::: COMMUNITY NEWS

Funding approved for study of North-South bridge

Published Monday, September 6, 2003

The Parks Committee agreed at its August meeting to fund the environmental study required for the planned pedestrian bridge connecting North and South Murieta.

The Community Services District, the lead agency for the project, will advance the $42,135 cost for a study prepared by its consultant and eventually will be reimbursed through the Parks Fund. The fund is made up of contributions from Rancho Murieta Association members and developers.

RMA General Manager Greg Vorster, the project manager for the bridge, told the committee at the Aug. 27 meeting there was no money in the $1.5 million design/build contract to pay for the environmental document that’s needed for the project to proceed.

The bridge is being paid for through developer fees levied on new construction on a per-lot basis. The bridge funding is secured by a letter of credit from South developer Reynen & Bardis. The bridge satisfies a condition of development for the South developer.

CSD General Manager Ed Crouse agreed that the district will waive interest on the debt for five years. After that time, interest will be added and the rate will be tied to an index.

Several days before the Parks Committee meeting, the RMA board met to discuss funding options and to decide how to direct the two RMA representatives on the Parks Committee to vote on the issue at the Parks Committee.

It was the second time the RMA board considered the matter. At a meeting the week before, the directors voted to have the RMA representatives support splitting the cost with the CSD. Several directors believed the CSD had at one time been willing to pay for a $17,000 study and suggested asking the CSD to pay that amount now. The Parks Fund would then pay the remaining $25,000.

The idea was ill-received by the CSD board at its meeting the following day. CSD directors vehemently opposed the idea, which was represented to them as a request to foot $25,000 of the cost, and recent frictions between the two governing bodies were apparent. A few remarks were made about rejecting the lead agency role.

The RMA board got the message. When the RMA board met again to consider the issue, Director Dick Cox remarked that he didn’t think the CSD should have been asked to pay. "They did us a favor by being the lead agency," he said.

Other strategies were discussed for addressing the costs, including going back to the developer for the funds.

But the overriding consideration was to keep the project moving. "Time is of the essence," said Vorster, explaining that the project is now 35-40 days behind schedule because of a search for Indian grinding rocks at the bridge site. He said the contract with Viking Construction expires at the end of next year and construction has to take place when the river is low.

The resolution authorizing the Parks representatives to agree to repay the CSD from the Parks Fund passed unanimously, paving the way for the Parks Committee’s approval several days later.