HomeMy WebLinkAboutDune Palms RD_BRLKS-5433(014)_RelocationMemo_2015-06-05Dune Palms Road Low-Water Crossing Replacement Project 1
M e m o r a n d u m
To: Sean Yeung, Acting Office Chief Date: June 5, 2015
Planning and Local Assistance
464 West 4th Street, 6th floor, MS 760
San Bernardino, CA 92401-1400
File: 08-Riv-Local Assistance
Dune Palms Road Crossing
Replacement Project
FPN: BLRKS-5433 (014)
From: Edward J. Wimmer, P.E.
City of La Quinta
Subject: Dune Palms Road Low-Water Crossing Replacement Project –
Relocation Impact Memorandum focused on the Impacts at the Dune Palms Mobile
Estates (46400 Dune Palms Road)
Purpose of the Relocation Impact Memorandum:
The purpose of this Draft Relocation Impact Memorandum is to provide an assessment of the project’s
potential relocation impacts. This memorandum specifically addresses the impacts to the residents of
Dune Palms Mobile Estates located at 4600 Dune Palms Road (APN 6000030010) caused by the Dune
Palms Road Low-Water Crossing Replacement Project. The proposed project is anticipated to displace
three residences including one single-family home, and two mobile homes. All relocation activities of the
project will be conducted in accordance with the Federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real
Property Acquisition Act of 1970, as amended, and the California Relocation Act. Relocation resources
shall be available to all displaced residents without discrimination.
Proposed Project:
Project Purpose
The City of La Quinta is proposing to replace the existing low-water crossing spanning the Coachella
Valley Storm Water Channel (CVSWC) at Dune Palms Road with an all-weather access. The proposed
improvements will accomplish the following:
1.Provide safe access across the CVSWC (Whitewater River) during all-weather events;
2.Provide reliable route for emergency vehicles, motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists; and
3.Achieve the City’s General Plan goals for the corridor.
Draft Relocation Impact Memorandum
Dune Palms Road Low-Water Crossing Replacement Project 2
Figure 1: Vicinity Map
Draft Relocation Impact Memorandum
Dune Palms Road Low-Water Crossing Replacement Project 3
Project Need
Dune Palms Road serves a vital access for emergency services within the project area, as well as for La
Quinta High, John Glenn Middle, and Amelia Earhart Elementary Schools. It also provides connectivity of
the city residential development north of the Channel with the Highway 111 commercial corridor
located south of the CVSWC. See Figure 1: Vicinity Map and Figure 2: Location Map.
The CVSWC conveys storm water runoff from the surrounding mountains as well as developed areas
within the Coachella Valley. The elevation of the existing Dune Palms Road low-water crossing causes it
to flood during minor rain events (2-year frequency) and results in full street closure and detour of both
vehicle and pedestrian traffic. In the interest of public health and safety, and in response to community
concerns regarding frequent closures of the low-water crossing, the City of La Quinta has determined
that replacement of the low-water crossing with a new bridge is needed to ensure that all-weather
access is maintained. The Dune Palms Road low-water crossing is the last remaining low-water crossing
of the CVSWC within the City.
Existing Conditions
The existing roadway crosses the CVSWC at the channel grade. The roadway width is 68 feet at the
crossing, and consists of one northbound and two southbound through lanes, eight foot wide walkway
area along the western edge, and an eight foot shoulder along the eastern edge of the road; and no
median. The existing roadway approach south of the crossing consists of one northbound and two
southbound through lanes. The northern roadway approach consists of one through lanes in each
direction. The transition from one to two lanes in the southbound direction occurs at the midpoint of
the channel crossing. Dune Palms Road approximately one-quarter mile north of the channel low-water
crossing and just south of the project limits is a four lane roadway with a median. The roadway section
just north of the crossing will be widened as part of an approved City project. The project was approved
with a Mitigated Negative Declaration under CEQA in April 2010.
Proposed Improvements
The project proposes to remove the existing low-water crossing of Dune Palms Road at the CVSWC in the City
of La Quinta, Riverside County. The crossing will be replaced with a 480 feet long and 86 feet wide four-span
bridge. The bridge typical section consists of six-foot sidewalk on both sides of the bridge, two (2) eight-foot
outside shoulders also serving as bike/golf cart lanes, a 10 foot raised median, two (2) eleven-foot travel lanes,
and two (2) twelve-foot travel lanes.
The proposed configuration will be consistent with the existing four lane roadway section to the south, and
the City’s current improvement project to the north (project number 2009-04), which will widen Dune Palms
Road from two to four lanes with a median and left turn lanes.
The proposed improvements will include a reconstruction of the north and south bridge approaches to
accommodate the significant raised profile of the roadway. In order to match the roadway section on the
south side of the bridge, the project’s construction limits will be extended to 239 feet of Highway 111. On the
Draft Relocation Impact Memorandum
Dune Palms Road Low-Water Crossing Replacement Project 4
north side of the bridge, the project construction limits will be extended to include a vacant lot immediately
north of the project limits. The vacant lot is owned by the City and will be offered by the City in the bidding
documents to be used for storage and construction staging by the contractor for the construction of this
project.
As a part of the bridge construction, concrete slope protection will be installed along the north side of the
channel. Additionally, minor removal and replacement of slope protection will be required on the south side
of channel west of the proposed bridge and extension of slope protection approximately 300 feet downstream
of the proposed bridge. The slope protection is needed for scour countermeasures. As a result of the
proposed cast-in-place drilled shaft bridge construction, scour protection within the bottom of the channel
should not be required.
The project will also include the following additional improvements:
·Railing Architectural treatment. The bridge design will incorporate railing architectural treatment as
required by the City’s standard design.
·Integration of a regional Bike/Pedestrian/NEV corridor (CV Link). The Coachella Valley Association of
Governments (CVAG) and the communities within the Coachella Valley are working together on the
implementation of a regional Bike/Pedestrian/NEV corridor (CV Link) along Whitewater River and
Coachella Valley Storm Water Channel. The project design will be consistent with these plans by
allowing for the integration of a trail under crossing within the southern slope protection, which also
includes a trail connector to the pedestrian and bike facilities proposed along Dune Palms Road in the
project area.
·Utility Relocation. The project will also require utility relocations for overhead electrical
distribution lines (Imperial Irrigation District facility), adjustment to both water valve can and
lids and the manhole covers, minor 12” ductile iron pipe water main relocations at each bridge
abutment, and relocation of both a 12” and 18” sewer line at the northern bridge abutment.
Right-of-Way Requirements
The project will require right-of-way acquisition on the northeast and southeast corners of the proposed
bridge. The existing development at the northeast corner of the proposed bridge consists of a Mobile
Home Park with one single family home. Some of the mobile homes adjacent to the Dune Palms Road
are encroaching within the street right of way. The project may require the acquisition of the single-
family residence and relocation of two mobile homes residents. The project will be designed to avoid and
minimize relocation impacts of the mobile homes.
Temporary Construction Bypass
The existing roadway will be modified to construct a temporary bypass road. The temporary bypass will
allow for staged construction of the bridge, and maintaining vehicle and pedestrian access at all times.
Temporary and short term access impact may occur during construction, and will require coordination
with property owners, the public, and other stakeholders.
Draft Relocation Impact Memorandum
Dune Palms Road Low-Water Crossing Replacement Project 5
Figure 2: Location Map
Existing Setting:
According to the City of La Quinta 2035 General Plan Circulation Element, the traffic volumes on Dune
Palms Road range from 10,000 to 12,000 vehicles per day along this segment of the roadway.
Intersections with Dune Palms are operating at level of service C, and roadway segments are operating
at level of service A; bicycles are accommodated via a Class III Bicycle Path.
The Dune Palms Mobile Estates neighborhood includes 103 mobile homes with an on-site swimming
pool amenity, and one traditional single-story single-family home at the southwest corner of the site
facing Dune Palms Road, abutting the north side of the CVSWC. The approximate density of the Dune
Palms Mobile Estates neighborhood is 9.2 dwelling units per acre based on a total of 104 dwelling units
located on an 11.29-acre parcel. According to information obtained on Zillow.com (December 23, 2014),
the 103 mobile homes typically range in age from the mid-1960’s to the mid-1990’s, the majority of the
homes range in size from approximately 600 square feet to 01,200 square feet in area.
Draft Relocation Impact Memorandum
Dune Palms Road Low-Water Crossing Replacement Project 6
Potential Impacts:
Based on the project improvements and limits of construction as described above, impacts to the
residential units include two of the individual mobile homes and one traditional single-story single-
family home, along the Dune Palms Road frontage as summarized in Table 1:
TABLE 1
Summary of Potentially Affected Properties
Property Type Impacts due to the Dune Palms Road
Low-Water Crossing Replacement
Project
Single Family
Units*
1
Mobile Homes*2
Multi-Family
Units
0
Non-residential
Displacements
0
*The type of residential unit is based on visual observation and research.
This research did not include contacting the affected residents at this time.
TABLE 2
Description of the Affected Properties
Property Type APN Type of Property General Plan Land Use Owner Name
Single Family
Units*
6000030010
Single-family home
(adjacent to mobile
home park)
Medium/High Density
Residential
Chin Family Survivors Trust
(per Quitclaim deed dated
11/23/2005)
Mobile Homes*6000030010 Mobile home park Medium/High Density
Residential
Chin Family Survivors Trust
(per Quitclaim deed dated
11/23/2005)
Non-residential
Displacements
NA
*All affected residential units are located on a single APN.
Draft Relocation Impact Memorandum
Dune Palms Road Low-Water Crossing Replacement Project 7
Statement of Findings:
As a result of project improvements described herein, all three of the residential properties affected
(one single-family home and two mobile homes) will be demolished, and the residents of each of three
homes will need to be relocated. Options are available to relocate residents of the mobile homes to
vacant lots within the same mobile home park, or other mobile home parks in nearby areas. Within a
two-mile radius of the Dune Palms Mobile Estates there are potential relocation sites available for
consideration. The research of available properties (Table 3) was intentionally isolated to a two-mile
radius so that residents are not removed from the general vicinity of neighborhoods to which they are
accustomed to shopping, going to church, attending school, and finding healthcare. Both rental
properties and for-sale properties are available for single-family homes and mobile homes; single-family
home rental opportunities are also available within a two-mile radius; we were unable to determine if
mobile home rentals are available based on available data.
TABLE 3
Representative Summary of Relocation Resources Available within 2-mile radius
April 2015
Source:Zillow.com as of April 14, 2015.
No attempt has been made at this point to contact the occupants of each of the three homes to
determine number of residents, age, or special needs of the occupants which may be required as part of
relocation assistance benefits. In this analysis it was assumed that the two existing mobile homes would
be demolished, rather than relocated, due to potential age of the mobile home and other structural
considerations. However, relocation of the mobile home may be an option that can be explored in the
final relocation assistance plan.
On-site appraisals to determine actual market value will be conducted for each property to be relocated
based on current market conditions prior to acquisition. The appropriate project staff will contact all
affected residents to ensure that eligible displaced residents receive full relocation benefits, including
advisory assistance, and “Last Resort Housing” benefits should that be necessary. All activities will be
conducted in accordance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies
Act of 1970, as amended, and the California Department of Transportation Right-of-Way Manual.
Relocation resources shall be available to all displaced residents without discrimination.
Property Type For Rent For Sale Total Units
Mobile Homes None found 5
Range in asking prices from
$10,000 to $70,000
5
Single-Family
Homes
6
Range in rent from
$1,650 to $2,100
7
Range in asking prices from
$65,000 to $165,000
13