Subject: STATUS
REPORT – ALUM ROCK PARK IMPROVEMENTS
COUNCIL DISTRICT: Citywide
SNI AREA:
N/A
The purpose of this memo is to provide a status report on the improvements to Alum Rock Park related to the closure of Alum Rock Avenue and the opening of Penitencia Creek Road within Alum Rock Park.
On May 1, 2001, the City Council approved the memo entitled Alum Rock Park Access and Crothers Road. This memo approved the recommendations from the staff report entitled Alum Rock Park Status Report, dated April 27, 2001. The following are the recommendations of that report:
a) Approve the proposed capital improvements to the Penitencia Creek Park Entrance and Trail within Alum Rock Park as part of the 2002-2006 Capital Improvement Program for Parks & Community Facilities.
b) Continue to work with the affected neighborhood to calm traffic on Penitencia Creek Road;
c) Continue to prohibit public vehicular traffic on Alum Rock Avenue between Crothers Road and Penitencia Creek Road. Authorize the use of the road for service vehicles, emergency vehicles, pedestrian and equestrian and bicycle traffic only.
d) Continue to prohibit public vehicular traffic on Crothers Road between Alum Rock Avenue and Miradero Road.
Furthermore, the memo entitled Alum Rock Park Access and Crothers Road directed staff to:
1. Implement traffic and parking control and pedestrian safety measures on Penitencia Creek Road and Alum Rock Avenue. These should be implemented as soon as possible, and the Administration is directed to work with county and state agencies as necessary to move ahead quickly.
2. Implement measures to ensure pedestrians use the Creek Trail and stay off of Penitencia Creek Road. These measures should at least include improved signage at the entrance of Alum Rock Park, at Quail Hollow/Eagle Rock Parking Lot, at the intersection of Alum Rock Avenue and Penitencia Creek Road, and at both entrances of the Rusticlands Picnic Area. Other appropriate measures should be considered as necessary to achieve this goal.
3. Work with the community to develop and implement a plan to decrease the impact of fire along Crothers Road.
4. Work with the County of Santa Clara to determine feasibility, cost, and value of repairing Crothers Road for only emergency access, and report back to Council within the next 120 days.
5. Research and identify all possible sources of funding to fully reopen Alum Rock Avenue and Crothers Road for long-term and safe public use and report back to Council within the next 120 days. This effort should be coordinated with County staff as appropriate. A recommendation to Council regarding further feasibility studies should be brought forward with information regarding likely outside funding sources within the next 120 days.
CURRENT STATUS OF IMPROVEMENTS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Parks, Recreation and
Neighborhood Services (PRNS) staff has meet with the Department of Public Works
(DPW) to initiate the improvements to the Penitencia Creek Trail and the
Penitencia Creek parking lot. These
projects are included in the 2002-2006 CIP for Parks & Community
Facilities.
Work With the Affected
Neighborhood to Calm Traffic on Penitencia Creek Road
DOT
has met with affected residents regarding the location of the road bump on the
County portion of Penitencia Creek Road.
The resident input was received and the proposed installation location
was approved. DOT has also responded to
a number of phone calls regarding the status of the traffic calming measures
and based upon additional resident input has increased the use of NASCOP to
include weekend deployments.
Implement Traffic and Parking
Control and Pedestrian Safety Measures on Penitencia Creek Road and Alum Rock
Avenue
PRNS staff has met with
representatives from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Santa Clara County
Sheriff’s Office (SCCSO), Santa Clara County Department of Roads and Airports
(SCCDRA) and various City departments to ensure their commitment to public
safety and to deal with traffic and parking issues on Penitencia Creek Road and
Alum Rock Ave. The CHP and SCCSO have
stated they will respond to requests for service from park staff to enforce
parking and traffic laws in the unincorporated areas adjacent to Alum Rock
Park. Park staff has met with
representatives from the SCCDRA to work on parking control signage on the
unincorporated roadways. They are
processing the requests for new signage, and expect that it will be installed
in September.
PRNS has provided extra
staff and signage at the Alum Rock Ave. entrance to Alum Rock Park on weekends
and holidays to redirect visitors to the new entrance. Park staff estimates that over 1000 flyers
have been distributed at this location.
Approximately 100 vehicles per weekend day in June have been redirected
to the new entrance. In July and
August, the number of vehicles coming to the closed Alum Rock Avenue entrance
dropped to approximately 50 vehicles per weekend day. Staff is noticing that one third of the vehicles driving to the
closed Alum Rock Avenue entrance are returning visitors who have already been
advised of the road closure. Park
informational flyers to encourage compliance with posted speed limits and to
encourage usage of the Creek Trail are also available.
Increased police patrols
have occurred both inside Alum Rock Park and along Penitencia Creek Road
leading to the park at the request of the residents living near the park. The
Patrol Division, Horse Mounted Unit, and the Traffic Enforcement Unit have
increased their presence in the area. Initially citations and warnings totaled
80 during the last two weeks of May, and the first two weeks of June. These
numbers took a dramatic drop during the next four weeks to 36. During these
last four weeks the citations totaled 48.
DOT has installed road
bumps and centerlines with raised reflectorized markers within Alum Rock Park. Additionally, DOT is working with the County
to install road bumps on the unincorporated portion of Penitencia Creek Road
just outside of Alum Rock Park, as that portion of the road is under County
jurisdiction. DOT expects to complete
the permit approval process with the County in the next three weeks and proceed
with the installation of the road bump.
DOT has also implemented
NASCOP enforcement along Penitencia Creek Road, and the NASCOP data indicates
that the percentage of drivers exceeding the speed limit by 10 miles per hour
or more ranges between four and eight percent, which is between low and average
for this type of roadway. The higher
speeding percentages occur during the weekends.
August weekday 24-hour
traffic count data shows average and 85th percentile speeds have
remained the same on Penitencia Creek Road since before it was opened to the
park. However, there has been a
three-mile per hour increase in the 85th percentile speed east of
Toyon Avenue. Most weekday speeding
occurs during mid-day and before the morning rush hour.
DOT will continue to
work with the Police Department to modify speed enforcement to focus on
weekends and middays. In an effort to
assist motorists in identifying the new entrance route, DOT has installed additional
enlarged signs that provide direction to Alum Rock Park from Alum Rock Avenue,
White Road and McKee Road.
DOT staff also
researched Councilmember Reed’s request to paint speed limits on the pavement
of Penitencia Creek Road. Past
experience in San Jose has shown that such markings work for short periods of
time before portions of the marking are worn away by tire wear. Additionally, the reflective coatings flake
off. Both of these failures of the
street markings render them ineffective.
However, a longer lasting and more effective solution would be the
installation of additional, over-sized speed limit signs. The additional signs will be installed
within 30 days.
DOT is currently
constructing new gates across Crothers Road to replace the removable bollards
that exist now and is installing parking prohibition signs on the City
right-of-way adjacent to the Alum Rock Avenue closure fence. These measures are in response to public
concerns over parking intrusions by park users who choose not to use Penitencia
Creek Road.
Implement Measures to Ensure Pedestrians Use the Creek Trail and Stay Off of Penitencia Creek Road
PRNS staff has installed
trail signage inside of Alum Rock Park that directs trail users onto Penitencia
Creek Trail and off of Penitencia Creek Road.
The sign locations include the Penitencia Creek Road entrance, Quail
Hollow Bridge area, Rusticlands area, and Creek Trail egresses onto Penitencia
Creek Road and Alum Rock Avenue.
Additionally, park staff has laid telephone poles lengthwise from the
Penitencia Creek Road entrance gate to the Penitencia Creek stairs/trail
head. This was done to provide a
distinguishable path to the trailhead and encourage Creek Trail usage.
City staff is
researching the feasibility of developing Reach I of the Penitencia Creek
Trail. This particular section of trail
will connect to Alum Rock Park near the new Penitencia Creek entrance. Staff has identified possible properties for
acquisition. These acquisitions will be
funded through the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority.
Work with the Community to Develop
and Implement a Plan to Decrease the Impact of Fire along Crothers Road
PRNS staff is working
with the community to address fire issues within and adjacent to Alum Rock
Park. Park staff is on schedule for
maintaining the park’s fire breaks. At
the request of residents that live along Crothers Road and Peacock Gap Road,
park staff has contracted the removal of eucalyptus trees and pine trees that
were determined to pose a hazard. Park
staff will coordinate the control and removal of grasses and brush along the
Crothers Road park boundary. Park
Rangers continue to monitor the weather and fire conditions inside the park.
The
City Arborist is coordinating the removal of eucalyptus trees on undeveloped
property along Dorel Drive at the intersection of Otto Court. In addition to these trees, DOT is
researching the feasibility of removing eucalyptus trees on adjacent private
property.
The Fire Department has
met on several occasions to discuss the Urban Wildland-Interface Pre-fire Plan
for the East Foothills area, including Alum Rock Park. Participating agencies have included the
park’s Ranger staff, California Division of Forestry (CDF), San Jose
Information Technologies Department, San Jose Police Department, Santa Clara
County Sheriff's Department, and others.
Fire Department staff continues to make progress in compiling
information and coordinating meetings with participating agencies.
In addition, the Fire
Department has:
q met with DOT to discuss and evaluate road bumps
proposed to be placed along the road approaching and inside of the Penitencia
Creek Road entrance to Alum Rock Park.
q met with the Country Club Heights homeowners
association to address their concerns regarding Eucalyptus trees and grass in
the area surrounding this residential development. Staff is waiting for their input on the trees.
q provided the Alum Rock Park Ranger staff with
Knox lock boxes to be placed on Crothers Road and the Penitencia Creek Road
entrance to Alum Rock Park for access to keys for entrance by emergency fire
apparatus.
q continued to remain informed of changes to access
points to Alum Rock Park and the surrounding interface neighborhood.
q distributes fire hazard information to all Fire
stations citywide.
Work with the County of Santa
Clara to Determine Feasibility, Cost, and Value of Repairing Crothers Road for
Only Emergency Access
At the beginning of August, the County began construction of a retaining structure for Highland Drive above Crothers Road. The structure is comprised of three-foot diameter piers over eighty feet deep spaced every six feet. It has three rows of tie-backs and is over 120 feet long. Completion of this $1.5 million structure is scheduled for mid-December. The County is using Crothers Road for construction access.
Emergency access to Crothers Road will be facilitated by the installation of the new gates by DOT. Upon completion of the Highland Drive retaining structure by the County, Crothers Road will be available for emergency access only. DOT has completed minimal grading and addition of base rock material so that light weight emergency vehicles can have access on this stretch of Crothers Road. The slide continues to move and expand even during dry weather. It will be continuously monitored for excessive displacement and closed to emergency access should hazardous conditions develop.
Research and Identify All Possible
Sources of Funding to Fully Reopen Alum Rock Avenue and Crothers Road for
Long-Term and Safe Public Use, And Recommend Further Feasibility Studies
The active landslide
complex is approximately 375 feet wide and some parts of the slide may be as
much as 75 feet deep. The slide has
been active on an intermittent basis for thousands of years and, absent a
massive stabilization effort, will continue to move in very wet years in the
future. The slide reactivated in 1998
as a result of the combination of extremely heavy rainfall during a six-week
period in January and February and ongoing erosion of the toe of the slide by
Penitencia Creek. The slide also moved
to a lesser degree in 1983 and 1987 when rainfall patterns and amounts were
similar, but the rain was spread out over a wider time period. Absent a massive stabilization project that
would cause significant environmental damage to the park and Penitencia
Creek--and for which regulatory permits may be impossible to obtain--the slide
will continue to move intermittently for the foreseeable future.
PRNS staff has explored
possible sources of funding to fully reopen Alum Rock Avenue and Crothers Road
for long-term and safe public use without attempting to stabilize the entire
landslide. The City’s lobbyist in
Washington D.C. is communicating with members in Congress to identify possible
Federal funding for this purpose. The
City’s lobbyist in Sacramento is also researching possible state funding to
support this need. Both lobbyists are
pursuing all possible avenues and staff is also researching other possible
sources of funding, such as grants, for this purpose. At this time, the lobbyists have identified three possible
funding sources to investigate: the California Office of Emergency Services,
the Community Development Block Grants, and the Federal Highway Administration. Alum Rock Park may be able to receive
funding from these sources, but the prospects for such funding appear poor.
As previously discussed
with the Council, long term solution(s) to fully reopen Alum Rock Avenue and
Crothers Road include the following options:
1. Constructing
an A-Frame Structure concrete pier structure with Tie-Backs into the hillside
under Alum Rock Avenue. As currently
envisioned, the piers would extend down to 110 feet. A concrete beam would tie the piers together at the top and serve
as the base for Alum Rock Avenue. The
estimates indicate this repair would cost over $6 million--possibly much
more--and would require over three years to construct. Since parts of the roadway would still
continue to move incrementally after completion of the project, ongoing
maintenance would be required. There is
no guarantee this alternative would result in a viable long term solution for
Alum Rock Avenue.
2. Constructing a bridge across the slide area on Crothers Road to reconnect the stable portions of Crothers Road. This proposal requires a structure 600 feet long and 30 feet wide. The foundation involves deep piers with grade beams and tie-backs similar to the proposal for the Alum Rock Park Entrance Road. The bridge proposal is estimated at $12 million dollars exclusive of any land acquisition that may be required.
Due to the complexity
and scale of the geotechnical investigation necessary to determine exact design
parameters for either project, a great deal of uncertainty remains regarding
the feasibility and cost of either proposal.
In addition, it is not clear whether the various environmental
regulatory agencies will allow either type of project to be constructed in such
environmentally sensitive areas given the magnitude of the environmental
impacts that will result from construction.
In short, there are no attractive options for re-opening either Alum
Rock Avenue or Crothers Road for long-term public use.
If the decision is made
to move forward regarding re-opening either Alum Rock Avenue or Crothers Road,
the next step in the process would be to retain appropriate geological/
geotechnical and environmental consultants to perform extensive studies of the
landslide and determine whether the necessary permits could be obtained. Staff estimates the combined costs of such
studies to be approximately $750,000.
If the Council decides to proceed with the studies, then staff would
continue their efforts to secure state and federal funds to underwrite the
costs. Staff can return in 90 days with
a status reports on our efforts to secure such funding. In light of the significant costs,
difficulties and uncertainties inherent in attempting to re-open either Alum
Rock Avenue or Crothers Road, staff recommends that any further study be done
only if state or federal funding is obtained.
Staff from the Departments of Public Works, Transportation, Fire, Police, and Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services continues to work together to ensure that the Council’s direction is met. Staff has also coordinated their efforts with the County of Santa Clara and the State of California.
MARK LINDER
Director of Parks, Recreation
and Neighborhood Services