HomeMy WebLinkAbout08 - Mariners Mile Street LightingCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 8
October 11. 2005
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Public Works Department
Antony Brine, P.E.
949 - 644 -3311
tbrine@city.newport-beach.ca.us
SUBJECT: MARINERS MILE STREET LIGHTING
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Request Caltrans, as part of a State safety lighting project on Coast Highway, to
upgrade street lighting poles to City standard concrete poles in place of Caltrans
standard steel poles.
2. Direct staff to finalize a Contribution Agreement with Caltrans for funding and
maintenance of the concrete street lighting poles, which will be approved by City
council at a later date.
3. Designate the funding sources for the cost of the street lighting pole upgrades,
as outlined below:
4. Use remaining balance of the $65,000 from Mariners Mile CIP project, and
appropriate an additional $10,000 from General Fund reserves.
DISCUSSION:
In February of this year, the Public Works Department began meeting with Caltrans to
discuss their planned street safety lighting project along Coast Highway between Dover
Drive and Newport Boulevard. The proposed safety improvement project includes the
installation of sixty -one (61) new street lights and various drainage improvements. The
Public Works Department staff has discussed the proposed project with Councilman
Webb and the Mariners Mile Business Owners Association ( MMBOA).
In March, Councilman Webb requested that concrete street light poles be considered
for installation, rather than steel poles, for aesthetic reasons. The MMBOA also
supports this request. For informational purposes, concrete poles and steel poles are
structurally equivalent, but the City has predominately utilized concrete poles on the
City's arterials including other sections of Coast Highway that were City funded
SUBJECT: Mariners Mile Street Lighting
October 11, 2005
Page 2
improvement projects. Caltrans indicated that they would review the request subject to
an agreement with the City to fund any upgrade costs, and to establish maintenance
responsibilities for the concrete poles. Caltrans recently forwarded an estimate of
$75,000 for the costs to upgrade the poles to concrete.
Staff is recommending that a formal request be forwarded to Caltrans to include the
upgraded concrete street light poles in the design of the State project. In anticipation of
the City's request, Caltrans staff is currently drafting a Contribution Agreement which
would cover the funding and maintenance of the concrete street light poles. This
Agreement will be sent to the City shortly for review. Caltrans has indicated that the
Contribution Agreement must be fully executed by January 1, 2006 in order for the
State to meet all delivery milestones for the project. The project is currently scheduled
for bid in March, 2006 and construction will take place in spring 2006.
Normally, staff would propose that the City's Gas Tax allocations be used to fund
streetlight projects; however, those funds are currently leveraged as matching funds for
the Federal Arterial Highway Rehabilitation program. In the current FY 05/06 budget,
$79,660 was budgeted for additional design of roadway and landscaping improvements
in Mariners Mile. There is currently $65,000 remaining in this account. To provide for
funding for the upgrade of the street lighting poles, staff is recommending the use of the
remaining funds in this account, together with an appropriation of $10,000 from the
General Fund reserve.
With direction to proceed with the proposed street light pole upgrades, staff will place
the approval of a budget amendment and Contribution Agreement on a future agenda.
Environmental Review:
The environmental documentation for the streetlight installation is the responsibility of
Caltrans.
Prepared by: Submitted by:
Antony Brine, P.
Principal Engineer
Stephen G. 5adum
Public Works Director