Sidewalks outside a handful of city-owned properties in Guadalupe will undergo a crucial makeover, thanks to a joint effort between the city and Caltrans.
During the Guadalupe City Council’s last meeting of November, City Attorney Philip F. Sinco described this project to upgrade some pedestrian paths and bring others up to current ADA standards as “long overdue,” with some tight deadlines for the city to qualify for certain cost incentives.
“We want to get this done as soon as possible,” Sinco told the City Council.
In order to begin work on the sidewalks, curb ramps, and driveways under scrutiny, Caltrans needed the City Council to approve one permanent easement, six temporary easements, and six permits to enter and construct.
While Caltrans can’t compensate the city for the permits to enter and construct, the agency offered Guadalupe incentive payments in addition to the required compensation payments for the seven easements, if granted by specific dates—most of which are before January 2025.
The single permanent easement offer, for example, was set to expire on Nov. 27, the day after it was introduced to the City Council.
“If we were to approve tonight, then we’ll overnight it, so we won’t miss the payments,” City Administrator Todd Bodem said at the Nov. 26 meeting.
Located outside of the Royal Theater on Guadalupe Street, the permanent easement consists of an area of existing sidewalk, about 298 square feet in total, according to the staff report.
Caltrans agreed to pay the city the sum of $11,990 for the permanent easement and two temporary construction easements tied to the parcel outside the theater. That sum includes a $1,090 incentive, with the Nov. 27 cut-off date.
“The Royal Theater [easement] is the early one. That has to be accepted basically tonight or by tomorrow for us to get that extra incentive payment,” Sinco said.
Each designated improvement project site includes pedestrian infrastructure on either Highway 1 or Highway 166 within Guadalupe’s city limits. Along with the Royal Theater parcel, the other sites are identified as sidewalk spaces outside the Amtrak station, the Veteran’s Memorial Building, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza, and the former Al’s Union property.
The project’s primary goal is to replace the existing 4-foot-wide sidewalk, curbs, and gutters with a 6-foot sidewalks.
“The city’s general fund will be increased by $18,350 if the easements are approved tonight,” Sinco said. “In addition to hopefully getting nice sidewalks for the city.”
Before the City Council approved the easements unanimously with a 5-0 vote, Sinco added that Caltrans’ requested non-compensable permits to enter and construct are for city-owned “adjacent property that isn’t necessary for the project, but … convenient to both the city and the public.”
“They don’t want a grade differential between the area they work and then the adjacent area,” Sinco said. “They want to work on the adjacent area to make it even, … so they don’t cause any problems.”
This article appears in Dec 5-15, 2024.
