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A. RESOLUTION NO. 2018-045 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA APPROVING THE F STREET PROMENADE STREETSCAPE MASTER PLAN FROM BAY BOULEVARD TO THIRD AVENUE
B. RESOLUTION NO. 2018-046 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA APPROVING THE APPLICATION FOR TRANSNET GRANT FUNDS FROM THE SAN DIEGO ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS (SANDAG) THROUGH THE SMART GROWTH INCENTIVE PROGRAM GRANT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018/2019, CERTIFYING THAT MATCHING FUNDS WILL BE AVAILABLE THEREFOR, AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO SECURE GRANT
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommended Action
Council adopt the resolutions.
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SUMMARY
The F Street Promenade Master Plan (“Project” or “Master Plan”) is an approximately 1.25 mile long segment of F Street from Bay Boulevard to Third Avenue. The Project would link downtown’s Village District and Civic Center with the City's up and coming Bayfront by way of a streetscape master plan designed using the principles of "complete streets,” a balanced, connected, safe, and convenient transportation network designed to serve all users via walking, biking, public transit, and driving. The Master Plan envisions street and sidewalk improvements to enhance the corridor through the undergrounding of utilities, reduction of vehicular travel lanes, the addition of a 12’ wide multi-use path, landscaped parkways, extended curb returns at intersections, enhanced paving, pedestrian-scale lighting, site furnishings and a unified planting scheme. Place-making opportunities and the ability to expand the public realm will enhance the pedestrian experience. Through design features, the Project will also promote energy efficiency and water conservation.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Environmental Notice
Environmental Notice
The Project qualifies for a Statutory Exemption pursuant to Section 15262 (Feasibility and Planning Studies) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines.
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Environmental Determination
The Director of Development Services has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the proposed action, adoption of the F Street Promenade Streetscape Master Plan, falls under a Statutory Exemption pursuant to Section 15262 (Feasibility and Planning Studies) of the State CEQA Guidelines. Thus, no further environmental review is necessary, at this time. However, projects resulting from the F Street Promenade Streetscape Master Plan, may require environmental review and a CEQA determination completed prior to commencing said project(s).
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
On February 7, 2018, the Chula Vista Safety Commission unanimously recommended adoption of the F Street Promenade Streetscape Master Plan by City Council by a vote of 7-0 (Attachment 3). The following is a summary of the Safety Commissioners’ comments provided during their discussion of the Master Plan: Overall, this is a beautification project that will make the area residents proud; differentiate color and/or material for the multi-use path to clearly distinguish bicycle and pedestrian areas; ensure the pedestrian ramps at intersections are designed appropriately to accommodate the multi-use path; and, ensure a safe location for maintenance vehicles/personnel at the proposed round-a-bout. The Design Team will consider the above comments during the project’s design development phase.
DISCUSSION
Background
On May 23, 2014, SANDAG issued a Call for Projects from local jurisdictions in San Diego County wishing to apply for the Active Transportation Program (“ATP Funding”) for use on planning projects meeting certain criteria. The City of Chula Vista (“City”) successfully applied for ATP Funding for the preparation of the Master Plan and received a notice to proceed from SANDAG on August 14, 2015.
The goal of the project is to develop a Streetscape Master Plan for a Complete Street: A balanced, connected, safe, and convenient transportation network designed to serve all users, regardless of their age or ability, that will also provide multi-modal access (via walking, biking, and transit) to downtown Chula Vista on Third Avenue, the Chula Vista Civic Center, the E Street Trolley Station (one block north of study area), and the Chula Vista Bayfront. The need for a streetscape plan along this roadway segment in the Urban Core is identified in both the City’s General Plan and further described as an implementation project in the Urban Core Specific Plan.
Following interviews of planning consultants in early 2016, the City selected the urban design firm, MIG and its team of sub-consultants (“Design Team”), to prepare the Master Plan. Primary sub-consultants include Fuscoe Engineers (civil engineering), Chen Ryan (transportation engineering), and Selbert Perkins Design Collaborative (Signage and Wayfinding). Development of the Master Plan commenced in the fall of 2016 under the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) number “STL412.”
Project Location
The Project is an approximately 1.25 mile long segment of F Street from Bay Boulevard to Third Avenue (Attachment 1, Project Location Map). Located in the northwest area of the City of Chula Vista, the project will create a plan for a "Promenade" that will link the City's downtown Third Avenue Village, the Civic Center, the unused railroad bridge over I-5, the regional Bayshore Bikeway, the Bayside Park, and the City's planned Bayfront. This linkage will provide an opportunity to create synergy between these distinct areas of the City and create better access to all.
Primary land uses found along the project corridor are commercial uses west of Third Avenue, Chula Vista’s Civic Center at 4th Avenue, single-family residential westward to Ash, commercial at Broadway and multi-family residential to Woodlawn Avenue. The former City Public Works Yard, MTS railroad tracks, the abandoned railroad bridge over Interstate 5, and Bay Boulevard Park round out the west end of the project area.
Additional uses near the F Street corridor include Memorial Park, Friendship Park, three schools at the G Street and 4th Avenue intersection (Chula Vista Middle School Vista Square Elementary School, and Davila Day School), Scripps Mercy Hospital, and the Chula Vista Bayfront.
Existing Conditions
F Street between Third Avenue and Bay Boulevard varies between a two-lane road and four-lane road with turn pockets at some intersections. The entire corridor is curbed and only a small portion of the corridor is without sidewalks (north side between Woodlawn Avenue and the F Street bridge). The right-of-way width is a consistent 80 feet, generally from back of sidewalk to back of sidewalk. Curb-to-curb width varies between 40 feet and 80 feet. There are five landscaped medians between City Hall and Third Avenue. In these areas, curb-to-curb width for the westbound and eastbound lanes is approximately 20 feet to 22 feet. Four intersections along F Street are signalized including Broadway, 5th Avenue, 4th Avenue and Third Avenue. F Street bridges over Interstate 5 near Bay Boulevard and an unused railroad bridge also spans across I-5 20 feet to the north. North-south MTS trolley tracks are immediately east of I-5 and include crossing arms for traffic control.
Posted speed limits are 35 MPH west of Broadway and 30 MPH east of Broadway. Average Daily Trips (ADT) varies from 5,486 ADT west of Broadway and 7,921 ADT east of 4th Avenue. Level of Service (LOS) throughout the corridor is an “A.” There are a total of 136 parallel parking spaces on F Street (72 on the north side and 64 on the south side). F Street is designated as a Class III Bike Route (vehicles and bicycles share the travel lanes with vehicles).
The existing pedestrian circulation system consists of relatively narrow, yet standard, five foot-wide sidewalks that are often shared by pedestrians and bicyclists. The sidewalks are generally located in the northerly and southerly portions of the public right-of-way. There is no sidewalk on the north side for approximately 260 feet beginning 200 feet west of Woodlawn Avenue. In addition to painted crosswalks at the signalized intersections, there are painted crosswalks at two four-way stop-controlled F Street intersections of Bay Boulevard and Garrett Avenue. A painted mid-block crossing at City Hall between 4th Avenue and Fire Station #1 exists. There are currently no painted crosswalks between Bay Boulevard and Broadway, a distance of approximately 2,200 feet, nor are there any painted crosswalks between Broadway and 4th Avenue (other than the City Hall mid-block crossing), a distance of approximately 2,500 feet.
Specific information regarding the number of collisions within the corridor was collected over a five-year period between 2011 and 2015. During that time span, five pedestrian-involved collisions, four bicycle-involved collisions and 35 vehicle-vehicle collisions were reported within the F Street study area. Eight of the 35 vehicle-vehicle collisions occurred at the Woodlawn Avenue intersection.
Community Input
City Staff and MIG initiated work on the Project by conducting a community open house to gather input from the area’s stakeholders. The first open house was conducted December 15, 2016 at the weekly Farmer’s Market on Third Avenue adjacent to the project study area. This open house included a questionnaire and a visual preference survey that requested participants to select images that reflected their vision for the street. The questionnaire was also posted on the City’s website. We had a successful response with 197 community members responding to the questionnaire, including approximately 17 participants at the workshop. Respondents provided feedback with highly desirable design features or considerations, such as pedestrian-scaled lighting, undergrounding of existing overhead utilities, dedicated bicycle ways, street trees/enhanced landscaping, maintaining existing on-street parking and new signage and way-finding elements.
Utilizing this information and background research of the project area, the Design Team developed three initial concepts that were presented to staff, providing various multi-modal circulation options; however, through its meetings with staff, the three concepts were reduced to two prior to the second workshop.
A second open house to present initial concepts was held on Saturday March 11, 2017. It was conducted as a “pop-up workshop” and was held on the temporarily closed westbound lanes of F Street between 4th Avenue and Fire Station #1. Participants were able to view over 15 display boards depicting various proposed improvements within two alternative designs. Members of the design team and staff were on hand to provide explanations, answer questions, and receive additional feedback from the community.
After synthesizing the input from workshop #2, the design team narrowed the alternative designs into a Preferred Plan which was then presented to the community in a third workshop on June 8 2017, at City Council Chambers. The Preferred Plan has been further developed into the Master Plan and presented in this report.
The Streetscape Master Plan
The Master Plan envisions street and sidewalk improvements to enhance the corridor (Attachment 2, F Street Promenade Streetscape Master Plan - Final Draft). Proposed improvements to the project area include enhancing the pedestrian and bicycle experience by expanding the existing five-foot sidewalk to create a 12’ wide multi-use pathway the full length of the corridor and on both sides of the street. Landscaped and lighted parkways, bulb-outs, plaza opportunities, new or improved crosswalks and the undergrounding of overhead utilities will also add to the improved experience. Vehicular travel lanes would be reduced to one lane in each direction allowing for the expansion of the public realm (see section C. Travel Lane Improvements, below).
A. Pedestrian Improvements
The development of a 12’ multi-use path would greatly enhance the pedestrian experience providing a comfortable walk/strolling zone connecting the historic downtown to the emerging Bayfront. Bulb-outs, which offer a refuge area and shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians, are proposed at Woodlawn Avenue, Broadway, and 5th Avenue. New pedestrian-scaled lighting, street trees and understory planting would be included in the parkway planting areas adjacent to the multi-use path. The new and improved continuous parkway planting area provides a safer separation between bicycles and pedestrians, and vehicular traffic. Landscaped areas to capture stormwater to filter contaminants will be considered during the project’s design development phase. It is acknowledged that the bicycle commuter would have the option to ride within the multi-use path or remain in the vehicular travel lane as a Class III bike route.
Existing crosswalks would be enhanced to high-visibility, zebra-striped, continental crosswalks at controlled intersections including a new crosswalk at 5th Avenue. New painted crosswalks are proposed on all legs at the uncontrolled intersections at Woodlawn Avenue and Beech Avenue. Additionally, two new painted mid-block crosswalks are proposed at the following locations:
• Between Broadway and Woodlawn Avenue (approximately 560 feet west of Broadway)
• Landis Avenue (east side)
A warrant analysis would be required during the Project’s design development phase to confirm the need for the two proposed crosswalks at Woodlawn Avenue and Beech Avenue, as well as, the proposed mid-block crosswalks.
Throughout the corridor, small plazas and seating areas are proposed to provide places to pause and enjoy public artworks or learn about Chula Vista’s history. The Master Plan includes a proposal to utilize the unused railroad bridge as a multi-use path that features signage and placemaking elements. The intersections at Woodlawn, Broadway, 5th Avenue, and 4th Avenue are possible locations where the public realm could be enhanced to provide seating and educational opportunities adjacent to the multi-use path, enticing users to traverse the corridor.
B. Bikeway Improvements
The City’s current Bicycle Master Plan (2011) does not include any recommendations for changes to the existing F Street Class III bikeway designation. The Urban Core Specific Plan (2007 and amended in 2015), which includes most of the Master Plan study area, identifies a multi-use path (11 feet wide) from 4th Avenue to Interstate 5, and a small portion as a Class II bikeway (five feet wide) between Garrett Avenue and Third Avenue.
As indicated above, the proposed improvements for the entire F Street corridor between Third Avenue and Bay Blvd. include a 12-foot wide multi-use path, with designated areas for pedestrians and bicyclists. While multi-use path is intended to serve the casual cyclist and families, the bicycle commuter would have the option to travel along the multi-use path or continue to use the Class III bike route along F Street.
C. Travel Lane Improvements
The Design Team’s mobility analysis of the project area concluded that the existing ADT volumes described in the Existing Conditions, above, are low enough to support a reduction in travel lanes in areas that contain more than one lane in each direction.
Where there are currently two, 13-foot travel lanes in each direction, the Master Plan proposes to reduce vehicular travel to one 11-foot wide lane each direction, allowing for the development of the multi-use path. Between East Park Lane (the alley just east of Broadway) and the trolley tracks, the Master Plan proposes to reduce the two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction with a center-turn lane.
At the west of the project, a round-a-bout is proposed at the intersection of F Street and Bay Boulevard to reduce congestion and increase travel movements which are busiest during the morning and evening rush hours.
There are no proposed reductions in the number of lanes between East Park Lane and 4th Avenue as this segment already is one lane in each direction. The multi-use path will utilize some of the existing parkway in this area. Between 4th Avenue and Garrett Avenue, the two lanes in each direction would be reduced to one lane in each direction to allow for the inclusion of the multi-use path and parkway.
The two eastbound lanes exist today between Garrett Avenue and Third Avenue. The segment between Garrett and Landis Avenue is proposed to be reduced to one lane while east of Landis Avenue, the right-turn lane onto Third Avenue is planned to be maintained. For this short distance on the south side, the multi-purpose path would be reduced to approximately eight feet to allow for the left-turn and right-turn lanes onto Third Avenue.
Between Garrett and Third Avenues, the 13 on-street parallel parking spaces on the north side would be removed to allow for the creation of the multi-use path and landscaped parkway. The existing parking structure across the street at the southwest corner of F Street and Third Avenue, as well as, existing parking spaces one block to the east on F Street would provide mitigation for the removed parking spaces.
D. Public Transit
Currently, there are two bus lines operating on F Street. Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) bus line #932 travels on F Street between Woodlawn Avenue and Broadway (with a bus stop on each side), and MTS bus line #701 travels on F Street between 4th Avenue and Third Avenue (one stop on the north side and three stops on the south side of the street). MTS is contemplating a third line, bus line #704, which would operate between Woodlawn Avenue and Third Avenue in both directions. The MTS proposal includes one bus stop on F Street westbound, between Broadway and East Park Lane, and potential stops at Fifth Avenue in both directions, if ridership warrants them.
The General Plan contemplates a bus shuttle system to link the Urban Core Subarea with the Bayfront to provide residents and visitors with convenient access to transit stations, as well as shopping and services in both areas and to provide access to the Bayfront Planning Area from other parts of the City. F Street is envisioned as a key link of a potential route this shuttle could traverse along with Third Avenue and H Street. Further analysis would be required to determine the appropriate vehicles and route for a circulator shuttle.
E. Wayfinding Program
The Master Plan includes a program for three types of gateway elements that corresponds to the relative importance and visibility of the intersecting streets. These are envisioned as vertical columns that include lighting and public art. In addition, banners on poles are proposed at the west and east ends of the F Street corridor. The banners would be used to signify the terminus points of the corridor. Banners will employ both seasonal and special event themes, as well as reflecting the two main branding themes of Chula Vista History and Chula Vista Nature. The Master Plan also includes examples and location of interpretive signage and art, as well as directional signage.
Application for TransNet Grant Funds from SANDAG
On December 15, 2017, the SANDAG Board of Directors released the call for projects for the fourth cycle of funding for the TransNet Smart Growth Incentive Program (SGIP) to distribute $27 million in SGIP funds available to local jurisdictions and the County of San Diego for Fiscal Years 2017-2019. The City understands that the Smart Growth Incentive Program funding is fixed at the programmed amount, and therefore project cost increases that exceed the grant awarded will be the sole responsibility of the grantee.
Staff is seeking authorization to submit a grant application to SANDAG for the Smart Growth Incentive Program Grant for Fiscal Year 2018/2019 in the amount of up to $2.5 million for the F Street Promenade Streetscape Improvements, Phase 1 (Bay Boulevard to Broadway), certifying that matching funds will be available therefor, and authorizing the City Manager or his Designee to execute in the name of the City of Chula Vista all grant documents, including but not limited to, applications, agreements, amendments and requests for payments necessary to secure said grant. Staff will seek authorization for the appropriation of matching funds upon the identification of the amount and funding source of said funds.
Conclusion
The F Street Streetscape Master Plan proposes distinct recommendations for improvements that would enhance the street as a safer corridor from Bay Boulevard to Third Avenue. The many proposed improvements, such as reduced travel lanes, a protected 12-foot wide multi-use path, high-visibility crosswalks and mid-block crossings, bulb-outs, pedestrian lighting, street trees and parkway planting areas, interpretive and wayfinding signage with public art, expansion of the public realm with the development of plazas throughout the corridor and by capitalizing on the unused railroad bridge over I-5, and the undergrounding of overhead utilities would enhance the neighborhood and provide an attractive and desirable linkage between historic village of downtown Chula Vista and the forthcoming Bayfront development.
The Master Plan improves mobility for all modes of transportation in this complete streets plan. Ultimate implementation of the plan will take many years, with multiple phases of construction. With the adoption of the Master Plan, the City would be able to apply for and obtain grant funding for the recommended improvements.
DECISION-MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the property holdings of the City Council members and has found no property holdings within 500 feet of the boundaries of the property which is the subject of this action. Consequently, this item does not present a disqualifying real property-related financial conflict of interest under California Code of Regulations Title 2, section 18702.2(a)(11), for purposes of the Political Reform Act (Cal. Gov’t Code §87100,et seq.).
Staff is not independently aware, and has not been informed by any City Council member, of any other fact that may constitute a basis for a decision maker conflict of interest in this matter.
LINK TO STRATEGIC GOALS
The City’s Strategic Plan has five major goals: Operational Excellence, Economic Vitality, Healthy Community, Strong and Secure Neighborhoods and a Connected Community. This project seeks to address all five goals by enhancing the quality of life by transforming F Street into a thriving and safe corridor, connecting downtown’s Village District with the Bayfront, encouraging opportunities for healthy living through its multi-use path and public realm improvements throughout.
CURRENT YEAR FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of this Master Plan will not have any current year fiscal impact. It will provide the framework to seek further grant funding for the completion of the construction documents and ultimately, construction of the recommended improvements.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of this Master Plan will not have any direct ongoing fiscal impact. Adoption of the Master Plan increases the competitiveness of the City in applying for and obtaining grant funding for the recommended improvements.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Project Location Map
Attachment 2 - F Street Promenade Streetscape Master Plan - Final Draft
Attachment 3 - City of Chula Vista Safety Commission Resolution and Action Summary
Staff Contact: Mark Caro, Landscape Architect, mcaro@chulavistaca.gov