Subject: TWO STATE GRANTS FOR THE GUADALUPE RIVER
TRAIL
COUNCIL DISTRICT: 3
SNI AREA: NA
Staff is concerned with the current action by the Governor to reduce the expenditures of the State. It would be in the City’s interest to have these two agreements confirmed by contracts with the State as soon as possible, thus reducing the Governor’s ability to use these funds to balance the State budget.
· Adopt a resolution approving the submittal of a grant application for funding up to $1.27 million from the State Resources Agency for the Guadalupe River Trail between Interstates 280 and 880.
· Adopt a resolution approving the submittal of a grant application for funding up to $895,000 from the State Coastal Conservancy for the Guadalupe River Trail between Interstates 280 and 880.
· Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute all documents relating to these grant funding agreements.
BACKGROUND
The State budget contains two grant allocations to the City of San Jose for the Guadalupe River Trail. The first allocation of $1.27 million is administered by the State Resources Agency. The second allocation of $895,000 is administered by the State Coastal Conservancy.
The Guadalupe River Flood Control Project within the downtown area is an essential project to reduce the risk of flooding. A by-product of that project is the Guadalupe River Park to enhance the urban environment of the downtown San Jose and fulfill a need for open space and recreational areas. The park will border the western edge of the downtown area and serve as a greenbelt of open space in the most intensely developed portion of the City. The park will complement and add to the attractiveness of the surrounding private businesses and public uses.
The trails along the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens are a link in a 15-mile trail corridor connecting the proposed San Francisco Bay Trail to Almaden Lake Park. The trail forks off from Almaden Lake Park to other connecting regional trail corridors and continues to the Bay Area Ridge Trail in the Santa Cruz Mountain. These trails are used not only for recreation, but also for commuting to work and a variety of other types of trips. The connection to the Los Gatos trail system and the Diridon Multimodal Station will encourage use by commuters and non-commuters alike. The River trails allow nature-viewing opportunities along much of the downtown riverbanks. The Downtown Guadalupe River Park between Interstates 280 and 880 will become the centerpiece of this 15-mile long trail corridor.
The Guadalupe River Park represents a completely new way of thinking about how flood-control measures can be integrated into a beautiful park setting. The river’s history of devastating floods necessitates manmade flood-protection solutions, but the City’s vision of a healthy downtown led to flood control overlaid with a colorful open space in the form of a park with plazas, pathways and gardens. The Guadalupe Park is a linear park that provides vistas to the river; passive recreation and a continuous trail system that links the Guadalupe with the Los Gatos trail system. That trail system is tied to the Bay Areas regional bay and ridge trail system that will eventually circle the entire bay area.
Any grant funds procured will be used to develop plazas, trails and pedestrian crossings between Santa Clara Street and Coleman Avenue. The trails are designed to enhance the river’s experience while preserving its delicate ecology. The trails are also the single most important element advocated for by the City’s Guadalupe River Park Task Force. The plazas will be developed through a public participation process that will provide educational graphics and signage that will teach both adults and children about the history, ecology and flood control elements of the river.
The adoption of these two grant resolutions, in association with the construction of the Guadalupe River trails, will augment other funding sources in paying for this capital improvement project. Once completed, the Downtown River trails will need to be maintained and, therefore, cost associated with the maintenance will need to be absorbed by the City.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
No public outreach has occurred regarding the proposed action. However, the Guadalupe River Trail is part of the Scenic Route and Trails Diagram (page 237) of the San Jose 2020 General Plan. Furthermore, the adopted Greenprint recognizes the Guadalupe River Trail as a major trail connector for the City. This Trail project is very visible to the public and these two grants will augment other funds in constructing the River trails through the downtown area.
This memorandum has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and the Redevelopment Agency of San Jose.
Mark Linder
Director of Parks, Recreation
and Neighborhood Services