Title
Acquisition of Real Property and Related Easements and Licenses for South Central Extension/Downtown Hub (SCE/DH) and Northwest Extension Phase II (NWEII) Light Rail Projects (Ordinance S-46087)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to acquire all real property and related property interests through either: (1) donation, (2) purchase within the City's appraised value, (3) purchase at a settlement amount arrived at through mediation (and determined by the City Manager or his designee to be reasonable under the circumstances), or (4) eminent domain, for SCE/DH and NWEII, and to provide relocation assistance and benefits as federally mandated. Further request authorization to dedicate land with roadway and/or public improvements to public use for right-of-way or utility purposes via separate recording instruments, accept and grant all easements along the alignments, and execute all necessary licenses and agreements in furtherance of this ordinance. Further request authorization for the City Controller to disburse, and for the City Treasurer to accept, all funds related to this item.
Further request the City Council to grant an exception pursuant to Phoenix City Code § 42-20 to authorize inclusion of indemnification and assumption of liability provisions that otherwise would be prohibited by Phoenix City Code § 42-18 within the documents for those transactions between the City and other government agencies.
Report
Summary
The City will acquire real property; dedicate rights-of-way; accept, dedicate, and grant easements; and execute real property licenses and agreements necessary for the construction of public improvements based on design plans for each project. Improvements include: rail, stations, curbing, gutter, sidewalks, landscape, and other infrastructure required to accommodate the projects. The City will also provide relocation assistance and benefits as mandated for federal and federally-assisted programs under the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act (Uniform Act).
The improvements for SCE/DH will provide transit users with connections from a transit hub in downtown Phoenix to Baseline Road, the proposed new Metrocenter transit center, and the East Valley. This project includes the downtown hub, a reconfigured park and ride at the Ed Pastor Transit Center, a park-and-ride at Central Avenue and Baseline Road, five and one-half miles of track, nine stations, two roundabouts, four traction power substations, two signal buildings, and public art elements. The properties impacted by SCE/DH are identified in Attachment A.
The improvements for NWEII will provide transit users with connections from the proposed Metrocenter park-and-ride and transit center to SCE/DH and the East Valley. This project includes a park-and-ride and transit center at Metrocenter, shared parking at Rose Mofford Park, one and one-half miles of track, three stations, two traction power substations, one signal building, and public art elements. The Metrocenter transit center and park-and-ride will include manned security, closed-circuit cameras, transit center ticket vending machines, and berths for local and rapid routes. The properties impacted by SCE/DH are identified in Attachment B.
Financial Impact
SCE/DH and NWEII are funded with Federal, Regional and T2050 funding. Funds are available in the Public Transit Department's Capital Improvement Program budget.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was recommended for approval at the Citizens Transportation Commission Meeting on Oct. 1, 2019, by a vote of 6-2-1 (one abstention).
This item was recommended for approval at the Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee meeting on Oct. 2, 2019, by a vote of 3-0.
Location
SCE/DH is located on Central and 1st avenues, Washington and Jefferson streets, and 1st Avenue and McKinley Street in the downtown area then extends from downtown, south along Central Avenue to Baseline Road
Council District: 7, 8
NWEII is located along Dunlap Avenue at 19th Avenue then extends west along 25th Avenue to Mountain View Road, over Interstate-17 to Metrocenter
Council District: 1, 3, 5
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Public Transit and Finance departments.