Council approves design contract
for 10th Street corridor beautification
March 21, 2014
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula City Council
By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula Times The contract to design enhancements for the 10th Street corridor between Highway 126 and Santa Paula Street was approved by the City Council at a recent meeting, and although the design should be completed by May it will probably takes months more for review and acceptance by the state.
The council approved taking $58,360 from the $626,340 grant for the improvement project without discussion.
The project will include murals and other enhancements along a stretch of 10th Street/Highway 150 from the eastbound exit of Highway 126 to Santa Paula Street, little more than half-a-mile but what is considered a major city gateway.
Improvement plans call for walkway safety lighting to encourage more use by pedestrians, additional landscaping and the construction of Class 2 bike path along the corridor.
“We’ll wrap up the design pretty quickly,” Interim Public Director Brian
Yanez said later of the project funded by federal transportation taxes administered by Ventura County Transportation Commission.
Although the parameters of the grant have changed since it was awarded to the city, the project is moving ahead.
But, Yanez noted, “Once the design is completed we’ll have to go through Caltrans, that might take eight months or so,” to garner design approval.
“We have to be creative,” in creating a Class 2 Bike Lane to connect with the Bicycle Trail as well as meet up with a second Class 2 Bike Lane at Santa Paula Street. Palm Avenue also has a Class 2 Bike Lane.
Beautification is a priority and the city is working with American in Bloom (AIB) on implementing such plans.
“We have to be creative,” said Yanez and, “America in Bloom is that... with Main Street to Santa Barbara Street being hardscape,” versus landscape, “we’ll see how we do that, we’ll put our heads together.”
Yanez just submitted another grant to the Ventura County Transportation Commission to put a Class 2 bike and access trail at Fagan Barranca between Santa Paula and Main streets.
“The idea is to remove all the eucalyptus trees, reroute the path, add lighting and an 8 foot wide connection, make it safe. We’ll have the split rail fencing, put in other trees and landscape so people will use and enjoy it.”
Habitat for Humanity is presently building eight single-family homes on Cemetery Road and Yanez said their construction and site improvements would mesh with the city’s plan for a trail.
“Hopefully,” said Yanez, “we get that grant too... “
For now he’ll concentrate on finalizing the 10th Street Corridor project.
“We want the design completed by the end of May, both firms that responded to our request for proposal knew that schedule. We want to move quick with the design, then go back into the process with Caltrans,” for approval.
Such a process, he noted, could take about eight months before work can actually begin on Santa Paula’s gateway, a thoroughfare that also leads tourists to the Ojai Valley.
“The goal is when you get off the freeway at 10th Street people look around and say ‘Wow, this is really nice... ‘ that’s my goal,” to give residents as well as passersby a beautiful venue that will make them want to see more.
“What makes that happen,” said Yanez, “is what we have to work out.”
