Hollister City Council members Monday are set to decide if they
want to move ahead on a route transfer to Caltrans of the Highway
25 bypass or recommend delaying the change because the state agency
has indicated it will not bring the road to a status of
”
good repair
”
with the transition.
Hollister City Council members Monday are set to decide if they want to move ahead on a route transfer to Caltrans of the Highway 25 bypass or recommend delaying the change because the state agency has indicated it will not bring the road to a status of “good repair” with the transition.
The local transit authority finished the Highway 25 bypass in February 2009. For years during planning and development of the project, the city understood the state would hand over the road in what’s officially known as a “relinquishment” – which would call for the state fixing current problems to the road, with estimates of about $2.5 million needed for the work, according to a council staff report. But Caltrans has noted how it would agree to what is designated as a “route transfer” – would calls for a mere swap of the roads, while one is relatively new and the other needs a lot of work.
The city, San Benito County and San Benito County Council of Governments are considering the ownership swap with the state. COG completed the $54 million project – largely funded with local tax dollars, along with some federal money – early last year. Caltrans has agreed to use $125,000 in discretionary funds assigned to the district for placement of a cape seal between Rancho Drive and Nash Road and for design of handicap access ramps at most of the intersections. That work is scheduled for the summer of 2012, according to Caltrans.
The city staff in providing options to council members noted how Caltrans did, indeed, perform major repairs to Highway 156 when it was relinquished to the city in an ownership swap many years ago. The state in response has contended that Highway 156 was a Caltrans-driven project, while the bypass has been pushed locally.
City Manager Clint Quilter in a report provided the perceived advantages and disadvantages of a relinquishment or route transfer.
Stated advantages to moving ahead without much funding help from the state include:
– Achieving a “long-held goal” of having city control of San Benito Street
– Eliminating the need for state approval of permitting downtown events, along with approvals for utility and maintenance repairs
– Allowing physical modifications of downtown to encourage citizens to spend more time shopping and enjoying the area
– Avoiding long-term maintenance costs on the new highway
Stated disadvantages include:
– Inheriting a road with $2.5 million of deferred maintenance after contributing $24.3 million to the new road
– Undetermined extraordinary, ongoing maintenance costs until such time as deferred maintenance is done
The Hollister Downtown Association also gave a recommendation, to move ahead on the route transfer and for the city officials to “cut their losses” and move ahead. The HDA did note its “disappointment” with the agreement’s terms, but also pointed out benefits to having city control of the road.
“The vitality of our downtown is dependent on creating a pedestrian friendly environment which is not possible with a state highway running down the middle,” the letter reads.
The council meets at 6:30 p.m. at Hollister City Hall, 375 Fifth St.
