DATE: August 20, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Development Services Department
TITLE: ADDENDUM TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND PUBLIC WORKS AGREEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE EL CORAZON PHASE IIA TRAILS PROJECT
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council consider an Addendum to an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15164; award a Public Works Agreement (PWA) to Charles Doherty Concrete Inc. to construct the proposed El Corazon Phase IIA Trails Project, for a total contract price of $669,900; approve contingency funding in the amount of $100,000 for a total not to exceed amount of $769,900; appropriate $112,540 from the General Capital Projects Reserve Fund; appropriate $220,000 from the Parks Fees Reserve Fund to the El Corazon Trails Phase II account; and authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the agreement upon receipt of all supporting documents.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
In 1994, approximately 465 acres of vacant property formerly used as a sand mine was donated to the City. In 2003, the City began a planning process that culminated in the adoption of the El Corazon Specific Plan (“Specific Plan”) and certification of a Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR).
The adopted Specific Plan established the following six Districts: Parks and Recreation (PR), Habitat (HB), Civic Services (CS), Hotel (H), Village Commercial (VC), and Oceanside Boulevard Commercial (OCB). The Habitat District includes development of a Habitat District Trails system. The Final EIR analyzed the trail system in two phases:
• Phase I: Analyzed at a project level
• Phase II: Analyzed conceptually and subject to future environmental review
In 2016, the City completed Phase I of the Habitat District Trails system, consisting of approximately one mile of nature trail along Garrison Creek that is open to the public.
On January 6, 2021, the City awarded a Professional Services Agreement to the Lightfoot Planning Group for the design and environmental review of the proposed Phase II portion of the trail system.
The alignment of the Phase II portion of the trail system was designed in collaboration with the Friends of El Corazon. The proposed Phase II trail system would develop approximately 1.72 miles of multi-use trails, and include:
• A 12-foot-wide paved surface for pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized uses; and,
• A 4-foot-wide unpaved surface intended primarily for runners.
Project construction will proceed in three sub-phases (Reference Attachment 4):
• Phase IIA: Construction of the 4-foot-wide unpaved trail, largely following an existing accessway. It includes a new connector trail segment to the southwestern portion of the proposed Phase I trail, a new drainage basin, and an energy dissipator to improve drainage and support future development in El Corazon per the Specific Plan.
• Phase IIB: Construction of a new trail segment connecting to the northeastern portion of the Phase I trail.
• Phase IIC: Completion of the trail system with the 12-foot-wide paved surface, forming the full multi-use trail envisioned in the Specific Plan.
The Phase IIA project was formally advertised for bidding on April 22, 2025 in accordance with the City’s standard formal bidding procedure (AD-21 Procurement of Goods and Services). On May 20, 2025, bids were publicly opened, and Charles Doherty Concrete Inc. submitted the apparent lowest responsive and responsible bid. Staff recommends that the City Council award a PWA to Charles Doherty Concrete Inc. for the construction of Phase IIA of the Habitat District Trails system.
After bids were publicly opened, it became apparent that the location of the proposed switch backs in Phase IIA was unstable due to slope conditions and that realignment of that specific portion would be required. The modified trail alignment will be administered as a construction change after the contract has been executed.
Construction would be scheduled to occur between September 15, 2025 and February 15, 2026, which is outside the nesting bird season as required by the Addendum to the Final EIR.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15164, an Addendum to a previously certified EIR is appropriate if some changes or additions are necessary but none of the conditions in Section 15162 calling for preparation of a subsequent EIR have occurred. An Addendum is not required to be circulated for public review; however, the City Council must consider the Addendum prior to making a decision on the proposed project.
FISCAL IMPACT
The construction contract with Charles Doherty Concrete Inc. in the amount of $669,900 will be charged to the El Corazon Trails Phase II account (912168420501.5703.10100), which currently has an available balance of $557,360.
In addition to the construction contract, staff anticipates the need for the following additional services to support successful project delivery:
• City staff time for contract administration and to provide construction inspection to ensure the project is completed in accordance with the Bid Documents and City Standards;
• Consultant Inspection and Construction Management services support to assist City staff in verifying compliance with all contract requirements and to support the implantation of provisions outlined in the Addendum to the El Corazon Specific Plan EIR;
• Environmental compliance monitoring as required by the Addendum to the Specific Plan Final EIR, including biological surveys, environmental training, noise monitoring, and oversight by a tribal representative and qualified archaeologist;
• Construction contingency to address unforeseen conditions and costs associated with the trail alignment modification.
Construction Management and Environmental Compliance Monitoring support as described above will be procured via the City’s existing on-call environmental consulting contracts through Development Services Department, Engineering Division.
To cover these additional costs, staff is requesting an appropriation of $220,000 from the Parks Fees Fund (Fund 598.3020) to the El Corazon Trails Phase II account (912168425598.5703.10100), and $112,540 from the General Capital Projects Reserve Fund account 501.3020 to El Corazon Trails Phase II account 912168420501.5703.10100. The Parks Fees Fund has an available balance of $2,255,419, and the General Capital Projects Reserve Fund has an available balance of $236,556; therefore, sufficient funds are available to support the requested appropriation.
|
Description |
Amount |
Object Code |
El Corazon Trails Phase 2 912168420501.5703.10100 |
Budget Appropriation Requested |
|
Contract |
$ 669,900 |
5703 |
$ 669,900 |
$112,540 to 912168420501.5703.10100 Funding Source: General Capital Projects Reserve 501.3020 |
|
Staff Time |
$ 20,000 |
5105 |
$ 20,000 |
|
|
Construction Management & Inspection |
$ 47,828 |
5305 |
$27,828 |
$ 20,000 to 912168425598.5703.10100 Funding Source: Parks Fees Fund Reserve 598.3020 |
|
Environmental Compliance |
$ 100,000 |
5305 |
|
100,000 to 912168425598.5703.10100 Funding Source: Parks Fees Fund Reserve 598.3020 |
|
Contingencies |
$ 100,000 |
5703 |
|
100,000 to 912168425598.5703.10100 Funding Source: Parks Fees Fund Reserve 598.3020 |
|
TOTAL REQUESTED APPROPRIATION |
|
$ 332,540 |
|
Available Budget |
$ 717,728 |
|
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The bid documents were previously reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form. The contract must be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid is responsive to the call for bids. The Public Contract Code defines “responsible bidder” as a bidder who has demonstrated the attributes of trustworthiness as well as quality, fitness, capacity and experience to satisfactorily perform a public works contract.
Prepared by: Kymberly Corbin, Senior Civil Engineer
Reviewed by: Darlene Nicandro, Development Services Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Bid Tabulation
3. Addendum
4. El Corazon Phase II Site Plan