HomeMy WebLinkAbout04 - Santa Ana River Crossing (SARX) Ad Hoc CommitteeCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 4
November 12, 2003
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Public Works Department
Stephen G. Badum, Public Works Director
949 - 644 -3311
sbadum@city.newport-beach.ca.us
SUBJECT: ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2003- _ TO ESTABLISH THE SANTA ANA
RIVER CROSSING AD HOC COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION:
If desired, Adopt Resolution No. 2003 establishing the City Council Ad Hoc
Committee for the Santa Ana River Crossing (SARX) and confirm the Mayor's
appointment of Mayor Pro Tern Ridgeway and Council Members Rosansky and Webb
to serve on the committee.
DISCUSSION:
At the October 28, 2003 meeting, City Council discussed forming an Ad Hoc Committee
to explore options and potential solutions to the SARX issue. The primary goal of this
Committee would be to meet with elected officials from Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach,
and Fountain Valley for the purpose of developing a consensus regarding the master
planned river crossings and convey the City's position and concerns.
This City Committee would be established to supplement the current Orange County
Transportation Authority's (OCTA) SARX Study Policy Advisory Committee. The OCTA
Committee membership consists of one Council representative from each of the four
affected cities and one member from the OCTA Board of Directors. The City's
representatives for this Committee are Councilman Rosansky (District 2) and
Councilman Webb (alternate). The City's Ad Hoc Committee would be comprised of
three Council members appointed by the Mayor.
Submitt b
�Ste0 n G. Badum
Putfic Works Director
Attachments: Resolution
RESOLUTION NO. 2003 -
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH ESTABLISHING
THE SANTA ANA RIVER CROSSINGS (SARX)
AD HOC COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach supports regional planning efforts in
transportation in the form of the Orange County Master Plan of Arterial Highways
(MPAH), and
WHEREAS, the City has adopted a General Plan Circulation Element which
is consistent with the implementation of the MPAH within its jurisdiction, and
WHEREAS, the Cities of Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa have
proposed to delete the Garfield Avenue /Gisler Avenue and Banning Avenue /19"' Street
Santa Ana River Crossings (SARX) from the Orange County MPAH, and
WHEREAS, in the spirit of cooperation the Cities of Newport Beach, Costa
Mesa, Huntington Beach, and Fountain Valley agreed to participate in a cooperative
study to explore the impacts and alternatives of the deletion of the subject bridges from
the MPAH which resulted in the preparation of an EIR which has not been certified by
OCTA due to unresolved differences of opinion among the four cities, and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Newport Beach City Council to continue
working with the affected cities to build a consensus that will lead to the resolution of this
issue.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH, that the Santa Ana River Crossings (SARX) Ad Hoc
Committee is established, to be comprised of three (3) City Council members as
appointed by the Mayor.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the primary goal of the committee is to
meet with elected officials from Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, and
OCTA for the purpose of developing a consensus regarding the master planned river
crossings and conveying the City's position in accordance with the recommendations
approved by the City Council on October 28,2003, listed below:
1. Reiterate and convey the City's opposition to removing the Santa Ana River
Crossings from the MPAH unless a reasonable and practical alternative can
be established that is fair and balanced for all jurisdictions.
2. Request that the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of
Directors not certify the SARX EIR, as it does not adequately address
impacts to the City of Newport Beach, recent regional land use and
development actions, and a fair distribution of regional transportation
responsibilities.
3. Support the City of Fountain Valley in its request to proceed with the
preliminary design and environmental study for the Garfield Avenue /Gisler
Avenue Bridge over the Santa Ana River. Should this environmental study
show the Bridge is feasible and no fatal flaws are identified, the City of
Newport Beach may well want to have the same process followed for the 19"
Street Bridge.
4. Request OCTA revisit the SARX Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to
consider impacts if Banning Ranch and its subsequent arterial roadways are
not constructed.
5. Request OCTA staff investigate additional alternative alignments or
mitigations such as "smart street' improvements to existing SARX corridors.
6. Encourage participating jurisdictions not to assume the bridge crossings as a
part of the MPAH when considering long term planning, land use, and
development decisions.
Adopted this 12th day of November, 2003.
ATTEST:
City Clerk
f: \usem\pbw\shared\resolutons\sar committee - 11-12-03.doc
FJ
Steven Bromberg, Mayor