sr-022812-3lCity Council Meeting: February 28, 2012
Agenda Item: 3 -L,
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Karen Ginsberg, Director of Community and Cultural Services
Kathryn Vernez, Deputy City Manager - Special Projects for Community
and Government Relations
Subject: Proposed Relocation of Trees from Metro Rail Right of Way to City Owned
Property
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council:
1) Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Valley Crest
Tree Company, a California based company, in the amount of $350,000 for the
relocation of 52 trees from the Metro right -of -way to City property.
2) Appropriate the budget increases as outlined in the Financial Impacts and
Budget Actions section of this report.
Executive Summary
Phase II of the Exposition Light Rail Project, from Culver City to Santa Monica, includes
construction on an approximately one -mile segment of the Metro right -of -way adjacent
to Olympic Boulevard between Stewart Street and Cloverfield Boulevard. The
Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority (Authority) has identified a total of 66 trees
within this portion of the right -of -way for potential removal to allow for the light rail line
construction. Staff proposes to relocate 52 of these trees to City property. It is
anticipated that the Authority will proceed with removal in March 2012. Staff
recommends award of the contract to Valley Crest Tree Company in the amount of
$350,000 to relocate 52 of these trees to City property.
Discussion
The Exposition Light Rail Line will connect from Downtown Los Angeles to Downtown
Santa Monica with a portion of the line to be located within the Metro -owned right -of-
way adjacent to Olympic Boulevard between Stewart Street and Cloverfield Boulevard.
The Authority plans to potentially remove a total of 52 trees, which are in conflict with
the proposed track alignment, within this portion of the right -of -way.
Iii
In response, and following an assessment by the Community Forester and an
independent arborist hired by the Authority, 52 of these trees have been identified as
candidates for relocation based upon their overall health, structural characteristics,
appraised values, and ability to thrive once relocated. The other 14 trees did not meet
one or more of these criteria due to poor viability, inability to tolerate relocation, or high
relocation costs associated with work that would be needed on infrastructure such as
utilities, buildings, or hardscape around the current tree sites.
As a result of this analysis, staff proposes to relocate the following trees to City -owned
property:
• Seven date palms located at the intersection of Cloverfield Blvd. &
Olympic Blvd. and eight date palms located at the intersection of 26th St.
and Olympic Blvd. are proposed to be relocated to fill street tree vacancies
on street segments where the date palm is the designated street tree
pursuant to the Urban Forest Master Plan.
• Two melaleucas and four queen palms located at the intersection of 26th
St. and Olympic Blvd. are proposed to be relocated to vacant sites within
the same greenbelt along 26th St. between Cloverfield Blvd. and Olympic
Blvd.
• Thirty -one ficus located along the south side of Olympic Blvd. within the
right of way between Stewart St. and 26th St. are proposed for relocation
to a temporary storage area where they will be maintained until such time
as sites can be identified for them. Candidate.sites include the planned
buffer zone adjacent to the future Expo Maintenance Facility and possibly
other park sites.
The Authority is supportive of the City's proposal to salvage these 52 trees and will work
with the City to complete the potential relocations in March 2012 in keeping with the
Authority's timeline for construction.
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Contractor Selection
The City issued a Notice Inviting Bids for tree relocation and storage services on
January 12, 2012. The notice was published in the Santa Monica Daily Press and
posted on Planet Bids, the City's online bidding website. The City Clerk's office
received two formal bids that were publicly opened by the Deputy City Clerk on January
30, 2012. The bid results are as follows:
Bidder Total Bid Amount
Hess Landscape Construction, Inc. $674,636
Valley Crest Tree Company $295,200
Community and Cultural Services Department staff evaluated the bids based on
qualifications, fees, direct experience on similar projects, public sector work, hourly
rates for services, understanding of the project's scope, approach to the work,
qualifications of proposed staff and scheduling of project activities. CCS recommends
Valley Crest Tree Company, located in Sunland, CA, as the best bidder for its clear
understanding of the project, track record on projects of similar size and scope,
competitive bid, and excellent references. The Contractors State License Board of
California verified that Valley Crest Tree Company's license is current, active, and in
good standing.
The bid results were based on the relocation of 39 trees. However, since then, the
Authority has determined that 13 more trees will be impacted by light rail line
construction, increasing the total number of trees to be relocated to 52. To relocate the
13 additional trees and allow for the possibility that the Authority identifies more trees for
relocation after this date, staff recommends a contract amount of $350,000.
W
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The contract to be awarded to Valley Crest Tree Company is $350,000. Award of the
contract requires a budget appropriation of $350,000 to account C200224.589112.
Funds come from the Expo LR CIP Rail Reserve account created for station area
planning and community outreach.
Prepared by: Walter Warriner, Community Forester
Carlos Collard, Senior Administrative Analyst
Sarah Johnson, Community Relations Coordinator
Approved:
Karen Ginsberg
Director, Communi and
Services.
rCatnryn vernez
Deputy City Manager - Special Projects
for Community and Government
Relations
M
Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager
Reference Contract No.
9553 (CCS)