HomeMy WebLinkAbout21 - Participation in the Santa Ana River Crossing (SARX) Study Policy Advisory Committee and Appointment of One Council Member to Represent the City of Newport Beach on the CoommitteeAgenda Item No. 21
November 9,1998
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: LaVonne M. Harkless, City Clerk
SUBJECT: PARTICIPATION IN THE SANTA ANA RIVER CROSSINGS (SARX)
STUDY POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND APPOINTMENT OF ONE
COUNCIL MEMBER TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH ON
THE COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the City's participation in the Santa Ana River Crossings (SARX) Study Policy
Advisory Committee and appoint one (1) Council Member to represent the City on the
committee.
BACKGROUND
On October 26, 1998 the City received a letter from Dave Elbaum, Director of Planning &
Development, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), regarding the initiation of a
traffic study and program level environmental impact report (EIR). The traffic study and EIR
will be used to determine the feasibility of several alternative solutions to traffic demand as it
pertains to the two proposed bridges across the Santa Ana River at Garfield /Gisler and
Banning /19th Streets.
The OCTA Board approved the establishment of a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) to insure
a timely and responsive flow of communication between elected officials from the cities
involved (Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach). The
committee consists of one member of the OCTA Board of Directors (Director Jim Silva) and a
representative of the city councils from each of the four participating cities. The goal of the
PAC is to inform the elected officials from all cities on the critical issues related to the study.
The study is likely to have significant implications for the four affected cities; therefore it is
important that the City be represented on this committee.
LaVonne M. Harkless, CMC /AAE
City Clerk
Enclosure: OCTA letter
m
OCTA
INTEROFFICE MEMO
'98 OCT 26 AID :00
October 21, 1998
OF FICE OF T=, CITY CLERK
CITY ` `;_WPOFT BEACH
To: SARX Policy Advisory Committee
City Managers/
From: Dave Elbaum Director of Planning & Development
Subject: Santa Ana River Crossings (SARX) Study Policy Advisory
Committee
As you may be aware, the Orange County Master Plan of Arterial Highways
(MPAH), as well as the General Plans for the cities of Costa Mesa, Fountain
Valley, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach, have included two proposed
bridges across the Santa Ana River at Garfield /Gisler and Banning /19th
streets. However, neighborhood opposition to the bridges has led the City of
Costa Mesa to propose deletion of the bridges from the MPAH.
OCTA, in cooperation with the cities of Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley,
Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and the County of Orange, is initiating work
on a traffic study and program level environmental impact report (EIR) to
determine the feasibility of several alternative solutions to traffic demand. A
Technical Advisory Group (TAG), consisting of both agency staff and citizen
representatives from each of the cities, has been established to help guide the
study process.
The study is likely to have significant implications for the four affected cities.
The opposition of Costa Mesa residents to both bridges has been long
standing. In addition, residents of Huntington Beach have expressed
opposition to the proposed 19th Street/Banning Avenue bridge. However, the
Land Use Elements for both the cities of Fountain Valley and Newport Beach,
as well as the MPAH, assume construction of the bridges. The solution to the
traffic demands in this area will require consideration of alternatives and
responsible mitigation in order to reach a consensus.
In August 1998, the firm of Kimley -Horn & Associates was selected to provide
consultant services for this project. The first meeting of the TAG was held on
October 6, 1998 to kick -off the study process and to receive input on the initial
tasks.
To insure a timely and responsive flow of communication between elected
officials from the cities and the OCTA Board, the OCTA Board approved the
establishment of a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC). This committee consists
of one member of the OCTA Board of Directors (Director Jim Silva) and a
representative of the city councils from each of the four participating cities. The
goal of the PAC is to inform the elected officials from all cities on the critical
issues related to the study.
A kick -off meeting of the PAC will be held on November 10, 1998 from 7:30
A.M. to 8:30 A.M. in conference room 1A at the Costa Mesa City Hall at 77
Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, to provide a briefing on the study process and discuss
issues related to the project. A map of the location is provided below. We
look forward to working with you throughout this study.
KA