Title
a. Receive a project report on the Carmel River Lagoon Project; and
b. Provide direction to staff, as appropriate.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Capital Improvement Committee:
a. Receive a project report on the Carmel River Lagoon Project; and
b. Provide direction to staff, as appropriate.
SUMMARY:
The proposed project is located within and adjacent to the Carmel River State Beach and Lagoon between State Route (SR) 1 and the Pacific Ocean in the unincorporated Carmel area of Monterey County, California.
The project is a multi-objective, multi-year, multi-organizational effort to improve habitat for threatened and endangered species in the lower Carmel River and Lagoon, improve natural floodplain function, and protect public infrastructure, while maintaining or improving flood risk to existing developed areas.
Pursuant to a 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), the project consists of three project components: 1) Ecosystem Protective Barrier (EPB); 2) Scenic Road Protection Structure (SRPS); and 3) Interim Sandbar Management Plan (ISMP). An Environmental Impact Report on the project is being prepared for the project. The Capital Improvement Committee last received an update on this project on December 9, 2016 (Legistar File No. 16-1333
Since that timethe Draft EIR was released for a 60-day public review period beginning December 2, 2106 and ending on January 31, 2017.The County received a significant number of comments, and additional technical studies related to the SRPS component have been identified as a result of the public comment. Staff is processing an amendment to the County’s consultant agreements to accommodate the additional work. Stage 1 (establishment of a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), evaluation of natural stream alignment and breach location (draft), evaluation impacts of wall options on the beach (draft), preliminary 60% design (draft)) of the additional studies can be completed with the $100,000 included in the RMA’s Approved Budget for FY17-18. Staff is also coordinating with the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), USACE, and NOAA Fisheries to address State Parks request that the County propose a project that is within its own jurisdiction. In the meantime, RMA staff is preparing for the winter 2017-18 season by obtaining the necessary permits to implement the ISMP.
Staff requests direction from the Committee as to how to proceed with management in the Carmel Lagoon:
1) Continue environmental document process, technical studies and obtain permits to manage the lagoon for winter season 2017-2018; or
2) Discontinue long-term project and sandbar management, except for implementing the sand bag flood protection barrier, if property owners permit.
DISCUSSION:
See Attachment 1.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Monterey County Resource Management Agency (RMA) has entered into an MOU with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, aka NOAA Fisheries). The RMA is also working with the regulatory agencies consisting of Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), California Coastal Commission (CCC), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) is the underlying landowner and provides biological monitoring of protected bird species (snowy plover) for the project. The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) cooperates to provide lagoon and river condition monitoring and are contracted by the County to provide biological monitoring of protected fish species (steelhead) for sandbar management activities.
FINANCING:
The County has spent a total of $779,099 in FY13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 toward planning and analyzing the long-term project. The total estimated cost to complete the project is $17,465,470, with the following remaining activities and associated costs:
Technical Studies = $360,470
State Parks Facilitation = $20,000
Recirculate and Final EIR = $160,000
Design = $500,000
Permitting = $190,000
Construction = $15,500,000
Total Estimated Remaining Cost = $16,730,470
The RMA’s FY2017-18 Adopted Budget includes $100,000 (of the $630,000 augmentation requested amount) for the project. The County is processing an amendment to its consultant’s contract to continue the environmental analysis for the project by providing additional technical studies regarding the Scenic Road Protection Structure. The $100,000 for FY17-18 will allow the consultant to complete the first of three stage of the additional technical studies. The technical study activites are broken out into three stages and generally includes the following:
• Stage 1: Establishment of a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), evaluation of natural stream alignment and breach location (draft), evlauation impacts of wall options on the beach (draft), preliminary 60% design (draft)
• Stage 2: Ongoing TAC activities, sediment transport analysis
• Stage 3: Complete TAC activities, evaluation of natural stream alignment and breach location (final), evaluation impacts of wall options on the beach (final), preliminary 60% design (final)
Anticipated cost to complete the additional technical studies is estimated to be:
Stage 1 = $ 99,780 ($100,000 from approved FY17-18 budget)
Stage 2 = $188,310
Stage 3 = $ 72,380
TOTAL = $360,470
Stage 1 is fully funded and is anticipated to be complete within six (6) months of the consultant beginning work. Once funding is identified to complete stages 2 and 3 of the technical studies ($260,690), the County will authorize the consultant team to begin work. If Stages 1, 2 and 3 were to be completed concurrently the technical studies could be completed within 9 months; if they are completed sequentially the timeline expands out to 18 months.
Staff is working with State Parks and NOAA Fisheries staff to identify a scope of work, cost, and funding mechanism to retain a third-party consultant to advance discsussions regarding the different SRPS project alternatives.
It is anticipated that the additional technical studies, once complete, will cause the DEIR to be updated and recirculated. Once the technical studies are near completion staff will work with the consultant to prepare a scope of work and budget for DEIR recirculation, and update cost estimates for Final EIR and proejct permitting. Staff anticiaptes a need to request General Fund appropriations for FY2018-19 to fund DEIR recirculation, Final EIR, and project permitting. RMA staff is working with the County’s Strategic Grant Program to identify and apply for the estimated $15.5 million in additional funds necessary to complete the planning, construction and post construction monitoring phases of this project.
Once the Final EIR is complete and a project is selected, staff will complete a cost estimate, timeline and funding strategy to complete the design, construction and post-constuction monitoring of the project.
Prepared by: Melanie Beretti, Special Programs Manager, ext. 5285
Approved by: Carl Holm, AICP, RMA Director
The following attachments are on file:
Attachment 1 - Carmel Lagoon EPB/SRPS Report (REF120051), November 2017