WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council approved the fourth change to a contract with Granite Rock for Phase 1 of the City’s segment of the Coastal Rail Trail, bringing the total price for changes to $501,328.94.
The most recent contract change—included in the council’s consent agenda of Tuesday’s meeting—was a $120,135 charge. That cash will be used to move a water line running parallel to the proposed trail adjacent to existing rail tracks connecting Walker Street to Lee Road.
The water line was not shown in the initial plans prepared by the City.
Funding will be pulled from the Water Enterprise Fund’s Additional Water Main Replacement Project.
That change comes just two weeks after the council had to authorize a $337,920 alteration so that Granite Rock could treat the contaminated soil underneath the proposed trail. That cost was covered with funds from the Transportation Development Act provided by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.
The City awarded the original $1.45 million contact to Granite Rock in January. It paid for the contract through a pair of $600,000 grants from the Active Transportation Program and the State Transportation Block Grant as well a $200,000 donation from the Santa Cruz County Land Trust. The City also used $51,912.50 of its gas tax funds.
The current contract only covers Phase 1 of the project, which is part of the larger 32-mile Coastal Rail Trail that seeks to connect the southern and northern reaches of Santa Cruz County through a commuter rail and recreation trail system. Phase 2a and 2b of the 1.2-mile paved trail won’t be constructed for at least another two years.
Watsonville’s segment of the trail will connect to Monterey County’s portion of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network, which will extend from neighboring Pajaro to Pacific Grove.
