|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
For years, Mountain View has been planning to conduct repairs along Stevens Creek where the banks have been severely eroded from winter storms. Now after securing the required permits, the city is moving forward with plans to fix the crumbling banks, including a segment near a school campus.
In a unanimous vote, the City Council approved a city staff recommendation last week to appropriate additional funding for the project, which has increased in cost from about $3.6 million to roughly $4.6 million. The council also authorized a cost-sharing agreement with the Mountain View Whisman School District, which will pitch in about $1.3 million, according to the April 28 city staff report.
As part of the package, the council approved $350,000 in funding for Geomorph Design Group for engineering design services and construction support, on top of the roughly $250,000 that was allocated to the firm for previous work on the project. The council also approved $380,000 to hire Marina Construction Management for construction management and inspection services.
The repairs will occur along a segment of Stevens Creek Trail between Middlefield Road and Moffett Boulevard, adjacent to Whisman Park. The city has identified four sites where the creek walls are in need of rehabilitation. One site is located next to the German International School of Silicon Valley, which is on district property.
Last December, the MVWSD board approved funding to fix the creek bank next to the German International School campus. At the time, the repair work for that portion of the creek was estimated to cost just shy of $1 million. In the interim, the district and city have been working on a cost-sharing agreement, according to the April 28 staff report.
“The cost share percentage is based on the construction costs of the erosion repairs on MVWSD property,” the report said. This amounts to roughly 27% of the total project cost or about $1.3 million, including city administration and contingency costs.
Per the agreement, the city will take the lead on the construction work. The city already has received the necessary permits from regulatory agencies to move forward with the project, including encroachment permits from Santa Clara Valley Water District. The design work also has been completed, according to the city staff report.
Proposed fixes to the creek include an extensive regrading plan as well as other structural repairs, like placing a “log crib structure” along the toe of the bank. The mixture of logs, rocks and compacted soil will help stabilize the creek walls. The city also plans to replace exposed and damaged storm drains, according to the report.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June and will end in October. However, the city also plans to conduct a fish survey before the start of construction. If Central California Coast steelhead are found in the creek, then the project’s timeline and cost could be impacted, the city staff report said.
Will the trail be closed during the construction?