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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3a - Resolution No. 7030 regarding Santa Anita Canyon RoadDevelopment Services Department DATE: May 6, 2014 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager /Development Services Director Tom Tait, Public Works Services Director Philip A. Wray, Deputy Director of Development Services /City Engineer SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7030 CONSENTING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THOSE PORTIONS OF SANTA ANITA CANYON ROAD WITHIN SAID CITY AS PART OF THE COUNTY SYSTEM OF HIGHWAYS Recommendation: Adopt SUMMARY Santa Anita Canyon Road was constructed in the 1930's as an access into the San Gabriel Mountains. The road passes through five jurisdictions between its beginning point at the north end of Santa Anita Avenue, and its terminus at Chantry Flats. Over the years the road has been damaged and /or closed due to rainstorms, mudslides, and fires. With the responsibility for maintenance and repair divided over the five jurisdictions, scheduling, coordinating, and performing roadwork for each jurisdiction have been a challenge and caused extended delays and lengthy road closures. In the interest of continuity and efficiency, the County of Los Angeles has offered to take over the maintenance responsibility for the entire road. They are requesting each jurisdiction adopt a resolution consenting to the transfer of responsibility. Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7030 consenting to the establishment of that portion of Santa Anita Canyon Road within the Arcadia City limits as part of the County System of Highways (attached). BACKGROUND The responsibility for maintenance and repair for Santa Anita Canyon Road was placed on each jurisdiction within which the road passes through. Currently, the road traverses through the Cities of Arcadia, Sierra Madre, and Monrovia, the County of Los Angeles, and United States Forest Service property. The road provides access into the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest for public recreation, as well as for public and private services like the Santa Anita Canyon Dam, various cell towers, and Chantry Flats. Over the years the City has expended its local funds on the maintenance of its portion of Santa Anita Canyon Road. In the early 2000's, the roadway suffered significant damage as a result of heavy rainstorms and mudslides, resulting in over $1 million in repair and clean -up efforts in Arcadia alone. With the responsibility for maintenance Resolution No. 7030 - Santa Anita Canyon Road May 6, 2014 Page 2 of 2 and repair divided over five jurisdictions, there tends to be problems with work coordination and scheduling. This has resulted in frequent road closures that have led to public frustration and public safety access risks. DISCUSSION After significant damage occurred to the roadway in 2005, the five jurisdictions began meeting regularly to coordinate repairs. Despite the coordinated efforts, each jurisdiction was impacted by its own funding and project administration constraints. The repair work occurred over several years, and the final repairs were just recently completed. On several occasions, the five jurisdictions discussed the need for a more efficient, coordinated, and timely road maintenance program. As a result, the County offered to take over the maintenance responsibilities from the other four jurisdictions and is requesting each jurisdiction adopt a resolution consenting to the transfer. The City will significantly benefit from this action because it will no longer have any responsibilities for road maintenance. Those responsibilities have included debris clearing, shoulder grading, drainage channel and culvert clearing, pavement patching, and striping. In addition, the City will no longer have any liability associated with the condition of the road, which includes any future lawsuits as a result of mudslides, accidents, or flooding that may occur on the road. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The transfer of jurisdiction and ownership of a road is not a project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is an activity that is excluded from the definition of a project by Section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines. FISCAL IMPACT This action will be beneficial to the City in the future as maintenance expenditures will no longer be a factor and any liability costs will be borne by the County. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7030 consenting to the establishment of those portions of Santa Anita Canyon Road within said City as part of the County System of Highways. Approved, Dornlr is Lanza City Manager Attachment: Resolution No. 7030 RESOLUTION NO. 7030 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA, CONSENTING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THOSE PORTIONS OF SANTA ANITA CANYON ROAD WITHIN SAID CITY AS PART OF THE COUNTY SYSTEM OF HIGHWAYS WHEREAS, the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on April 1, 2014, duly adopted a resolution declaring those portions of the Santa Anita Canyon Road within the City of Arcadia to be a part of the County System of Highways for the purposes of acquisition of rights of way, construction, maintenance, improvement, and repair, as provided in Sections 1700 -1702 inclusive of the Streets and Highways Code of the State of California; and WHEREAS, said Board of Supervisors by said Resolution requested this City Council to give its consent to allow the County of Los Angeles to acquire rights of way, construct, maintain, and repair Santa Anita Canyon Road within the City of Arcadia; and WHEREAS, it is the intent of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors to operate and maintain Santa Anita Canyon Road, provided the consent of the governing body of the City of Arcadia shall first be given under the terms herein. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA, DOES FIND, DETERMINE AND RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Consent to Inclusion in County Highway System — This City Council does hereby consent to include those portions of the Santa Anita Canyon Road within the City of Arcadia as part of the System of Highways of the County of Los Angeles as provided in Sections 1700 -1704 inclusive of the Streets and Highways Code of the State of California for the purposes of acquisition of rights of way, construction, maintenance, improvement, and repair of the road. SECTION 2. Relinquishment and Transfer of Title — Consistent with Streets and Highways Code Section 1723 and applicable law, the City of Arcadia does hereby relinquish and grant to the County of Los Angeles, a political subdivision of the State of California, all right, title, and interest of the City of Arcadia in those portions of the Santa Anita Canyon Road within the City of Arcadia. A certified copy of this Resolution shall be recorded with the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder /County Clerk. SECTION 3. Indemnification — This City Council does hereby agree to indemnify, defend, and hold County harmless from and against any claims, demands, liability, damages, costs, and expenses including, without limitation, involving bodily injury, death, or personal injury of any person or property damage of any nature whatsoever, arising from or related to all claims and demands arising from or related to those portions of Santa Anita Canyon Road located within the City, which allege or assert any damage or injury occurring prior to County accepting jurisdiction of Road. SECTION 4. Roadway Maintenance — Consent is hereby given for the acquisition of rights of way, construction, maintenance, improvement, and repair of the above described road to the County of Los Angeles in conformity with its normal procedures for the acquisition of rights of way, construction, maintenance, improvement, or repair of such a canyon road in the same manner as other county canyon roads. SECTION 5. Environmental Documentation — The transfer of jurisdiction and ownership of this portion of Santa Anita Canyon Road is not a project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act because it is an activity that is excluded from the definition of a project by Section 15378(b) of the California Environmental Quality Act 2 Guidelines. This proposed action is an administrative activity of government which will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment. SECTION 6. This Resolution shall take effect upon its adoption. SECTION 7. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. Passed, approved and adopted this day of 12014, rr11111111:Nd City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: r 46F4a Stephen P. Deitsch City Attorney 0 Mayor of the City of Arcadia