have determined that the Project, and all phases of it, will not have any significant effects on the environment, and, therefore, findings and a statement of overriding considerations are not required. (See CEQA Guidelines, § 15091(h). Staff recommend that the Board make the same determination and direct staff to file a CEQA notice of determination for each agency. (See CEQA Guidelines, §
15091.)
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Contra Costa County will not have the necessary right of way to construct the project according to approved plans and specifications.