SR 02-09-2016 3D
City Council
Report
City Council Regular Meeting: February 9, 2016
Agenda Item: 3.D
1 of 7
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Martin Pastucha, Director, Public Works, Civil Engineering
Subject: California Incline Pedestrian Overcrossing Funding Adjustment
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Amend Action #2 of Item 3.I on the November 10, 2015 agenda and authorize
the City Manager to negotiate and execute a separate contract in lieu of a first
modification to contract #10025 with MCM Construction, Inc. in an amount not to
exceed $1,900,000 for construction of the California Incline Pedestrian
Overcrossing.
Executive Summary
In conjunction with the work being done on the California Incline, t he City is working to
repair and rebuild the California Incline Pedestrian Overcrossing (Overcrossing) and the
Idaho Trail (Trail) that scales the bluff from the beach to Palisades Park. This project
addressed the need to replace the Overcrossing, improve drainage, mitigate bluff
erosion, and improve the usability of the Trail. The Overcrossing and Trail project is
locally funded and in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
environmental regulations per previous City action. The project is categorically exempt
per Sections 150302 and 150304 of the CEQA Guidelines.
On November 10, 2015, Council approved the inclusion of the Overcrossing and Trail
Project by modifying MCM’s existing contract. MCM is the construction company
currently building the California Incline Bridge and Roadway. This requires adding a
new scope of services for MCM to complete its work. However, modifying the existing
MCM contract would activate federal regulations and require that it meet National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental regulations. Staff was informed by
Caltrans Local Assistance that obtaining NEPA approval would require additional
studies, environmental reports, and reviews that would likely add nine to twelve months
to the project timeline. Therefore, staff recommends entering into a separate contract
with MCM to alleviate the need to initiate a new and separate Federal NEPA process
(while still conforming with equally stringent California CEQA requirements). This would
keep the project on schedule for completion before July 3, 2016 (barring any weather
delays). The project will remain within the $1,900,000 budget previously authorized.
2 of 7
Background
The Overcrossing crosses over the California Incline Bridge and Roadway between
Ocean Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). The Trail goes diagonally up the
bluff to Palisades Park and exits near Idaho Avenue. To the west, the Trail and
Overcrossing connect to another pedestrian overcrossing (owned by Caltrans) that goes
over PCH, providing pedestrian access to the beach from Palisades Park (Attachment
B).
Bi-annual inspection reports for the Overcrossing performed by the Los Angeles County
Department of Public Works (LACDPW) per an agreement with Caltrans, have
consistently given the Overcrossing a poor structural rating. These reports have
indicated the need to repair the delamination and spalling in the deck surface, patch
spalls in the south girder, replace missing tie wires in the bottom of the pedestrian
fence, and rebuild the east slope to stabilize the staircase and walkway.
On April 2, 2014, TY Lin (the structural engineer that designed the California Incline
Bridge and Roadway) completed a Structural Assessment Report for the Overcrossing
and Trail to provide a more detailed and thorough assessment than the LACDPW bi-
annual reports. TY Lin are experts in civil and structural engineering and are
considered by staff to be well-qualified to assess this structure. This report concluded
that a portion of the Overcrossing should be replaced, and the structure is in need of
seismic retrofitting and rehabilitation work to patch concrete. Additionally,
recommendations were made to improve the bridge aesthetics. The report also
suggests improvements to the Trail which has numerous erosion and drainage
maintenance issues.
On January 27, 2015 (Attachment C), Council awarded a construction contract to MCM
Construction, Inc. (MCM), in an amount not to exceed $15,690,211 for the construction
of the California Incline. On August 25, 2015 (Attachment D), Council awarded a
professional services agreement to TY Lin to provide engineering design services for
the Overcrossing and Trail Project in an amount not to exceed $411,827. On August
28, 2015 the City processed and filed a CEQA Notice of Exemption completing the
3 of 7
CEQA process.
On November 10, 2015 (Attachment A), Council approved the conceptual layout of the
Overcrossing and authorized the City Manager to negotiate and execute a modification
to the existing MCM contract in an amount not to exceed $1.9 million for the
construction of the Overcrossing.
Discussion
After the November 10, 2015 Council approval of the bridge layout and authorization to
modify the contract, staff continued the design process and began pursuing the
construction of the Overcrossing and Trail project as a modification to the existing MCM
contract. The existing MCM contract is for work that is paid for primarily from Federal
Transportation funds. By being part of the same contract, the Overcrossing and Trail
project became subject to the requirements of the Federal Highway Administration.
Federal Highway Administration projects approval process is administered through
Caltrans. Caltrans requested that the City obtain revalidation of the existing NEPA
document for the California Incline due to the increased scope of work created by the
addition of the Overcrossing to this project. After a kick-off meeting with Caltrans, City
staff expected the revalidation to be a quick process and provided Caltrans with a new
Preliminary Environmental Study (PES) as requested. The City undertook the CEQA
review of the Overcrossing earlier in the year. Based upon this review, the proposed
Overcrossing is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15302 and 15304
of the CEQA Guidelines. On August 25, 2015, the City processed and filed a CEQA
Notice of Exemption completing the CEQA process.
In response, Caltrans requested additional project information and instructed the City to
complete an updated Finding of Effect (FOE) (included in the initial Environmental
Impact Report / Environmental Assessment) because of the potential visual impacts
caused by the addition of the Overcrossing. This FOE would then need to be reviewed
and approved by both the Caltrans and the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO),
resulting in additional agreement with the Federal Highway Administration. These
processes could likely add four to 12 months to the project timeline. This would require
4 of 7
the California Incline closure to be extended for an additional 12 months, or require the
City to open the Incline, then close it at a later date for a second time to complete t he
Pedestrian Overcrossing work.
Caltrans staff suggested that the best course of action to keep the project moving
forward in a timely manner and minimize delay in the California Incline opening would
be to construct the project under a new contract with MCM. The Overcrossing and Trail
project only utilizes City funds. By not combining this portion of the contract with the
broader California Incline Bridge Replacement work that utilizes federal funds, the
Overcrossing and Trail would not be required to adhere to NEPA regulations. By
utilizing a separate contract, the project would only need to meet to CEQA regulations,
which had been completed in August 2015.
Contractor Selection
On October 27, 2014, the City published Bid #SP2059 for the California Incline Bridge
Replacement Project, which is currently being constructed by MCM. The bid was
posted on the City’s online bidding site, and notices were advertised in the Santa
Monica Daily Press and the Los Angeles Times in accordance with City Charter and
Municipal Code provisions. The City Clerk’s office received five sealed bids, which
were publicly opened by the Deputy City Clerk on December 16, 2014.
The bids were evaluated based on competitive pricing, understanding of the project’s
scope, direct experience with similar projects, approach to the work, technical
competence, qualifications of the proposed staff, and the ability to meet the project
schedule. Staff verified with the Contractors State License Board that MCM
Construction’s license is current, active, and in good standing. Staff contacted
reference agencies listed by the contractor to ascertain past performance on similar
projects. Based on these criteria, staff recommended MCM as the best bidder for the
construction of the California Incline Bridge Replacement Project. This recommended
action was approved by City Council on January 27, 2015.
The choice to utilize MCM for the construction of the Overcrossing and Trail projects
5 of 7
without initiating a new competitive bidding process is not normally utilized, but applied
in this unusual case due to cost savings, expediency in construction, and overall benefit
to the community. The City’s Municipal Code Section 2.24.080 “Exceptions to
Competitive Bidding”, section 2.24.080(b) states that competitive bidding is not
applicable when “competitive bid procedures have already been utilized” and when
“services can be provided to the City at the same or better price”. Competitive bid
procedures were utilized when selecting MCM for the California Incline Bridge
Replacement Project. Staff is confident that the Overcrossing and Trail projects,
attached to the Incline, can be constructed by MCM at a better price than other qualified
potential bidders because of low mobilization costs, a lower cost of lab or due to the
construction crew’s expertise and familiarity with the existing site, and traffic control cost
savings due to not having to install and uninstall new traffic control measures for the re -
closure and re-opening of the California Incline.
In addition to the costs savings associated with utilizing MCM to perform the
Overcrossing and Trail work, there is also significantly less public disruption with this
scenario. If the project were competitively bid as a separate project, the California
Incline would need to be closed to the public during the duration of the California Incline
Bridge project again in the future for the Overcrossing construction. Contracting with
MCM to perform the work now while they are already on site completing the Californ ia
Incline Bridget Replacement will avoid future circulation disruptions.
Next Steps
TY Lin would continue with the expedited design and prepare construction plans and
specifications. The plans and specifications would be reviewed by City departments,
and upon approval, MCM and the City would negotiate a final price and execute a new
contract. The project would then be expeditiously constructed.
Alternatives
If the City does not authorize the execution of a separate contract with MCM for
construction of the Overcrossing and Trail then that project could only be completed
after the California Incline is reopened to the public. This option would require a second
6 of 7
closure of the California Incline which would significantly increase project costs through
new bidding process, additional traffic control to close the incline a second time, and
further inconvenience the public through the closure of the roadway during the second
construction period.
Construction Schedule
Staff estimates that construction of the Overcrossing and Trail will add an additional two
to three months to the closure of the California Incline. The California Incline Bridge
project began on April 20, 2015 and is scheduled to be completed by April 20, 2016.
With the Overcrossing construction added, it’s estimated both structures and the Trail
would be completed by July 3, 2016 (not including potential weather related delays). If
this contract is not approved the delay for necessary Federal approvals could result in a
4 to 12 month delay prior to start of construction.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There are no immediate financial impacts or budget actions required as a result of this
recommendation. The contract to be executed with MCM Construction is for an amount
not to exceed $1,900,000, which is the same amount that was approved on November
10, 2015 for the MCM contract modification. The $1,900,000 will now be used for a
separate contract with MCM to complete the Overcrossing. Funds are available in the
7 of 7
FY2015-16 Capital Improvement Program budget. The contract will be charged to the
following accounts:
C010678.589000 $1,700,000
C040678.589000 $ 200,000
TOTAL $1,900,000
Prepared By: Zach Pollard, Civil Engineer
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. November 10, 2015 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. Site Map
C. January 27, 2015 Staff Report (Web Link)
D. August 25, 2015 Staff Report (Web Link)
Reference:
Contract No. 10250
(CCS)