Letter from City of San Jose with concerns about Los Gatos Creek bridge replacement impact on creek trail

1. #%CITYOF Sr iS
Department of PublicWorks
CAPITALOF SILICONVALLEY
BARRY NG, DIRECTOR
June 21,2016
Ms. Liria Larano
Director of Engineering & Construction for Caltrain
Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board
San Mateo County Transit Agency (SamTrans)
1250 San Carlos Avenue
San Carlos, CA 94070-1306
SUBJECT: LOS GATOS CREEK BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT
LOS GATOS CREEK TRAIL REACH 5B/C PROJECT
Dear Ms. Larano,
This letter documents my organization's significant concerns that Caltrain/JPB's current plans
for the Los Gatos Bridge Replacement Project impact the City's ability to build thefuture trail
undercrossing project planned as part of the Los Gatos Creek Trail Project. As further described
in the background below, the City recently received 100% design plans for the Bridge that are
significantly altered from the 95% version previously reviewed by City staff. These changes
have not been made in consultation with the City's team and havethe potential to make the trail
infeasible.
We appreciate the recent efforts toward collaborating on this project, namely the staff meeting
and agreement on May 31,2016, to worktogether to support the viability and functionality of
both the Caltrain/JPB Bridge and the Los Gatos Creek Trail. To that end, we havethree key
requests:
1) Caltrain ensures that the retaining wall being constructed as part of the bridge project
extends deep enoughto accommodate the future trail project, ideally at Caltrain's
expense. The Caltrain revised designshould provide a retaining wall depth at least two
feet below the proposed final paved surface of the trail as shown on the profile of the
revised 35% plans for the Los Gatos Creek Trail Project.
2) Caltrain commits to moving the mitigation area currently proposed to be constructed on
the future trail alignment toanother location, ideally outside of the footprint of the
proposed trail as shown on the revised 35% Los Gatos Creek Trail plan and profile
drawings. The Caltrain revised design should ensure that the City will have a continuous
15 foot wideflat area in order to construct the future paved trail. All mitigation planting
should occur at least 5 feet below the proposed trail profile as previously discussed.
3) Caltrain commits to providing encroachment permit approvals to allow the construction
of the City's future trail under Caltrain's structure and within Caltrain's right of way.

2. Ms. Liria Larano
June 21,2016
Los Gatos Creek Trail Reach 5B/C Project
Los Gatos Creek Bridge Replacement Project
Page 2
Additionally, we would like to re-iterate our prior requests for data as follows:
• Provide the approved CEQA and NEPA documents for the JPB Bridge Projectthat show
the bridge project impacts to adjacent properties and the trail project. This information
was requested at a March 2016 meeting.
« Provide evidence that the regulatory permit agencies have approved the proposed
mitigation planting plans that are in conflict with future trail development.
• Provide documentation on how the JPB intends to address or mitigate for the impacts to
the City's trail project. These design issues and conflicts remained unresolved and have
been a point of discussion for months.
• Provide evidence that the Santa ClaraValley Water District is aware and supportive of
the bridge design that does not appear to meet 100-year FEMA freeboard clearance
requirements for new bridge structures. Provide documentation how the 100-year design
water surface (post bridge construction) may impact the surrounding community and
provide evidence of how the JPB intends to mitigate for future floodingevents.
As you are aware, the City of San Jose (City) and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board
(JPB) have projects in the same physical location along Los Gatos Creek between Auzerais
Avenue and West San Carlos Street. The City's trail under-crossing project and JPB's
replacement railway bridge have been planned for several years. The City Council adopted our
Trail Master Plan in 2008, and the City paid for JPB staff time to ensurethat our plan
acknowledged the JPB's future needs.
The City has been advancing development of the Los Gatos Creek Trail Reach 5 project for two
decades.
• December 1985: Develop Los Gatos Creek Trail Master Plan as a regional project
• June 2006: Commence Master Plan for Reach 5
• June 2008: Approval ofReach 5 Master Plan by the City Council
• 2010: Secure federal funds for design of Reach5
• October 2013: Commence design and environmental (NEPA) documentation
As part of the 2008 master plan, and as previously noted, the City funded JPB staff time to
ensure well-integrated projects. In recent months, we have had ten meetings with JPB to
advance the design and environmental phases of thetrail project, and to coordinate with JPB's
bridge replacement project.
Recently, we have found it difficult to gain an accurate and sustained understanding of the JPB's
project. The changing design approachhas been very costly and time consuming to the City.

3. Ms. Liria Larano
June 21, 2016
Los Gatos Creek Trail Reach 5B/C Project
Los Gatos Creek Bridge Replacement Project
Page 3
The following are a few examples that have significantly impacted the City's project:
• November 2014: JPB notified the City of its intent to lower the bridge soffit by nearly
two feet. The City had to alter its design to meet minimum clearance requirements and
incurred a 25% increase inproject costs (nearly one million dollars). The lowered trail
will be less functional as it will be closed for an estimated 14 days per year across an
estimated 7 events per year, based on JPB hydraulic evaluations. Because of the more
frequent flooding, it will be more costly to maintain. Understanding that this was JPB's
confirmed design, the City revised the preliminary trail plans and NEPA documents in
August 2015 and distributed a copy of the revised 35% design submittal to the JPB.
® August 2015: JPB reported further changes to the existing natural slope upstream of the
proposed railroad bridge in the vicinity of the proposed trail and stated that the 100%
plans would be available within 2-3 weeks (mid-September 2015). The JPB recommitted
at this time that all final mitigation plantings intended to satisfy impacts from the railroad
project would be below the proposed elevation of the City's trail. The City stopped its
design work until updated plans fromthe JPB were received.
• March 2016: City received 100% JPB plans which were significantly different from the
design intent reported in August. The installation of a soldier pile retaining wall, ^-ton
rock slope protection and final mitigation plantings across the entire slope will seriously
impact the City's design.
City staff has been worldng with Caltrain staff for years, and there has been an effort to
collaborate and plan for each agency's project needs. When City staff reviewed the 100% JPB
plans in March 2016, they expressed concern to your team about the significantly altered plans
that time. Despite our concerns, it appears that you are proceeding with bidding. The current
design significantly complicates future excavation of the trail undercrossing and may undermine
your bridge structure, it mitigates upon land defined for trail usage, and it adds materials to our
future area of grading and construction. The 100% design plans appear to ignore the long-term
planning and collaboration effort made by City organization.
This is contrary to our long-term collaborative effort and commitment to create well-integrated
public access projects. I do appreciate the fact that your team met with us on Tuesday May 31,
to discuss our concerns and that your Planning Division has expressed a desire and commitment
to work through these challenges withus. At the May 31, meeting, we agreed upon a course of
action that, if implemented by Caltrain, can help to mitigate potential impacts to our future trail
project by addressing our three key requests.
Moving forward, while we are not happy with the reduced elevation of the trail, we arewilling to
concede on this issue because we believe that thesite conditions and engineering requirements
limit Caltrain to the preferred bridge structure and soffit cross-section. Even with this reduced
elevation, the City has a trail project that is further compromised and potentially infeasible based
on your project's new design. The compromised condition is primarily because your bridge

4. Ms. Liria Larano
June 21,2016
Los Gatos Creek Trail Reach 5B/C Project
Los Gatos Creek Bridge Replacement Project
Page 4
foundation does not anticipate our future excavation work and your project has encroached on
our future trail alignment for mitigation planting purposes.
The Los Gatos Creek Trail project is very important to the City's overall trail network. The trail
system links the City's most well-used trail systems (Los Gatos Creek and Guadalupe River) for
recreation and commuting. The trail system leads people near the Diridon Train Station, which
we are working closely with you to expand and has Caltrain's third highest ridership. The trail
also creates an off-street route that supports bicycle and pedestrian travel in an urban zone
impacted by nearby freeway on-ramp traffic.
As a partner, the City wishes to support the JPB's project so it is critical that we have the
requested data and written confirmation of your commitment to our three priority issues by no
later than July 1,2016 and that the permits and oversight of multiple agencies be confirmed.
Sincerely,
cc: Angel Rios, Jr.
Director of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services