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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/3/2016 B A K E R S F I E L D Committee Members: Caleb Blaschke, Management Assistant Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Bob Smith Willie Rivera AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING Thursday, November 3, 2016 12:00 p.m. City Hall North First Floor - Conference Room A 1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield CA 93301 The meeting was called to order at 12:00 p.m. 1. ROLL CALL Committee Members Present: Councilmember Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Councilmember Bob Smith Councilmember Willie Rivera Staff Present: Chris Huot, Assistant City Manager Steven Teglia, Assistant City Manager Caleb Blaschke, Management Assistant Virginia Gennaro, City Attorney Andrew Heglund, Deputy City Attorney Dianne Hoover, Recreation and Parks Director Darin Budak, Assistant Recreation and Parks Director Nick Fidler, Public Works Director Kristina Budak, Civil Engineer IV, TRIP Janet Wheeler, Public Relations, TRIP Others Present: Cathy Butler, Downtown Business Development Corporation Heath Highfield, Structurecast Members of the Public Members of the Media 2. ADOPT SEPTEMBER 27, 2016 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT The report was adopted as submitted. S: Caleb Blaschke Community Services Committee Meeting Agenda Summary Report Thursday, November 3, 2016 Page 2 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS None 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Committee Discussion Regarding Wall Options for the 24th Street Improvement Project – Fidler Public Works Director Nick Fidler provided a presentation regarding aesthetic features for the 24th Street Improvement Project sound wall. The following event timeline was provided for review purposes:  January 21, 2015 – The 24th Street aesthetics plan for the landscape and sound walls was presented to City Council.  February 4, 2015 – TRIP staff held a public workshop to obtain community input on design options.  April 2, 2015 – TRIP staff presented aesthetic options for the project’s landscaping and sound wall to the Community Services Committee for approval. The committee subsequently approved Palette “A” for landscaping and deferred the sound wall option to Council.  April 22, 2015 – The sound wall options were presented to Council; Council requested additional time to obtain feedback from residents prior to selecting an option.  October 24, 2016 – As of this date, the City has received eight (8) responses documenting their wall preference.  October 25, 2016 – The judge signed the order lifting the injunction on the 24th Street Project; the design was reinitiated.  October 25 – November 1, 2016 – TRIP staff contacted approximately 500 residents to request their input regarding sound wall preference. Residents were asked to submit feedback via e-mail. Mr. Fidler indicated that the landscaping and sound wall will extend from Oak Street to C Street. Four (4) aesthetic alternatives for the preliminary 12-foot sound wall were submitted for resident feedback:  Alternative 1: 2/3 colored shotblast block and 1/3 colored split face block  Alternative 2: 2/3 colored angled block and 1/3 colored split face block  Alternative 3: 2/3 colored shotblast block and 1/3 colored split face block (brick façade pilasters) Community Services Committee Meeting Agenda Summary Report Thursday, November 3, 2016 Page 3  Alternative 4: Entire brick façade As of November 1, 2016, a total of sixty-five (65) residents submitted their vote for the sound wall design, with the majority selecting Alternative 4 as their preference. The breakdown of the results is as follows: 5 (Alternative 1); 4 (Alternative 2); 11 (Alternative 3); and 45 (Alternative 4). Staff recommends that the Committee approve Alternative 4 and submit to Council for final approval. Committee Member Smith moved that staff’s recommendation be approved. Committee Chair Sullivan asked if staff’s recommendation includes a landscaping option. Mr. Fidler responded that Palette “A” was previously selected as the landscaping option, which will be incorporated with the recommended sound wall design option if approved. Committee Chair Sullivan asked if the project was delayed as a result of the lawsuits. Mr. Fidler explained that an injunction was placed on the project, which prevented staff from moving designs forward. Now that the injunction has been lifted, staff is moving forward with finalizing the project’s design. Mr. Fidler also stated that staff plans on putting the sound walls in place once the demolition of houses has taken place in order to protect adjacent neighborhoods as construction continues. Committee Member Rivera asked if staff foresees having issues in areas where there will be no sound wall in place; he also asked if anything will be placed in those areas and why the determination to leave the areas without a sound wall was made. Mr. Fidler responded that staff considered all design options. For this project, the roadway is shifting approximately ten (10) feet further north from the locations without a sound wall; these locations have gained a landscape area, which pulls the roadway away from the houses and is not increasing any sound mitigation. Sound walls are being placed in areas where the roadway comes closer to the homes. Mr. Fidler explained that the determination was made after noise studies were conducted, which justify where sound walls will be placed. Committee Member Rivera feels that ten feet is not sufficient to alleviate noise, and feels that future issues are prone to arise. Committee Member Rivera asked if the City will be responsible for maintaining the landscape once the project is completed. Mr. Fidler indicated that landscape maintenance responsibilities will rest with the Recreation and Parks Department. Committee Member Rivera concurred with Committee Member Smith’s motion to approve staff’s recommendation of Alternative 4 for the sound wall; however, he asked why residents were only allowed six (6) days to submit their feedback on design options. Mr. Fidler clarified that staff conducted a 1 ½ survey and submitted multiple releases to residents asking for their input. Committee Member Rivera asked whether the current motion can be passed, with the understanding that staff will Community Services Committee Meeting Agenda Summary Report Thursday, November 3, 2016 Page 4 send out one final e-mail to residents asking that they submit their sound wall design preference. Committee Member Rivera would like staff to present updated numbers when the item goes to Council for final approval. Mr. Fidler indicated that a final e- mail can be sent. Committee Chair Sullivan asked when staff is able to continue with 24th Street Improvement Project. City Attorney Gennaro responded that staff is able to proceed with anything relating to the 24th Street project, with the exception of house demolition. The judge gave petitioners a reasonable amount of time to file an appeal. If the petitioners secure an additional injunction the project may be further delayed. If an additional injunction is not secured, demolition can begin on November 29, 2016. Committee Member Smith’s motion–approve staff’s recommendation to approve Alternative 4 and submit to Council for final approval–was unanimously passed. B. Art Truck Placement Update - Blaschke Management Assistant Caleb Blaschke provided an update on the placement of Art Trucks within the city. Thirty-three art trucks, which were provided by the Bakersfield Museum of Art, were placed at various locations throughout the downtown area. Twelve art trucks are being donated to the City. Staff is currently exploring the possibility of placing the trucks along Westside Parkway, specifically on Calloway Drive. A drive-in movie theater concept was chosen to display the trucks. The cost of this project is minimal, though actual costs are currently being estimated by Cal Trans. Committee Chair Sullivan inquired about the weight of the art trucks. Mr. Blaschke responded that the trucks are made out of fiberglass material and are very light. One of the reasons why Cal Trans has approved the concept is because the trucks are light enough to where they will not cause damage should a car drive off-road and hit one of them. Committee Chair Sullivan subsequently asked if the trucks are going to be secured. Mr. Blaschke responded that they will be. The trucks are currently secured using concrete slabs. The same mechanism will be used to secure the trucks on Westside Parkway; the process would consist of burying the concrete slabs and placing gravel over them to keep the slabs out of view. Public Works Director Fidler stated that selecting the Calloway Interchange as the project’s site can cause line-of-sight issues, and that traffic and visual analyses need to be conducted prior to moving forward with the project. Mr. Fidler recommended that the Committee move forward with approving the drive-in movie theater concept, without specifying a location until appropriate analyses have been conducted and consulting with Cal Trans is finalized. Committee Chair Sullivan asked for the estimated height and width of the sign. Public Works Director Fidler responded that measurements are currently being developed. Staff is working on resolving sign ordinance issues with Cal Trans. Mr. Community Services Committee Meeting Agenda Summary Report Thursday, November 3, 2016 Page 5 Fidler added that the concept still needs to go through the approval process at various committees. Management Assistant Blaschke stated that the project will be presented at the next Community Services Committee meeting; final cost and structural engineering information will be provided at that time. 5. COMMITTEE COMMENTS None 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 12:28 p.m. cc: Honorable Mayor and Council