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Agenda Item 27.

City Council Meeting

Meeting Date:	08/16/2022
FROM:	Bill Gallardo

Subject:

Approval of Easement for OC Loop El Cajon Trail Bikeway (Segment D)

RECOMMENDATION

Approve easement dedication in favor of the County of Orange for bikeway access and maintenance for the OC Loop El Cajon Trail Bikeway (Segment D) and authorize City Clerk to execute easement.

BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION

The OC Loop is a continuous 66-mile loop around Orange County that connects and extends several regional bikeways to provide access to some Orange County beaches and inland destinations, and also serves as a vehicle alternative for commuters. The OC Loop is primarily bounded by Coyote Creek on the west, Pacific Coast Highway on the south, the Santa Ana River on the east, and North OC Cities on the north. In Brea, there are several bikeway segments that are part of the OC Loop and have already been constructed by the City. However, the County of Orange Public Works is working on the OC Loop El Cajon Trail Bikeway (Segment D) that is partially located in Brea. The OC Loop Segment D project runs from the intersection of La Floresta Boulevard and Imperial Highway in the City of Brea to the Carbon Canyon Channel, then along the channel through the City of Placentia to connect to the existing El Cajon trail in Yorba Linda. See Attachment A for an overall map of the 66-mile OC Loop that showcases the location of the Segment D project.

The purpose of the OC Loop El Cajon Trail Bikeway (Segment D) project is to close an existing bikeway gap/discontinuity along the OC Loop bikeway, and to provide safe connectivity and mobility to nearby schools, parks, employment centers, and transit facilities for recreation and commuting. For the City of Brea, the Segment D project will construct a bikeway along the south side of Imperial Highway totaling approximately 1,000 linear feet. When the Segment D project is complete, and the overall OC Loop is constructed, Brea residents will be able to ride to the ocean on a protected off-road, paved bikeway.

On March 10, 2020, the City of Brea entered into a Cooperative Agreement with the County of Orange, for the County to construct the OC Loop Segment D project. See Attachment B for reference to the executed Cooperative Agreement. As part of this agreement, the City agreed to provide a no cost easement for the bikeway and retaining walls. The easement deed provides a perpetual non-exclusive recreation easement for bikeway access and maintenance purposes as shown in the legal description and map provided in Attachment C.

Caltrans requires that this right-of-way be secured for the OC Loop Segment D project as this project is federally funded. The County of Orange will take the lead on the project and will fund 100% of the design and construction of OC Loop Segment D project. Upon project completion, the County of Orange will also maintain the bikeway, striping, and retaining walls.

FISCAL IMPACT/SUMMARY

There is no General Fund impact associated with the recommended action. The Easement Deed has been reviewed by the Engineering Division for the legal description of the easement areas and the easement has been reviewed by the City Attorney's office. The Cooperative Agreement states that the County will be responsible for 100% of the project costs for design, relocation, and restoration of City-owned utilities, inspection, construction and administration. The City will be responsible for costs related to design review, City inspection, oversight, permitting, or any other Project-related administration duties. Adequate funding is available in the Public Works Fiscal Year 2022-23 operating budget. The project will continue the OC Loop that ended in the City of Brea. Upon overall project completion, the OC Loop will provide a connection for residents to bike or walk to some of Orange County's most scenic beaches and inland destinations, as well as provide vehicle alternatives for commuters.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

William Gallardo, City Manager
Prepared by: Ryan Chapman, P.E., Principal Engineer
Concurrence: Michael Ho, P.E., Director of Public Works / Acting City Engineer

Attachments
Attachment A - OC Loop Map
Attachment B - Cooperative Agreement
Attachment C - Legal Description & Map
Attachment D - Easement Deed