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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPW Permanent Transit Center MOUSAN RAFAEL THE CITY WITH A MISSION Agenda Item No: 4.b Meeting Date: October 2, 2017 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Prepared by: Bill Guerin, City Manager Approval: P Director of Public Works File No.: 18.06.52 TOPIC: DOWNTOWN SAN RAFAEL - PERMANENT TRANSIT CENTER SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT REGARDING COOPERATION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, PLANNING, AND APPROVAL OF THE DOWNTOWN SAN RAFAEL PERMANENT TRANSIT CENTER RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign the Memorandum of Understanding. BACKGROUND: The Northwestern Pacific Rail system, a freight and passenger rail service, ran its last rail service in San Rafael in the late 1950's. Over the last 60 years the area around the track system from San Rafael to Larkspur has been built out with a freeway, roads and developed properties on both sides of the tracks. The current Bettini Transit Center is the second busiest bus transit center in the Bay Area, and was built around the rail right-of-way between Second and Third Streets in San Rafael. The Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) now controls the Northwestern Pacific Rail system and operating commercial rail service between the Santa Rosa Airport and central San Rafael. SMART has also commenced the construction phase for the second operating segment between central San Rafael and SMART's Larkspur Landing station. The rail right-of-way bisects the Bettini Transit Center and construction of the second operating segment will impact the operations of the transit center. The City has worked with the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (District), SMART, Marin Transit and other agencies to design an "Interim Transit Center" for transit operations. The Interim Transit Center will be constructed by SMART in association with its construction of the SMART Larkspur Extension Project. It will serve as the main passenger transit terminal in Marin County until such time as the permanent replacement of the Transit Center is constructed and occupied. The City also worked with those same agencies to develop several options for the replacement permanent Transit Center, more specifically identified in the March 2017 San Rafael Transit Center Relocation FOR CITY CLERK ONLY File No.: 112-2 x 245 Council Meeting: 10/02/2017 Disposition: Resolution 14399 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / PaLe: 2 Study Report, all of which are within close proximity of the current Transit Center and the Downtown San Rafael SMART Station; and the District, as lead agency, is undertaking the environmental analysis and design for the permanent replacement facility. ANALYSIS: The District will lead the environmental review and planning for the permanent transit center. The District will also be responsible for the design and construction of the permanent center. The permanent transit center will by necessity require the use of public right of way controlled by the City. Development of the proposed MOU describes how the City and District will cooperate in the environmental review, planning, and approval of the permanent transit center. The key elements of the agreement are: 1. The District shall be the lead agency for purposes of environmental review of the Project under the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"). 2. The City shall be a responsible agency for purposes of environmental review of the Project under CEQA. A responsible agency in the CEQA process is an agency, other than the lead agency, that has some discretionary authority in performing or approving a project. As a responsible agency, the City will have opportunities to provide information or comments at various stages of the environmental review process. 3. The District and the City shall cooperate to develop and consider, to the extent feasible, an additional alternative for the replacement Transit Center, in addition to those identified in the March 2017 Report. 4. In planning and developing specific Project features, the District shall meet and confer with the City's Community Development Department staff concerning consistency of the proposed Project with the City's General Plan, Station Area Plan, and Zoning Ordinance. 5. The parties agree that the selected alternative must be approved by the City Council. 6. In consideration of the obligations undertaken by District herein, City shall waive standard application and hearing fees for City review of the Project, and shall streamline any District applications, as applicable, to the City for work required in or affecting the public right-of-way or other public property. The City's key area of interest is the potential impact the permanent transit center will have on the downtown as it relates to traffic, pedestrian safety, aesthetics, and the future of the station area of San Rafael. Approval of the MOU ensures that the District and the City will cooperate in a number of key areas and, most importantly, it gives the City Council approval authority over the selected alternative. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact from approval of the MOU. Staff will return to the City Council at key points as the plan develops, culminating in a request to approve a final alternative. OPTIONS: The City Council has the following options to consider on this matter: 1. Adopt the resolution approving the MOU (Staff's recommendation); 2. Adopt resolution with modifications to the MOU. 3. Take no action. Staff does not recommend this option as it is likely to prevent the achievement of the City's goals with respect to the final approval of the permanent transit center plan. RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the Memorandum of Understanding with the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District concerning cooperation on the environmental review, planning and approval of the permanent downtown San Rafael transit center. SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3 ACTION REQUIRED: Adopt the Resolution. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution 2. Memorandum of Understanding between the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and the City of San Rafael RESOLUTION NO. 14399 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT REGARDING COOPERATION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, PLANNING AND APPROVAL OF THE DOWNTOWN SAN RAFAEL PERMANENT TRANSIT CENTER WHEREAS, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (District) owns and operates the C. Paul Bettini Transportation Center (Transit Center) for the benefit of public transportation to and from central San Rafael; and WHEREAS, the SMART rail corridor, historically known as the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Authority (NWPRA), runs directly through the existing Transit Center; and WHEREAS, SMART intends to use its rail right of way through the Transit Center creating a compromised transit facility; and WHEREAS, the City of San Rafael, District, SMART and others developed several options for the replacement of the Transit Center, more specifically identified in the March 2017 San Rafael Transit Center Relocation Study Final Report; and WHEREAS, the District, as the Lead Agency, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the environmental review and planning for a new permanent location for the Transit Center, and intends to award a contract in Fall, 2017; and WHEREAS, the District -owned and operated permanent Transit Center will be located in central San Rafael; and WHEREAS, the City's infrastructure and right of way will be significantly impacted by the permanent Transit Center; and WHEREAS, the City desires to participate in the development of the environmental review and planning of the permanent Transit Center, culminating in City approval of the selected alternative; and WHEREAS, the District and the City have negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding that ensures that the City can participate in the development of, and ultimately approve the selected alternative for the permanent Transit Center. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Rafael hereby approves and authorizes the City Manager to execute the Memorandum of Understanding with the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District attached hereto as Exhibit A, in a final form to be approved by the City Attorney. I, ESTHER C. BEIRNE, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of said City on the 2nd day of October 2017, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Bushey, Colin, Gamblin, McCullough & Mayor Phillips NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ESTHER C. BEIRNE, City Clerk 2 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL This Memorandum of Understanding is entered into as of this day of , 2017, by and between the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, a special district of the State of California, duly created and acting under California Streets and Highways Code Section 27000 et seq ("District") and the City of San Rafael, a California charter city ("City"), (collectively referred to as the ("Parties"). RECITALS A. The Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District ("SMART") was created pursuant to AB 2224 (California Public Utilities Code § 105000 et seq.) for the purpose of providing a passenger rail service and multi -use pathway within the Counties of Sonoma and Marin. B. The SMART rail corridor, historically known as the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, runs north to south in Sonoma and Marin Counties, generally parallel to U.S. Highway 101, including a segment running through Downtown San Rafael between Hetherton Street and Tamalpais Avenue. C. SMART has commenced passenger rail operations between the City of Santa Rosa and the Downtown San Rafael SMART Station, located in the block encompassed by Third Street, Hetherton Street, Fourth Street, and Tamalpais Avenue. D. Adjacent to the Downtown San Rafael SMART Station to the south, District owns and operates the C. Paul Bettini Transportation Center, also commonly known as the San Rafael Transit Center ("Transit Center"), situated in the block encompassed by Second Street, Netherton Street, Third Street, and Tamalpais Avenue. The SMART rail corridor runs north to south directly through the the Transit Center, and crosses Second and Third Streets. E. The Transit Center is the main passenger transit terminal for Marin County, providing essential transit services to over 9,000 customers daily and facilitating travel and transfers throughout Marin County, to San Francisco, Contra Costa, and Sonoma Counties. The Transit Center accommodates transportation services provided by the District, Marin Transit, Sonoma County Transit, Greyhound Bus Lines, the Marin Airporter and the Sonoma Airporter. The continued and efficient operation of the Transit Center is a crucial concern of District and the other transportation service providers operating there, and of their customers. F. The streets surrounding the Downtown San Rafael SMART Station and the Transit Center are among the busiest streets in the City of San Rafael. Second Street and Third Street are the City's main east -west traffic corridors south of Puerto Suello Hill, providing a primary access between Highway 101 and West Marin, Fairfax, and San Anselmo as well as to Downtown San Rafael. The offramp from Highway 101 South into Downtown San Rafael feeds directly into Hetherton Street, which, four blocks farther south, feeds directly into the onramp to Highway 101 South from Downtown San Rafael. The smooth and efficient flow of traffic in this area is a vital concern to the City of San Rafael and its residents, businesses, and visitors, as well as to the transit operators whose buses use the City's streets, and transit passengers. G. SMART is also proceeding with the design and construction of the improvements needed to extend its passenger rail service system the 2.2 miles from the Downtown San Rafael SMART Station to a location near the District's Larkspur Ferry Terminal in Larkspur (the "SMART Larkspur Extension Project"). H. Because the SMART rail corridor in San Rafael runs through the Transit Center, the SMART Larkspur Extension Project will require replacement of the Transit Center and its transit operations to an existing and/or new site in downtown San Rafael. The City and the District have cooperated to develop several options for the replacement Transit Center, more specifically identified in the March 2017 San Rafael Transit Center Relocation Study Final Report, all of which are within close proximity of the current Transit Center and the Downtown San Rafael SMART Station; and the District, as lead agency, will soon be undertaking the environmental analysis and design for the permanent replacement facility. I. The District has worked with the City, SMART, and other transit agencies to design an "Interim Transit Center" for transit operations. The Interim Transit Center will be designed and constructed by SMART in association with its construction of the SMART Larkspur Extension Project. It will serve as the main passenger transit terminal in Marin County until such time as the permanent replacement of the Transit Center is constructed and occupied. J. The City and District desire to memorialize herein their intention and agreements for cooperating on the environmental review, planning and approval of the Transit Center Replacement Project (hereafter, the "Project"). NOW, THEREFORE, the City and the District agree as follows: AGREEMENT 1. The District shall be the lead agency for purposes of environmental review of the Project under the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"). 2. The City shall be a responsible agency for purposes of environmental review of the Project under CEQA. 3. The District and the City shall cooperate to develop and consider, to the extent feasible, an additional alternative for the replacement Transit Center, besides those identified in the March 2017 Report. 4. In planning and developing specific Project features, the District shall meet and confer with the City's Community Development Department staff concerning consistency of the proposed Project with the City's General Plan, Station Area Plan, and Zoning Ordinance. 5. The parties agree that the selected alternative must be approved by the City Council. 6. In consideration of the obligations undertaken by District herein, City shall waive standard application and hearing fees for City review of the Project, and shall streamline any District applications, as applicable, to the City for work required in or affecting the public right-of-way or other public property. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day, month and year first above written. GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT Denis J. Mulligan, General Manager APPROVED AS TO FORM: District Counsel CITY OF SAN RAFAEL Jim Schutz, City Manager ATTEST: Esther Beirne, City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: By: Robert F. Epstein, City Attorney SAN RAFAEL II:IMOIVAMAT/III:II\Z11.31I 0 STAFF REPORT APPROVAL ROUTING SLIP Staff Report Author: Bill Guerin Date of Meeting: 10/2/17 Department: Public Works Topic: ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, PLANNING, AND APPROVAL OF THE PERMANENT DOWNTOWN SAN RAFAEL TRANSIT CENTER Subject: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT REGARDING COOPERATION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, PLANNING AND APPROVAL OF THE PERMANENT DOWNTOWN SAN RAFAEL TRANSIT CENTER Type: (check all that apply) X❑ Consent Calendar ❑ Public Hearing ❑ Discussion Item © Resolution ❑ Ordinance ❑ Professional Services Agreement ❑ Informational Report *If PSA, City Attorney approval is required prior to start of staff report approval process Was agenda item publicly noticed? ❑ Yes ❑No Date noticed: ❑Mailed ❑Site posted ❑Marin IJ Due Date Responsibility Description CompletedDate Initial / Comment DEPARTMENT REVIEW FRIDAY Director Director approves staff 9/22/2017 ❑X noon report is ready for ACM, BG 9/15 City Attorney & Finance review. CONTENT REVIEW TUESDAY Assistant City Manager ACM, City Attorney & 9/25/2017 ❑X morning Finance will review items, RW 9/19 make edits using track 9/22/2017 0 City Attorney changes and ask questions LG using comments. Items will 9/22/2017 be returned to the author 0 Finance by end of day Wednesday. Emailed comment -VB DEPARTMENT REVISIONS FRIDAY Author Author revises the report 9/26/2017 D noon based on comments TS 9/22 receives and produces a final version (all track changes and comments removed) by Friday at noon. ACM, CITY ATTORNEY, FINANCE FINAL APPROVAL MONDAY Assistant City Manager ACM, City Attorney & 9/26/2017 0 morning Finance will check to see RW 9/25 their comments were 9/26/2017 City Attorney adequately addressed and D sign -off for the City 9/26/2017 LG Manager to conduct the 0 Finance final review. Van Bach TUES City Manager Final review and approval 9/27/2017 N noon JS 9/26