Attached is the official record distributed to the board.
Board_Correspondence_Date
AUGUST 12, 2022
Board_Correspondence_TO
TO: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board_Correspondence_Through_CEO
THROUGH: STEPHANIE WIGGINS
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Prepared_by
FROM: JAMES DE LA LOZA
CHIEF PLANNING OFFICER
Subject
SUBJECT: MONTHLY MAJOR PROJECTS UPDATE - PLANNING
Issue
ISSUE
Countywide Planning and Development provides a monthly status report of the major planning efforts.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The attached report provides a summary of 14 projects in early and environmental stages of development, and activities since the last reporting. These include our four Pillar Projects and other transit corridor projects funded by Measure M. Some notable highlights include:
• Eastside Phase 2 - The Draft EIR was released on June 30, 2022, kicking off a public review and comment period that is scheduled to end on August 29. This represents a 60-day comment period, while the minimum is typically 45 days as required by CEQA. Comments may be submitted online or by participating in scheduled public hearings, which will be held mostly in-person with one virtual session (see schedule in the attached presentation). As typical with Metro community engagement, all hearings will provide in-language services and accommodations meeting ADA requirements.
• Rail to River Active Transportation Corridor (Segment B) - This month, through the Planning and Programming Committee (August 17, 2022), the Metro Board will receive findings from the Supplemental Alternatives Analysis and will take action on the staff recommendation to maintain Randolph Street as the preferred alignment.
• Vermont Transit Corridor - The Metro Board also will receive a separate receive-and-file item with updates on the Community-Based Partnership Program and next steps for conducting environmental analysis for this corridor. This will be presented through the Planning and Programming Committee in August.
• Rio Hondo Confluence Station Feasibility Study - This month, the Board will receive a Board Box memo presenting findings from the completed Feasibility Study.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Metro staff continues to provide project-specific briefings (regularly scheduled and as-requested) to Board members and their staff. Metro staff and executive team will continue to work with the Board Chair to identify the frequency and method for providing future updates on Planning’s major corridor projects.
Metro’s Board has provided several directives in response to the state of Metro capital projects and industry trends driving cost. These have included establishing measures to manage and control project scope growth through all phases of project development, identifying and managing third party and utility requirements that contribute to project costs, and evaluating the Metro Rail System Design Criteria (Legistar 2022-0168).
Other efforts include the formation of a multi-departmental Early Intervention Team, and -- specific to Planning’s monthly update report -- Director Dupont-Walker’s Amendment directing staff to include cost estimate ranges and design levels for all projects (Legistar 2022-0361). As part of the Early Intervention Team, Planning staff is working with the Deputy CEO, Program Management and Operations to develop an agency-wide, consistent monitoring and reporting method on costs and design progress to support a broad program of cost-control strategies. Planning staff will begin to incorporate the requested information in future Monthly Major Projects Reports when available.