Sentinel staff report–
The City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting for Sept. 13 has been cancelled, in light of several City officials attending the annual League of California Cities’ Conference going on this week in Long Beach. A summary of votes and a public hearing held for the 260-home Mitchell Farms housing development during the prior council meeting are included below.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE AUG. 23rd COUNCIL MEETING:
Present: Mayor Steve Miller, Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins, Bret Daniels, Albert Fox, Jeff Slowey
Meeting length: 2 hrs. 24 min.
QUOTABLE: “I love the roundabout; I wish we had more of them.” — Councilman Bret Daniels, commenting on a roundabout that will be installed on Arcadia Drive as part of the Mitchell Farms housing development.
Housing development. The City Council voted 5-0 in favor of Watt Communities’ proposed 260-home, 56-acre housing development off Arcadia Drive, which will include a 23-acre park and trails network meandering through the middle. Two residents spoke during a public hearing about parking, funding for the park, and fire/flooding concerns, while Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter said her organization was “super supportive” of the plan.
The council approved the project with minor modifications, including future assessment of whether a turn lane into the development should be added on Fair Oaks Boulevard and a requirement to extend a sound wall on the west end of Arcadia Drive where new homes will be adjacent to commercial buildings on Sunrise Boulevard. Watt Communities hopes to begin site work next Spring, which is estimated to take 4-6 months, followed by 6-7 months of construction. To learn more about the project, see prior story: Citrus Heights council to hold final vote on 260-unit housing proposal
Other Items of Note:
- Proclamation. The City issued an official proclamation declaring the month of September as “Prostate Cancer Awareness Month,” which Mayor Steve Miller said hit home for him as a bladder cancer survivor.
- 46-home subdivision. (Approved, 5-0) The City Council approved a final subdivision map for Northridge Grove, a long-delayed 46-home development underway at 5555 Mariposa Ave. The move came more than a decade after the Planning Commission authorized a tentative subdivision map in 2007, which was subject to certain conditions of approval that have now been met.
- $755k contract. (Approved, 5-0) Council members awarded a $755,607 contract to Central Valley Engineering & Asphalt, Inc., for the city’s 2018 Accessibility and Drainage Improvement Project. According to a staff report, the project seeks to “remove barriers to accessibility, repair failed curb, gutter and sidewalk and correct a number of minor drainage deficiencies at twenty-one separate locations on residential streets in the city.” CVE’s bid came in at less than half the highest bid, which was over $1.5 million. Funding comes through Community Development Block Grand funds and the Storm Water Utility Fund.
- Contract rejections. (Approved, 5-0) The Council voted to approve a staff recommendation to reject a bid from Central Valley Engineering for another project known as the Highland-Rinconada Drainage Improvements Project. CVE was the only contractor to submit a bid, which totaled $1.49 million and exceeded the city engineer’s estimate by 40%. Citing the high bid and “current construction climate,” staff recommended the bid be rejected and re-advertised with minor adjustments in the fall when construction typically slows down. The Council also voted to approve staff’s recommendation that the same be done for all three bids submitted for the Mariposa Avenue Safe Routes To School Phase 3 Project, as the bids all exceeded the engineer’s estimate by more than 40%.
- $195k contract. (Approved, 5-0) The Council awarded a $195,850 contract to Fehr & Peers for professional services regarding the development of an “Old Auburn Road Complete Streets Plan.” According to a staff report, the plan “will address the challenging transportation conditions on Old Auburn Road,” between Sylvan Road and Fair Oaks Boulevard, and will include “a robust community engagement process, evaluation of existing conditions and deficiencies to define community based solutions, address concerns, increase safety and transform Old Auburn Road into a Complete Street.”
- Resolution. The Council gave direction to Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins to support a resolution instructing the League of California Cities to look into crafting a ballot proposition or Constitutional amendment to strengthen local authority, following legislation at the state level in recent years that has “threatened to erode local control.” Bruins is serving as the Council’s voting delegate during the Leagues’ Annual Conference & Expo, held Sept. 12-14,
A full video recording of the City Council’s Aug. 23, 2018 meeting can be viewed online by clicking here.
The City Council’s next meeting will is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 27, 2018, at 6360 Fountain Square Drive. An agenda for that meeting has not yet been published.
