Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Moffatt & Nichol to Provide Design and Permit Services for the Encinal Boat Launch Facility Renovation in an Amount Not to Exceed $226,302, Funded by a Grant from the California Department of Parks and Recreation Division of Boating and Waterways. (Recreation 91110)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jill Keimach, City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Moffatt & Nichol to Provide Design and Permit Services for the Encinal Boat Launch Facility Renovation in an Amount Not to Exceed $226,302, Funded by a Grant from the California Department of Parks and Recreation Division of Boating and Waterways.
BACKGROUND
The Encinal Boat Launch Facility is an important recreational asset that provides direct and free public access to the San Francisco Bay for all residents. It is an aging facility with a poorly paved parking lot, unusable restrooms, inadequate dock floats and a deteriorated ramp. The project is located on the west end of Alameda adjacent to Encinal High School off of Central Avenue.
Renovation design includes:
• Replacement of the existing dock float and an addition of a smaller dock float for non-motorized watercraft;
• Renovation of the boat ramp;
• Repavement of the parking lot, removal of the medians and addition of parking spaces;
• Replacement of the restroom facility;
• Creation of ADA compliant access between the parking lot, restroom and boat ramp plus an ADA boat parking stall;
• Addition of a fish cleaning station; and
• Creation of new lighting, signage, and vehicle safety features.
The Boat Launch Facility is well-utilized by the community, despite its deteriorated condition, due to its direct access to San Francisco Bay. Additionally, two community groups are located at the facility: the Alameda Community Sailing Center and O’Kalani Outrigger Canoe Club, who use it on a regular basis. It is heavy utilized as a fishing area as well.
The City of Alameda received a $300,000 planning grant from the California State Parks Department, Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) to fund design and apply for required permits for the Encinal Boat Launch Facility renovation. Once construction documents are complete, the City will apply to this same agency, and other funding sources, for construction funding.
DISCUSSION
The City Council approved the original agreement with Moffatt & Nichol on November 3, 2015. Once the 30% design drawings were completed, they were sent to the Division of Boating and Waterways for its required review and approval of the drawings. However, the depth of the water at the end of the launch ramp did not meet the DBW guidelines. Due to silt movement over time, the water depth is shallower at low tide than what is required under DBW guidelines.
The DBW staff reviewed the plans and there was a significant delay in their response. At the end of September 2016, City staff met with the DBW to determine how to proceed with the project. Sediment testing and subsequent dredging was discussed as an option; however, to implement this option DBW staff would require the City to set aside enough funds in an escrow account for regular maintenance dredging over the 20-year life span of the facility. This is a significant expense for which the Recreation and Parks Department has no funding. Moreover, the cost for such dredging is unknown and predicated on testing whether the sediment is clean and can be sent to a nearby disposal facility or is considered hazardous and must then be disposed of more expensively at an appropriate facility.
Instead, DBW and City staff agreed to re-design the facility and reduce the total construction cost so that it is within DBW’s parameters of a reasonable expense for a facility that has limited operating hours, based on the tide, which is an existing condition for this boat launch facility. This re-design allows the City to move forward with the design grant and keeps the option available to apply to DBW for construction funding.
The original design agreement with Moffatt & Nichol has expired due to the unanticipated delay. This council action will revive the agreement and the agreement now includes the City’s standard term to mutually extend the agreement for up to three years. This will allow for flexibility to complete the design as well as to obtain Army Corps, BCDC and Regional Water Quality Control Board permits, which is included in the scope of work for this agreement.
Staff will apply for construction funding with the Division of Boating and Waterways and other funding sources at that time. No other construction funding is available at this time.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total funds awarded by the Division of Boating & Waterways grant is in the amount of $300,000. The Moffatt & Nichol agreement for detailed design is to not exceed $226,302 and includes design and application submittal for permits to several regional, state and federal agencies. The remainder of the grant will be utilized for permit expenses. Current project appropriations are sufficient to pay for the cost associated with the agreement.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action does not affect the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to Guidelines Sections 15301 (Repair, maintenance and/or minor alteration of an existing facility.) In addition, the Encinal Boat Ramp project will also require permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, BCDC and the Regional Water Quality Board. These permits are designed to ensure appropriate actions are taken during construction to avoid construction impacts to biological and/or water quality resources.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation to authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Moffatt & Nichol to provide design and permit services for the Encinal Boat Launch Facility Renovation in an amount not to exceed $226,302, funded by a grant from the California Department of Parks and Recreation Division of Boating and Waterways.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Prepared by,
Patrick Russi, Recreation Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Moffatt and Nichol Agreement