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Home My WebLink About6/1/2017 Item 1, Hampian Christian, Kevin From:Ken Hampian <kchampian@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May To:E-mail Council Website Subject:El Capitan Bridge & CIP Attachments:Hampian-CIP & Bridge.pdf Attached is a letter for Council regarding the damaged and closed El Capitan Way bridge. While I am not asking for a funding allocation with the June 1 consideratioin of the 2017-19 CIP, I do feel that this issue should be “on the radar screen” as the Council considers the bigger picture. The situation is compelling, I think, and warrents action in the coming months. Thank you. Ken Hampian 4143 Poinsettia Street, SLO 1 May 28,2017 To: Mayor Harmon and Council Members: RE: No 2017-19 CIP Money for El Capitan Bridge, but... In 1999, after much review and debate, a small tr:act (#2294) was approved by the City Council designed to yield seven "affordable" homes on the creek side (southerly) of El Capitan Way. These homes would complete the development of this small street (the north side tract, #2248, was approved in 1997). I was the assistant city manager when these tracts were approved - an observer only because of my homeos to the development (41 43 Poinsettia). A significant concern for the Council related to how the creek corridor behind the homes (but within their property lines) would be maintained to reduce fire risk. Fire Departuent weed abatement was indeed common in this recently annexed area. The Council decided that a bridge spanning the creeh built to handle l-ton trucks, should be installed to allow access to the open area. The question of urho would maintain the land and the bridge was then debated. The idea of an HOA was rejected. The Council felt that burdening the homes with an HOA would undermine affordability. Instea{ maintenance of both the land and the bridge would be up to, and shared by, the seven homeowners (such is the nature of late night decisions?). There was debate about the location of the bridge - should it be more 'tentral" to the homes or at the end of the El Capitan Way cul de sac? The cul de sac location, which includes a chunk of City owned property (60%), was chosen to avoid tree removal. The bridge was built and the homes were sold. The bridge led from the cul de sac to an undevelopable open space area, heavy with weeds. Pedestrian and bike paths connecting neighborhoods were of high interest at this time, and staff was working hard to gain railroad approval to open an existing paved culvert under the tracks to create a pedestrian/bike connection between two major neighborhoods: the Edna side o'flower-tract homes" northwest of the tracks (the French Park area) and the Islay side Arbors neighborhood to the southeast. It took an act of Congress (iterally!) to make this great connection happen. When the adjacent Stone Creek tr:act (#2366) was considered a couple of years later, the City seized an opportunity to further extend the area trail system by requiring a pedestian/bike path to connect the El Capitan Bridge to Fuller Road. This path runs parallel with La Posada Steet and is maintained by the Stone Creek HOA. With this connection, the bridge and path became a heavily used part of the larger bike/pedestrian frail system in the area (see attached pictures). Then in lile 2Ol4learly 2015, a large Eucalyptus tee fell and severely damaged the bridge. My first thought was, "LIh oh, who is going to fix it? Do the El Capitan r-/ oFf homeowners know they have a dog in the fight?' My question was auswered later on KSBY wtren one of the owners was interviewed and expressed her great surprise that she partially "owned" a bridge - and that she was expected to help fix it. This was going to get complicated ... and boy, did it ever! I shall leave it to City staffto explain the details, but very long story short, the seven El Capitan Way homeowners and the Stone Creek HOA have not been keen on paying for a bridge replacement. As such, your staffhas been working to forge a proposed agreement that would allow the City to replace and maintain the bridge - truly, the only practical alternative. It is hoped that staff can bring an agreement to the Cotrncil in the next few weeks. This gets to the core pu{pose ofthis letter. It has been 2 Yz years since the bridge was damaged and El Capitan Way access to the larger trail system has been closed off. The bridge now sits as a deteriorating, hazardous "attraction" between two neighborhoods with many children. During future storms, there is increasing potential for the bridge to collapse and create a creek blockage. It needs to be replaced or fixed. The attached picfires make the case. While it's good that the legal steps prerequisite to Council action seem to be falling into place, there is no firnding in your proposed 2017-19 CIP to repair and/or replace the bridge. This initially concerned me because waiting until 2019-Zl to fund the bridge would effectively postpone repairs for another four years (given design, bi{ work-in- creek requirements). Such a delay would be risky for all parties involved. And a neighborhood connection would stay broken. I have been assured, however, that when staffbrings forward to Council the agreements needed to finally resolve the ownership and easement issues now blocking progress, staff will also offer alternative funding strategies (including non-General Fund options). Hopefully this will occur this summer. In closing, it seems that vehicles have seldom used the bridge, if at all (and certainly not over the last 2 %years). On the other hand the bridge has been a heavily used pedestrian link by residents throughout the area. Therefore, I would suggest that the City evaluate the potential of replacing the bridge with a less costly pedestrian bridge, with vehicles accessing the open area using the path offof Fuller (as I have seen them do in the past). Thank you very much for your hard work in balancing so many community needs and interests. I look forward to seeing you when the El Capitan Bridge matter comes before your Council. Attached Pictures: (1) Area maps; and (2) The bridge today /2 7 ,-f I t \\7li):",;7 ;\t" Stone Creek path connects bridge to Fuller Road, and eventually to the larger nail system. Railroad culvert connects Islay neighborhood (Arbors) to Edna neighborhood (French Park/'flower tract'o). 8r;Jtr {mF, Or.r .- Homes and "Poinsettia path" to right of bridge approved with Tract 2248 n 1997;7 homes to left with Tract 2294 n 1999. 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