A major underground culvert in El Chorro Regional Park is collapsing and taking the roadway with it, and County Supervisors were asked to create an official Capital Project to fix it.
On Oct. 20, County Facilities Planning Program Manager Shelby Hopkins asked supervisors to allocate $385,000 to pay for design and permitting for the project that would dig up and replace a 60-inch (5 feet in diameter) culvert on Dairy Creek that runs underneath the entrance road to the park.
The culvert channel storm runoff and crosses the road near the park’s softball fields.
The pipe is apparently collapsing and causing the road to buckle. It’s also creating a barrier for native fish to swim through on the creek.
“Replacement of the culvert is recommended,” Hopkins’ report said, “as a Priority 1 deficiency under the Facility Condition Assessment Program [FCA]. The scope of the project will include replacing the culvert, completing required fish passage improvements to obtain construction permits, and repairing the failing asphalt paved road above the culvert to restore original condition.”
There are apparently some unknown things that could arise once the County starts digging deeper into what’s causing the collapse, which could make it more expensive or complex. One uncertainty could be what requirements will be needed that are inherent when doing any kind of work near a creek. The State Department of Fish and Wildlife handles State permitting of maintenance projects in and around waterways, and depending on whether protected plants and animals are found during the environmental review, federal officials could also be drawn in.
“At this time,” the report said, “there are a variety of unknowns associated with the type and extent of replacement that will be required to permit the project.
“The design phase will evaluate alternatives, hydraulic capacity, and fish passage requirements to identify the most cost-effective and environmentally compliant solution.”
It might sound like a relatively small length of pipe that needs to be dug up and replaced, but the estimated costs are already approaching a million dollars.
“Preliminary construction costs,” the report said, “are approximately $420,000, for a total estimated project cost of $805,000.”
The true costs will be better known after the County awards the contracts, and even then, the final cost is likely to be different depending on what issues arise or change orders are given during construction.
The County is taking this first phase payment for design and permitting out of money the County put aside to fix up the Courthouse Annex building with a new HVAC system and roof repairs.
Construction costs will have to come back to Supervisors to decide likely when they go out for bids or when a construction contract is issued.
An engineering firm was not mentioned in this report, but the County has several firms on retainer to handle small jobs such as this. The Engineering Department within County Public Works could also be enlisted to design the project.
