CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Several capital improvement projects in the city of Clearlake are getting nearer to completion, including a multiyear project that will enhance recreation amenities in the city.
The Thompson Harbor Boat Launch Facility project is entering its final phase while road projects are being completed and others are continuing in effort to improve safety and create continuity and connectivity throughout the city.
The rehabilitation of Thompson Harbor has been an active capital project since 2012, when the California Boating and Waterways awarded the city a grant in the amount of $945,000.
The grant application originally was submitted in 2010, but Clearlake Public Works Director Doug Herren said the need for the project was identified much earlier.
“I've been working on this since 2007. It's a lengthy process but it's necessary,” Herren said. “Thompson Harbor is one of the most utilized boat launching facilities around the lake. It is an important asset to the city and it must be maintained for the public.”
Herren said the project was identified to ensure Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, enhance parking lot and boat launching facilities and improve the safety of the park.
The scope of work funded through the grant includes lengthening one boarding dock; replacing two suspended boarding float docks; replacing two other boarding floats; adding security lighting in the parking lot area and on the boarding floats; dredging in the area of existing boarding floats; rehabilitating existing parking lot paving and restriping; and installing a new project sign.
After receiving award of the grant in July 2012, the city solicited request for proposals for engineering and design and construction management and inspection of the project.
The bid was awarded in October 2012 to Coastland Civil Engineers, which was rated as having the best proposal for the project with its cost within the budget limits. The bid amount was not to exceed $106,314 – $78,879 for design and $32,425 for inspection.
“We felt that Coastland Civil Engineers had one of the better subcontractors that was doing the actual design of the boat launching facilities. (Moffett & Nichols) have a lot of experience with Boating and Waterways and (Boating and Waterways) are aware of them,” City Engineer Bob Galusha said.
“Our experience with Coastland Civil Engineers has always been excellent. They consistently come in under budget and on time. Those are the kinds of things that are really important,” he added.
Coastland Civil Engineers submitted the 100-percent conceptual design in June of this year with the city receiving approval from Boating and Waterways to bid the project in July. Galusha said three bids were received with award going to Argonaut Constructors on Sept. 15 in the amount of $888,649.
“The low bid came in higher than expected but we feel it is a reasonable bid and rebidding the project would not be beneficial,” Galusha said. “Additionally, the grant funds for this project are only available through May 1, 2015.”
Galusha said the best time to readvertise and bid the project would be February 2015, which may not leave enough time to comply with grant deadline, therefore the city would lose the grant funds.
He said the majority of the work in this phase is rehabilitation and repaving of the parking lot and should be done in warmer weather.
Additional work in the contract with Argonaut Constructors includes replacement and extension of two boarding docks, extension of another boarding dock, installation of lighting on the docks and dredging. “This will complete the project,” Herren said.
Public Works performed and completed dredging work, in-house, on Sept. 22. Herren said about 80 yards of sediment was removed from around the two southern most docks in the launching facility.
The project involved water testing and the installation of turbidity curtains to contain the mud plume, he said.
Performance of the dredging work required the acquisition of permits from several agencies including the US Army Corps of Engineers, Lake County Lakebed Management, Central Valley Regional Water Control Board, Lake County Environmental Health and the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Herren said permits, which were secured in December 2013, are set to expire on Oct. 15, making it necessary to perform the dredging work before expiration.
Capital road improvement projects
Several road projects to accommodate for bike/pedestrian lanes and improve safety are progressing.
Travelers in Clearlake are currently seeing white, painted etchings on roadways in preparation of a citywide striping project that will tie together local and grant-funded projects to enhance continuity and connectivity throughout Clearlake.
Chrisp Co. was granted the contract in August to perform a citywide restriping project that will include the installation of reflective centerline markers. Galusha said the project will result in the addition of reflective, thermo plastic striping on many roads where striping currently does not exist. He said this will significantly improve safety.
Chrisp Co. also will perform bike/pedestrian lane conversion projects on Lakeshore and Olympic drives, he said.
“One of the proposals in the Lakeshore Drive Corridor Study is to install bike/pedestrian lanes on Lakeshore Drive throughout the corridor,” Galusha said.
Galusha said traffic lanes will be narrowed in the conversion, which he said may assist in slowing traffic, which is another issue addressed in the Lakeshore Drive Corridor Study.
Galusha said the conversion projects entail removal of existing edge or fog lines on both sides of the roadways and restriping to provide for the lanes. Both of the new bike/pedestrian lanes will connect with the existing bike lane on Old Highway 53.
In anticipation of the restriping and conversion projects, which gained Highway Safety Improvement Program funds in separate applications, the Knife River Construction completed a street maintenance project on Olympic Drive and Old Highway 53 in August. This was a local project, Galusha said, using existing gas tax funds to repair and overlay the streets prior to restriping.
In addition to the ongoing road improvement projects, the city was involved with four Safe Routes To Schools projects in the past year, two of which were completed. Completed projects include those that increase safety in the area Pomo and Burns Valley Elementary schools, according to Galusha.
Another Safe Routes To Schools project is progressing with the recent acquisition of right-of-way for a project in the area of Dam Road Extension. Galusha said the city will apply for State Transportation Improvement Program funds to perform engineer and environmental work in the next grant cycle, which is 2016.
The primary funding sources for these projects are through grants awarded to the city for specific purposes. Grant sources are federal, state and local.
Herren said being competitive in the grant process is essential as most of the city's improvements, since its incorporation in 1980, were funded through grants.
Galusha – who is tasked with overseeing the design and development of financing sources for public infrastructure of the city consistent with its goals and policies – is consistent in preparing successful grant applications.
On a number of occasions his applications have resulted in the city of Clearlake being the first in the state to be awarded a specific grant in a cycle.
Galusha said the key to a successful grant application is creating continuity and connectivity, increasing access and public safety.
“First you have to envision projects that are going to fit within the scope of the grant application,” Galusha said. “Then you tie them together with the input of other agencies – and there are many needs in the city that fit within the scope.”
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