On Tuesday, the City Council will consider granting several contracts that could impacting, parking, traffic and public access television.
Parking Garage Repair
Several of the City’s parking garages are overdue for serious repairs, according to a staff report. Parking structures, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10 are all candidates for upgrades that include waterproofing structural slabs, concrete walls and columns. The total cost of construction could reach $3.2 million dollars and will likely be performed by Slater Waterproofing, Inc. If approved by the City Council, construction will begin in September and last about 15 months.
Five of the City’s eleven parking structure were constructed in the 1960’s. In March 2008, two large pieces of concrete fell from the second level slab at Structure 1 onto the Promenade Maintenance Office. The temporary shoring of the slab is still in place today, and would be updated with the waterproofing construction if it is approved by the City Council. In 2009, severe concrete cracking at Structure 3 prompted the City to inspect all the structures which are showing wear and distress. Structure 3 will be demolished if the City approves plans submitted by Arclight Theaters to replace the structure with a movie theater and mixed-use development. Both structures 1 and 3 are in need of seismic retrofitting.
Parking Structure 5 could be shut down for as long as five days during the construction because it needs deck sealing on multiple levels. City staff estimates construction could result in a temporary loss of about fifty parking spaces during the week and no more than 25 on the weekends. Because of the parking impact, staff placed restrictions on the contractor’s work during the Pier Concert Series and Wednesday Farmers Markets. No work would take place during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
CityTV Broadcasting Equipment
The City Council will consider replacing CityTV’s 15-year-old Mobile Production Vehicle and aging video equipment in order to improve its on-location video production services. If approved, $625,471 worth of new gear will be up and ready to go later this year and allow the City to livestream and broadcast public meetings not held in the Council Chambers – including school board meetings and City Council meeting during the construction of the new City Services Building. The City plans to use the equipment to cover the Twilight Concerts, parades and sporting events. Staff says if the new equipment is not ordered, future field productions may have quality issues or may simply become unfeasible.
Traffic Forecasting
On Tuesday, the City Council will consider granting a $280,500 contract to a transportation consulting firm to update the City’s Travel Demand Forecasting Model. The consulting firm, Fehr & Peers, originally developed the model in 2008 to evaluate how existing and future development in the City may impact traffic patterns. The model allows City leaders to analyze weekend traffic patterns, greenhouse gas emissions, car trips per person, and walking and bicycle demand for different streets. The model was last updated in 2013 and should be recalibrated for optimal accuracy every four years, according to a staff report from the City. The new forecasting model will factor in new development projects, regulations and the Expo Light Rail, which opened in 2016.
kate@www.smdp.com
