Title
Adopt a Resolution to accept a portion of State right-of-way at the intersection of State Route 68 and Hitchcock Road in the County of Monterey into the County’s road system upon approval by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) of a Resolution of Relinquishment and recordation of said Resolution at the Monterey County Recorder’s Office.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors adopt a Resolution to accept a portion of State right-of-way at the intersection of State Route 68 and Hitchcock Road in the County of Monterey into the County’s road system upon approval by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) of a Resolution of Relinquishment and recordation of said Resolution at the Monterey County Recorder’s Office.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION
In late 2015 and early 2016, the State Department of Transportation (hereafter referred to as “Caltrans”) implemented a safety improvement project at the intersection of State Route 68 and Hitchcock Road (a County road) west of the City of Salinas. The project was implemented to improve the safety of vehicles turning left from Hitchcock Road onto State Route 68 and for vehicles turning from both directions of State Route 68 onto Hitchcock Road. The project included installation of a new traffic signal, new left-turn and right-turn lanes, and realignment of Hitchcock Road at the approach to the intersection with State Route 68.
To accomplish the project, Caltrans acquired additional road right-of-way from an adjacent parcel. The acquired right-of-way was used to realign a portion of Hitchcock Road, and is currently being used as County roadway for Hitchcock Road. Title for the realigned portion of Hitchcock road should have been relinquished from Caltrans to the County at the conclusion of the project. However, in a recent review of its records Caltrans informed the County that this was overlooked, and that Caltrans now desires to formally relinquish a portion of Hitchcock Road to the County to clean up title in this location. The attached Proposed Resolution includes an exhibit which depicts the proposed relinquishment area.
Staff in the Department of Public Works, Facilities and Parks, including the County Surveyor, have reviewed and concur with the proposed relinquishment.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Office of the County Counsel has reviewed the Proposed Resolution as to form. This item has been coordinated with Caltrans District 5.
FINANCING:
Caltrans will retain operational control of the traffic signal located at this intersection, however, the County’s share of the electrical and maintenance cost of the traffic signal will be about $2000 per year, since the County will now have a 1/3 ownership of the intersection. These County costs will be folded into the electrical expenses of all other traffic signals operated by the County and are proposed to be paid by the Road Fund. The County Road Fund annually allocates about $271,000 to cover the cost of electrical and maintenance of traffic signals.
Caltrans is responsible for preparing and processing documents to obtain necessary approvals and recording to finalize the proposed relinquishment of State right-of-way to the County as described herein.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
This effort is a final action related to a safety improvement project involving State Route 68 and a portion of Hitchcock Road. The recommended action supports the following Board of Supervisors’ Strategic initiatives:
__Economic Development
__Administration
__Health & Human Services
X Infrastructure
X Public Safety
Prepared by: Enrique Saavedra, PE, Chief of Public Works, ext. 8970
Reviewed by: Michael Goetz, PLS, County Surveyor
Reviewed by: Lindsay Lerable, Assistant Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
Approved by: Randell Ishii, MS, PE, TE, PTOE, Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
The following attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - Proposed Resolution
Attachment B - Resolution Relinquishment Area