BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Joint Use Agreement with the City of Palo Alto for the Highway 101 Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge Overcrossing and Adobe Creek Reach Trail Project, (Palo Alto) (District 7).
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
A. Consider the potential environmental effects of the project as discussed in the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared by the City of Palo Alto;
B. Adopt the Resolution MAKING RESPONSIBLE AGENCY FINDINGS PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT TO USE THE INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION PREPARED BY THE LEAD AGENCY TO GRANT APPROVAL OF A JOINT USE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF PALO ALTO; and
C. Approve and authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute the Joint Use Agreement between the City of Palo Alto and the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Body
SUMMARY:
The City of Palo Alto (City) proposes to construct the Highway 101 Pedestrian/Bicycle Overpass Project at Adobe Creek to replace the existing seasonal Benjamin Lefkowitz Underpass that is available only half the year (on average) due to seasonal flooding and extend a new Class I trail connecting East Meadow Drive to the Baylands (Attachment 1). The new overpass will provide year-round connectivity between residential and commercial properties west of Highway 101 and the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve (Baylands), East Bayshore Business Park, and the regional Bay Trail network of multi-use trails east of Highway 101. The City has held numerous public meetings during the planning and design of the project.
As a result of the planning and design by the City of proposed public recreational improvements within the District's right of way, City and District staff have negotiated a new Joint Use Agreement (JUA), which staff recommends the Board approve. The new JUA (Attachment 2) will replace the existing JUA for the current Benjamin Lefkowitz Underpass and expand it to include a trail extension to East Meado...
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