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MEMORANDUM <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Mayor Cassidy and City Council <br /> City Manager Chris Zapata <br /> <br />FROM: Debbie Pollart, Public Works Director <br /> <br />DATE: September 3, 2013 <br /> <br />RE: Information in Response to Residents’ Petition <br /> <br /> <br />At the July 15 City Council meeting, Mia Ousley presented to the Council a petition on behalf of ‘north area’ residents. <br />Tim Holmes of the Broadmoor Neighborhood Association (BNA) was also present at the podium and indicated that the <br />BNA board supported the petition. <br /> <br />The petition requested revitalization of a portion of Bancroft Avenue, from the border (Durant Avenue) to Oakes <br />Boulevard, a length of approximately one-half mile. The speaker specifically asked for five ‘shovel-ready’ projects, and <br />requested that they be completed as funding is made available. The requested projects are as follows: <br /> <br />• Installation of an entrance marker on Bancroft Avenue, similar to monuments installed on San Leandro <br />Boulevard, Doolittle Boulevard, etc. to mark an entryway into San Leandro; <br /> <br />• Installation of decorative metal bus benches/trash cans/bike racks at Bancroft/Dutton and Bancroft/Victoria <br />Circle, similar to those installed for the Downtown Plaza project; <br /> <br />• Installation of updated lighting and landscaping at Victoria Circle to deter crime and make bus waits safer; <br /> <br />• Construction of curb bulb-outs at Victoria Circle and/or Dowling Boulevard to make crossing Bancroft Avenue <br />safer and to slow traffic; and <br /> <br />• Plant ‘the triangle’ at Bancroft Avenue/Dowling Boulevard. <br /> <br />With adoption of the FYs 2014 and 2015 Biennial Budget, the City Council included a budget of $100,000, with funds <br />intended to be utilized at locations throughout the City and at the discretion of the City Manager’s office as ‘Community <br />Improvement Funds’. The intent with the Community Improvement Funds is to allocate monies for smaller projects that <br />otherwise fall outside of budgeted departmental projects/programs, or allow a project to be completed more quickly if <br />the result is aesthetically beneficial to the local populace. <br /> <br />Of the project requests noted above, preliminary work estimates indicate that the installation of updated lighting and <br />painting of the poles at Victoria Circle could be accomplished with use of the Community Improvement Funds. Replacing <br />the eight orb lights with LED fixtures, installing additional lighting at the bus stop arbors, and painting the poles would <br />cost approximately $6,000 in materials, with City staff providing the labor. Price estimates and funding options for the <br />remaining project requests are as follows: <br /> <br />• Installation of an entrance marker on Bancroft Avenue, similar to monuments installed on San Leandro <br />Boulevard, Doolittle Boulevard, etc. to mark an entryway into San Leandro - <br /> Previous entrance markers cost approximately $60,000 as constructed by the City. It should be noted <br />that at the time the larger monument locations were being vetted, some north area residents <br />expressed to the City that they did not want a large marker. A smaller neighborhood marker <br />(constructed approximately 13 years ago) is located at Bancroft/Broadmoor (see photo). <br /> Project would need to be included for consideration in the City’s CIP process.