REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 19, 2023
FROM
TERRY W. THOMPSON, Director, Real Estate Services Department
BEAHTA DAVIS, Director, Regional Parks Department
BRENDON BIGGS, Director, Department of Public Works - Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Rail Crossing Application to the California Public Utilities Commission for the Santa Ana River Trail Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve a Rail Crossing Application to the California Public Utilities Commission to permit a certain portion of the Santa Ana River Trail, which shall be constructed and maintained by San Bernardino County, to cross under a rail bridge.
2. Authorize the Director of the Regional Parks Department to execute and submit the Rail Crossing Application to the California Public Utilities Commission for the Santa Ana River Trail Project, any non-substantive amendments, and any other documents necessary to complete the Rail Crossing Application, subject to County Counsel review.
3. Direct the Director of the Regional Parks Department to transmit the Rail Crossing Application and any non-substantive amendments to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of submission.
(Presenter: Terry W. Thompson, Director, 387-5000)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). There is no cost to submit the Rail Crossing Application (Application) to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The recommended actions will approve the Application to the CPUC to permit a certain portion of the Santa Ana River Trail (SART), which shall be constructed and maintained by San Bernardino County (County), to cross under a rail bridge, and authorize the Director of the Regional Parks Department (Parks) to execute and electronically submit the Application.
The Project is part of a trail system proposed to extend from the Pacific Ocean to the San Bernardino County Mountains. Parks, with assistance from the Department of Public Works (DPW) for design and project management services pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding in place since October 22, 2010, is responsible for the completion of 21.5 miles of trails in the County, which have been divided into four phases between the Riverside/San Bernardino County line and the Mentone area. Phases I and II of the Project have been completed. Phase III of the Project will consist of the future construction of a 3.8-mile trail segment on the south side of the Santa Ana River to connect the existing trail on Waterman Avenue in the City of San Bernardino to California Street in the City of Redlands. On April 21, 2020 (Item No. 66), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the plans and specifications for the construction of Phase III of the Project, including a bicycle trail, bridges, culverts, and access ramps, and authorized DPW to advertise Phase III for bids.
On June 23, 2020 (Item No. 73), the Board approved a Cooperative Agreement No. 20-465 (Cooperative Agreement No. 17-1001646) with San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), wherein SBCTA would replace the rail bridge and rough grade the portion of the Project that would run below the rail bridge, which would serve as the base for the County’s additional work. At that time, Parks and DPW advised that they would return to the Board for the necessary approvals to submit the CPUC Application, which is required because a portion of Phase III of the Project will cross under the San Gabriel Subdivision Rail Bridge in the City of San Bernardino. This item now brings the Application to the Board for approval. Parks and DPW will return to the Board for approvals of any other agreements needed to complete the crossing, such as with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority.
On December 16, 2014 (Item No. 67) the Board adopted a Mitigated Negative Declaration for Phase III of the Project pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines and directed the Clerk of the Board to file and post a Notice of Determination. Phase III of the Project accounts for the rail crossing and can be reasonably considered to cover these actions. Therefore, no further action is required under CEQA.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Agnes Cheng, Suzanne Bryant, and Aaron Gest, Deputies County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 29, 2023; Risk Management (Gregory Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst, 386-9008) on November 6, 2023; Regional Parks (Beahta Davis, Director, 387-2886) on October 20, 2023; Public Works (Brendon Biggs, Director, 387-7906) on October 19, 2023; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on October 20, 2023; Finance (Garrett Baker, Administrative Analyst, 386-3077, Elias Duenas, Administrative Analyst, 387-4052, and Carl Lofton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5404) on November 30, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on November 30, 2023.
(KD: 665-0430)