TITLE
Recommendation to adopt resolution making certain findings regarding certain public improvements on Long Beach Boulevard with North Long Beach Redevelopment Project Area Funds. (District 8)
DISCUSSION
There are about 200 miles of major and secondary streets within the City of Long Beach,
and Long Beach Boulevard is one of the longest and most important of the City's major
arterial streets. The segment of Long Beach Boulevard within the North Long Beach
Redevelopment Project Area is approximately five miles long, stretching from just north
of Wardlow Road to the City's northern boundary. For many years, the North Long
Beach community has been asking the City to consider repaving all of Long Beach
Boulevard north of Wardlow Road.
There are two primary funding sources available for street improvement projects. These
include Proposition C funds and Federal Gasoline Tax funds. While the Proposition C
source of funding is the City's largest (approximately $4.5 million per year), it comes
with the greatest restrictions. These funds can only be used on streets that have
regularly scheduled bus services. Federal Gasoline Tax is the City's next largest
source of funding (approximately $1.5 million per year). These funds are commonly
known as TEA-21 funds and are limited to major arterials identified on federal maps
provided to the City by the California Department of Transportation.
While Long Beach Boulevard qualifies under both funding sources, the City's total street
repair needs far exceed the availability of these funds. To prioritize and allocate such
limited funding, City staff uses the structural condition and remaining life of a street tii
determine where the limited amount of funding will best be used. For example, a street
with failing pavement, evidenced by many potholes and severe cracking, will rank as a
much higher priority than a street that simply suffers from poor appearance or ride-
ability (the smoothness of the roadway surface).
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HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
February 1,2005
Page 2
The priority list to repair major and secondary streets is based on the City's pavement
management system, which is maintained by the Department of Public Works,
Engineering Bureau. The system involves the inspection and rating of all City streets by
trained highway professionals. The ratings are then used to develop the City's priority
list. The street condition ratings are updated every two years.
The segments of Long Beach Boulevard between Ellis Street and Artesia Boulevard
and between 1" and IOth Streets were high on the street repair priority list. Design is
now complete and construction of the segment of Long Beach Boulevard between Ellis
Street and Artesia Boulevard will start in early 2005. The segment between I" Street
and I O * Street is currently in the design stage.
The five remaining segments of Long Beach Boulevard within the North Long Beach
Redevelopment Project Area are low on the street repair priority list (with respective
good to very good ratings for remaining life), the main problem being ride-ability and
aesthetic issues. There are many other major and secondary streets competing for
limited street funds that warrant repair work. The City currently has over $100 million in
arterial street repair needs, all with a higher priority rating than the five segments of
Long Beach Boulevard mentioned above, but only has approximately $6 million
available in Fiscal Year 2005 (FY 05) to complete this work. However, there remains a
strong community desire to complete the remaining segments of Long Beach Boulevard
within the North Long Beach Redevelopment Project Area, Wardlow Road north to Ellis
Street and Artesia Boulevard north to the City's northern boundary (Exhibit A - Site
Map). Because these segments are within the North Long Beach Redevelopment
Project Area, with the consent of the City Council, Redevelopment funds could be used
to repave these segments.
Design costs for the five remaining segments are estimated at $293,000 and
construction costs are estimated at $3,350,000 for total project costs of $3,643,000
(Exhibit B - Construction Estimate). Current appropriations are sufficient to cover
desiqn costs. Because design work is expected to take approximately nine months,
funds for construction will not be immediately required. Redevelopment staff will
explore including the projected construction costs in the upcoming bond issue for North
Long Beach, approved by the City Council on January 18,2005.
On August 26, 2004, the North Long Beach Project Area Committee (PAC)
recommended that $293,000 in PAC local funds be used to pay for the design and
planning of the remaining segments. On January 24, 2005, the Redevelopment Agency
Board approved funding for design work and also adopted an Agency Resolution
making certain findings regarding the construction of the public improvements with
North Long Beach Redevelopment Project Area Funds.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
February 1,2005
Page 3
California Redevelopment Law provides that the Redevelopment Agency may, with the
consent of the City Council, pay for public improvements, which are publicly-owned
either within or outside of a redevelopment project area, if the City Council determines
all of the following:
0 That the construction of such public improvements are of benefit to the
redevelopment project area or the immediate neighborhood in which the public
improvement project is located (in this case, construction of public improvements
refers to the repaving of portions of Long Beach Boulevard north of Wardlow
Road);
0 That no other reasonable means of financing the public improvements are
available to the community; and
0 That the payment of Redevelopment Agency funds for the construction of the
public improvements will assist in the elimination of one or more blighting
conditions within the Project Area.
_-
The City's Environmental Planning Officer has determined that approval of funding for
the proposed paving project is categorically exempt under the California Environmental
Quality Act (Exhibit C - Categorical Exemption).
This letter was reviewed by Assistant City Attorney Heather Mahood on January 11,
2005, and Budget Management Officer David Wodynski on January 21,2005.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on February 1, 2005, to allow the project to move
forward in an expeditious manner.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for design costs is budgeted in the Redevelopment Fund (RD) in the
Department of Community Development (CD). There will be no impact on the General
Fund.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
MELANIE S. FALLON
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT