2011030713 - Project 10-17 - Almond Grove Rehabilitation Projectti owh of MEETING DATE: 3/7/11
ITEM NO: 13
! 8 GAtpS COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: FEBRUARY 28, 2011
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
FROM: GREG LARSON, TOWN MANAGER
SUBJECT: PPW JOB NO. 10 -17 — ALMOND GROVE STREET REHABILITATION
PROJECT
A. ACCEPT THE STAFF REPORT ON THE CONDITION OF STREETS IN
THE ALMOND GROVE DISTRICT;
B. PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF REGARDING THE PROPOSED
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
1:7amm ImIIoI�7_V
1. Accept the staff report on the condition of streets in the Almond Grove District;
2. Provide direction to staff regarding the proposed project implementation plan.
BACKGROUND
During the FY 2010/11 Capital Budget review, the Town Council inquired about the condition of
streets and other public infrastructure in the Almond Grove district and plans to rehabilitate and
improve the infrastructure in this neighborhood.
The streets in the Almond Grove district are a combination of concrete and asphalt construction.
There are 10 streets adjacent to the downtown area with a concrete surface (e.g. Bachman, Tait,
and Almendra) and there are 21 streets with an asphalt surface in the upper part of the Almond
Grove area (e.g. Alexander, Belmont, and Hernandez). Approximately, 55% of the streets in the
area are of concrete construction, 37% are of asphalt construction, and 8% are a combination of
asphalt and concrete. All of the streets are very old and in declining condition, especially the
concrete streets which show signs of severe deterioration, including surface cracking and base
failures.
PREPARED BY : TODD CAPURSO
Director of Parks and Public Works
Reviewed by: Assistant Town Manager own Attorney
Clerk Administrator / , inance unity Development
N:\PPW\MANAGEMEN'nCOUNCU- \COUNCIL REPORTS\2011 RepoM\N4 ch7\ 10- 17. AhnondGrove .Stmet.RehabProjxt.docz
PAGE
FEBRUARY 28, 2011
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: PPW JOB NO. 10 -17 —ALMOND GROVE STREET REHABILITATION
PROJECT
BACKGROUND (cont'd)
The majority of the streets in the Almond Grove area are located within the Town's
Redevelopment Area (RDA). The streets in the area of Bachman Park (Alexander, Apricot,
Belmont, Ellenwood, and the eastern portion of Bachman) as well as the streets in the western
hillside area (Chestnut, Laurel, Madrone, and Overlook) are outside the Town's RDA
boundaries.
There has been relatively little street reconstruction work performed in the Almond Grove over
the last several decades. This is due to two primary. reasons. The first reason is that concrete
streets do not lend themselves to preventive maintenance treatments, like asphalt streets do.
Concrete streets are typically repaired by removing and replacing entire sections of roadway.
Over the years, this can create a patchwork effect, which can be seen on many of the streets in
the area, particularly those streets that have experienced utility replacement work. The second
reason has been funding constraints. Because concrete streets are not candidates for preventive
maintenance, the only method by which the streets can be rehabilitated is through complete
replacement. This is a relatively expensive proposition when compared to the preventive
maintenance activities associated with asphalt construction. Due to the age and condition of
these concrete streets, nearly all of these streets in the Almond Grove area are now in need of full
reconstruction. Most of the streets in this area are approximately 70 to 80 years old and the
condition of these streets has deteriorated over the years, resulting in uneven surfaces, cracks,
and separation.
In addition to the poor condition of the concrete streets, the curbs, gutters, and sidewalks have
also deteriorated and are beginning to fail. The curbs, gutters, and sidewalks in the Almond
Grove district were not built to current concrete construction standards. They are constructed of
an extremely thin concrete face, directly on a gravel and dirt base. These curbs and sidewalks are
showing a high amount of cracking. In recent years, the Town has had to allocate a higher than
average amount of resources patching cracks, grinding surfaces, and replacing entire sections of
sidewalk in this area, due to the deteriorating condition.
DISCUSSION
As part of the Town's adopted 2010/11 Capital Budget, the Town Council approved the
appropriation of funds for staff to perform an assessment of the streets and associated public
infrastructure in this area. In order to perform a comprehensive assessment of the street
infrastructure in the Almond Grove District, a specialized consulting firm was retained by the
Town to assist in this process. The firm of Nichols Consulting Engineers was hired by the Town
during the fall of 2010 due to their unique qualifications and experience in pavement and
infrastructure analysis and assessment.
PAGE
FEBRUARY 28, 2011
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: PPW JOB NO. 10 -17 —ALMOND GROVE STREET REHABILITATION
PROJECT
DISCUSSION (cont'd)
The first step in the assessment process was to take core samples of the existing street surfaces
and corresponding bases to determine the respective depths of each material. The data that was
collected, as result of the coring, was used to establish the profile of pavement in each street and
further analyzed to determine the rehabilitation alternatives and its related costs. The overall
strategy for the street rehabilitation was based on the best utilization of funding resources to
address both concrete and asphalt surface streets. Each of these street types has their own unique
requirement and treatment needs. The concrete streets are beyond the point of being salvaged
and require full reconstruction, while most of the asphalt streets can be preserved, and their
useful life extended by performing basic resurfacing techniques (i.e. chip seal, overlay, slurry
seal, etc.).
After analyzing the street infrastructure and performing an inspection of the study area, a multi-
year street rehabilitation plan was developed based on a number of factors such as: severity of
street infrastructure deterioration, pavement surface types, constructability impacts to the
residents, and short-term vs. Ion,--term maintenance costs. The Almond Grove district is
classified as a historic area. According to the Town Code, the street surfaces in this area should
remain of concrete construction to retain the historic character of the area. The Town Council
may make changes to the codes and policies, as appropriate, and maybe required to make a final
determination regarding the construction material of streets in the district.
The cost of construction associated with concrete streets has historically been significantly
higher than that of asphalt streets. However, in recent years with the increased cost of crude oil
and refining, the gap in the cost difference between asphalt and concrete street construction has
been reduced. The cost estimates for concrete street construction is currently 10 to 15% higher
than that for asphalt street construction. Additionally, the long -term costs (over a 50 year period)
to maintain an asphalt surface street are substantially higher than the costs to maintain a concrete
surface street.
The Town has made significant progress in raising the quality of the roadway infrastructure over
the past few years. However, because the Town does not have a dedicated, consistent source of
funds for street improvements, street maintenance projects must be prioritized. Preventive
maintenance activities (associated with asphalt streets) typically provide a higher level of benefit
for the dollar because these projects not only improve the condition of the street for a lower
amount of funding, but these activities also extend the useful life of the street.
When the Town's revenue sources were healthier, excess revenues (beyond budgeted
projections) were allocated for capital projects. With the trend of declining resources in recent
years, the Town has had to allocate a smaller portion of its budget toward capital improvement
work. Combined with declining revenues from the State (gas tax, prop 1B funds), it has become
clear that the Town does not have an ongoing revenue source that can adequately address the
public infrastructure needs, especially street and roadway condition.
PAGE 4
FEBRUARY 28, 2011
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: PPW JOB NO. 10 -17 —ALMOND GROVE STREET REHABILITATION
PROJECT
CONCLUSION
Staff has identified funding in both the Town's RDA budget and regular CIP that will allow for
improvements to begin in the Almond Grove area. Staff will bring a proposal forward as part of
the proposed 2011/12 CIP that will not only address the reconstruction of several concrete streets
in the area using RDA funds, but will also include preventive maintenance work on several
asphalt streets outside the RDA boundaries using the Town's more traditional funding sources.
Staff recommends that the Town Council accept this report and provide input to staff regarding
this strategy.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to Sections 15301 (c), 15303(e) and 15304(b) of
the State CEQA guidelines.
FISCAL IMPACT
The estimated cost to rehabilitate the Almond Grove District street infrastructure is
approximately $19 million in today's dollars. As staff prepares the 2011/12 Capital Budget,
RDA funding may be available to fund some portion of the identified improvements. Staff will
prepare a phase I project for consideration based on Council input. Additionally, as part of the
proposed 2011/12 CIP, staff will be proposing the annual allocation of funds for Street Repair
and Resurfacing. A portion of these funds will be available to fund the street repair work on
streets outside the RDA boundaries.
To provide full funding for the future phases of rehabilitation for the Almond Grove District
street infrastructure, alternate funding approaches may need to be evaluated. If directed by
Council, staff can investigate and assess these alternatives and report back to the Council with
information on various funding options.
Attachments
1. Almond Grove District Street Map
2. Executive Summary Report
NOTES-
1 . STREET SECTION TYPE IS BASED ON VISUAL CONDITION
SURVEYS AND WIDELY SPACED, LIMITED CORING OF
PAVEMENT.
2. LIMITS OF COMPOSITE STREETS SECTIONS ARE
APPROXIMATE AND WERE DETERMINED BASED ON
PAVEMENT DISTRESS TYPES EXHIBITED.
3. STREET NO. ABBREVIATIONS IN TABLE ARE AS NOTED:
P = PCC STREET SECTION
C = COMPOSITE STREET SECTION (AC /PCC)
A = AC STREET SECTION
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Nichols Consulting FIGURE
Engineers, Chtd. PROJECT STREET LIST AND VICINITY MAP
501 Canal Blvd, Suite I CONCEPTUAL DESIGN REPORT FOR ALMOND GROVE DISTRICT
Point Richmond, CA 94804 LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
(510) 215 -3620
DRAWN JOB NUMBER APPROVED DATE REVISED DATE
C. Na 058 10.20 03/01/11
ATTACHAMNT 2
NICHOLS CONSULTING ENGINEERS, Chtd.
Engineering and Environmental Services
501 Canal Blvd., Suite I • Point Richmond, CA 948 • 510.215.3620 • FAX 510.215.2898
March 3, 2011
NCE Project No: 58.10.20
Mr. Kevin Rohani, P.E.
Town Engineer
Town of Los Gatos
PO Box 949
Los Gatos, CA 95031
Final Report: Conceptual Design of Street Infrastructure for the Almond Grove District
in Los Gatos, California
Dear Mr. Rohani:
Nichols Consulting Engineers, Chtd. (NCE) is please to submit this report to the Town of Los
Gatos (Town) summarizing the results of our Conceptual Design for the historic Almond Grove
District. We understand that the City considers this district to need major improvements to
provide the necessary and desired street infrastructure (pavement and non- pavement assets) to
the local community and its residents. This report will assist the Town in planning and securing
funds for making these street improvements, which includes rehabilitation and /or
reconstruction alternatives.
Project Area: In terms of the street infrastructure, the study included two distinct areas. The
first area included 10 streets near downtown that are composed of Portland cement concrete
(PCC). The second area included are 21 asphalt concrete (AC) surfaced streets that are located in
the northern portion of the District. A complete list of the PCC and AC streets as well as map
showing their locations is provided in Figure 1.4 of the Final Report.
Objective: The objective of our conceptual design study was to consider rehabilitation or
reconstruction alternatives for all surface infrastructure elements within the public right of way
and to estimate the costs for repairs and replacement. However, underground utilities (water,
stormwater, sewer etc) were not included in the scope of work, as they had been previously
upgraded.
Some of the major criteria and assumptions in this study included:
• The inclusion of both rehabilitation and reconstruction pavement alternatives, and both
PCC and AC pavements were considered. "Green' alternatives were also considered
e.g. recycling of pavement materials, and an additional benefit would be cost savings.
This would also be consistent with the goals of California's climate change legislation
(AB 32 and SB 375).
• Consistency with current ADA (American Disabilities Act) requirements.
Bringing the State of the Art to the Standard of Practice
Mr. Kevin Rohani
Town of Los Gatos
Page 2
• No historical features and constraints existed as noted by the Town and therefore were
not considered.
• Needs of non - motorists such as pedestrians and bicyclists were assumed to be the same
as existing conditions and therefore no improvements were considered (i.e. bicycle
lanes or new cross - walks).
• Tree trimming /removal and other vegetation within the right of way were assumed to
be addressed during development of the final design documents, but approximate costs
were used in the cost analysis.
• Existing drainage is assumed to be adequate and no significant drainage improvements
were included.
• Utilities (water service, stormwater, sewer etc) were not included in the scope of work,
as they have been previously upgraded.
• Right of way issues were expected for some sidewalk and curb and gutter replacement
but were not quantified in this study. However, they should be addressed during final
design.
• Construction phasing to consider the on- street parking required by residents.
• Capability of local contractors.
• Tolerance of community to withstand significant or prolonged construction activities.
The impacts of noise and dust during construction, as well as impacts to downtown
businesses were also considered.
The key findings presented in the final report were:
PCC Pavements - The PCC pavements contain concrete slabs that are extensively cracked (in
many cases, they have broken into four or more pieces and are therefore considered to be
"shattered slabs "). This is a definition of failure for PCC pavements, and they have essentially
reached the end of their service lives and need to be reconstructed. There are multiple patches
and utility cuts from sewer and water line projects, which contribute to the "patchwork quilt"
appearance of the pavement. Three final options were recommended for consideration:
• Reconstruct with PCC
• Reconstruct with conventional AC and aggregate base
• Reconstruct with full -depth AC.
AC Pavements - The majority of these streets are in fair to poor condition and therefore are
candidates for rehabilitation and reconstruction. Rehabilitation treatments considered for
streets in fair condition included:
Mill and overlay with either conventional or rubberized AC
The streets in poor condition were recommended for reconstruction:
• Reconstruct with conventional AC and aggregate base
• Reconstruct with full -depth AC.
Non - Pavement Assets - Since pavement rehabilitation also affects other non - pavement features,
the following elements were also considered for cost planning purposes:
- Sidewalks
- Curb ramps
Bringing the State of the Art to the Standard of Practice
Mr. Kevin Rohani
Town of Los Gatos
Page 3
- Driveways
- Curb and gutters
- Pavement surface features, including underground utility covers within the
roadway, pavement striping, and pavement markings
- Storm water drainage features including minor drainage pipes and swales
- Trees and existing vegetation /landscaping
- Other traffic elements, including speed bumps and raised medians
The general condition of the sidewalks and curb and gutter ranged from poor to fair condition,
with noticeable cracking and distress associated with older sidewalk and curb and gutter and in
some instances from tree root uplift. For the purposes of this study, the replacement of all
sidewalk and curb and gutter was included in the cost estimates and replacement of all other
non - pavement assets as needed due to street rehabilitation and /or reconstruction.
Construction Cost Estimates — Planning level costs (including construction, contingency, design,
management, and administration) were developed for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of
each street area including the replacement of all non - pavement assets as previously defined.
The cost estimates can be summarized as follows:
• PCC streets
• Replace with PCC-$12.9 Million
• Replace with AC- $11.9 Million to $12.5 Million
• AC streets - $6.6 Million to $6.8 Million
Note that all costs are presented in 2010/11 dollars and assume construction occurs in 2011.
In addition, we have included future maintenance costs (analysis period of 50 years) for all
options. This allows a comparison of the life cycle costs between the PCC and AC options. In
general, PCC reconstruction has a higher construction cost but lower maintenance cost over its
life cycle. Conversely, AC pavements have a lower construction cost, but significantly higher
maintenance and rehabilitation costs over the analysis period. The life cycle costs provide a
more accurate comparison between the two options.
In reviewing the total construction costs presented, it is apparent PCC construction costs are
slightly higher than AC reconstruction options with modest cost differences between the two AC
reconstruction options (Full Depth AC and Conventional AC over AB). In addition, future
maintenance costs are substantially less for PCC streets than AC streets. In light of the modest
cost differences between PCC and AC reconstruction costs and PCC having significantly less
future maintenance costs, PCC reconstruction methods would be very attractive for the Town to
consider.
Phasing of Work — Construction phasing was generally developed based on street condition,
surface type, impacts to the local community especially on- street parking, and maintaining
through traffic and access for residents during construction. The construction phasing is
presented in greater detail within the final report and shown on the phasing map within Figure
4.1 of the Final Report.
Bringing the State of the Art to the Standard of Practice
Mr. Kevin Rohani
Town of Los Gatos
Page 4
This is a unique and forward looking project, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to assist
the Town in developing plans going forward. Should you have any further questions about this
report and any matter pertaining to this project, please do not hesitate to call me (S10) 215-
3620.
Sincerely,
Nichols Consulting Engineers, Chtd.
/J. Ryan Shafer. P.E., G.E.
Associate /Office Manager
Enclosure: Final Report
Bringing the State of the Art to the Standard of Practice