HomeMy WebLinkAboutS30 - Pacific Coast Highway Relinquishment IssuesCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. S30
April 22, 2008
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: City Manager's Office
Homer Bludau, City Manager
949/644 -3000 or hbludau @city.newport - beach.ca.us
SUBJECT: CREATION OF A CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE TO INTERACT WITH
CALTRANS REGARDING PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY (PCH)
RELINQUISHMENT ISSUES
ISSUE:
Does the City Council want to create a committee to work with Caltrans officials and
City staff regarding the possible relinquishment of PCH to the City?
Adopt Resolution No. 2008 establishing the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)
Relinquishment Feasibility Committee and confirm the Mayor's appointment of
Councilman Webb (Chair), Councilman Rosansky and Councilman Henn.
DISCUSSION:
Background:
In prior years, the Pacific Coast Highway running through Newport Beach was owned,
operated and maintained by Caltrans. That changed in 2004 with the relinquishment of
PCH from Newport Coast Drive west to Jamboree, which was turned over to the City
based on negotiations between the two agencies. The remainder from Jamboree west
to the Santa Ana River remains the jurisdiction of Caltrans.
One of the City Council's priorities for 2008 is to "implement an effective traffic
management plan." Effective traffic circulation in Newport Beach is predicated on traffic
moving smoothly along PCH. The recent construction work in Mariners Mile showed
what happens when traffic flow is impeded due to lane restrictions; it affects many other
streets in the rest of the City when drivers take other routes and residential
neighborhoods suffer.
Creation of a City Council Committee to interact with Caltrans regarding Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)
Relinquishment Issues
April 2Z 2008
Page 2
One of the benefits to assuming the responsibility for the rest of PCH would be that
traffic signals and their timing could be controlled by the City and tied into our traffic
signal synchronization for other routes feeding onto PCH. Other benefits might include
having control over traffic control measures during maintenance work done on the
highway or on the many utilities that run under PCH.
Potential downsides to relinquishment might include greater liability exposure, added
maintenance costs and the fact that relinquishment might not include any money to
offset the cost of the additional responsibilities.
Since work will soon be finished repaving the Mariners Mile portion of PCH, it might be
the right time to assess the relinquishment issue, since the highway is in good condition
and maintenance will not be required for some years.
This Committee is not a Brown Act Committee, as it is for a specific issue and for a
limited duration. The proposed resolution provides a committee expiration date of
November 30, 2009.
Environmental Review: The City Council's approval of this Agenda Item does not
require environmental review.
Public Notice: This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours
in advance of the meeting at which the Council considers the item).
Submitted by:
OMER L. BLUDA
City Manager
Attachment
Z
RESOLUTION 2008-
RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A
CITY COUNCIL PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY (PCH)
RELINQUISHMENT FEASIBILITY COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, the California Transportation Department (Caltrans) is responsible
for the construction and maintenance of certain highways deemed of major importance
throughout the State; and
WHEREAS, Caltrans owned and operated all of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)
through Newport Beach for many years; and
WHEREAS, in 2004, the City of Newport Beach negotiated a relinquishment of
that portion of PCH which runs from Newport Coast Drive to Jamboree, while the
remainder of PCH has remained under Caltrans jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, there may be benefit for the City to obtain the remaining portion of
PCH from Caltrans in order to implement and manage a more efficient flow of traffic
throughout the City; and
WHEREAS, a City Council Committee would be the appropriate method to use to
assess the issues involved in such a relinquishment.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT
BEACH DOES HEREBY DECLARE:
1. To create a three - member City Council PCH Relinquishment Assessment
Committee.
2. The purpose of the Committee will be to work with Caltrans and City staff to
determine the feasibility of relinquishment based on the parameters of the
relinquishment process, the assumption of liability for the City, future City costs,
determining future community benefits and any other issues involved in
assessing whether the City should assume control over the remainder of PCH
within Caltrans' jurisdiction.
3. The Committee is to make a written report and provide a recommendation to the
City Council on its findings no later than November 25, 2008.
4. The Committee's expiration date is November 30, 2009.
3
ADOPTED this 22 "d day of April, 2008
Mayor of Newport Beach
ATTEST:
City Clerk of Newport Beach