Agenda Item Wording:
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Authorize the appropriation of up to $35,000 for the Rawhide Retaining Wall Repair Project from the General Fund; to complete structural engineering design work, material testing, and for staff time.
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Deadline for Action: None
Submitting Department: Administration - CIP Engineering
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Jaklin H Rowley, Assistant Engineer, Jaklin.Rowley@visalia.city, (559) 713-4369
Frank Senteno, City Engineer, Frank.Senteno@visalia.city, (559) 713-4331
Nick Mascia, Assistant City Manager, Nick.Mascia@visalia.city, (559) 713-4323
Department Recommendation:
Authorize the appropriation of up to $35,000 for the Rawhide Retaining Wall Repair Project from the General Fund (001); to complete structural engineering design work, material testing, and for staff time.
Summary:
During the fall 2022 annual site walk with Rawhide, this retaining wall located on the southside of the complex was noted to have separation from the concrete panels located on the top of the concourse. City Engineering staff conducted a site visit, after this walk, to assess the wall and determine if work would be required to fix the wall. Staff determined that a structural engineer needed to be hired to assess the structural integrity of the wall and determine what steps need to be taken to stabilize/repair the wall. Staff will return to request additional appropriation for construction funds after the assessment of the wall by the structural engineer has completed.
Background Discussion:
The City’s Recreation Park Stadium (also known as Valley Strong Ball Park) houses the Rawhide Baseball team which stands as one of the most historic Minor League teams on the West Coast. The Rawhide Stadium was expanded in 2007 when the right field was improved to include raised grass seating and concourse area. To do this a retaining wall was built to hold the soil infill that created the raised seating/concourse area along and at the end of the first base line.
The retaining wall has since begun to pull away from the backfill creating some visible hairline cracking in the wall, a gap between the concrete pad and the wall, and a visible curve in the once-straight wall. The movement of the wall has also caused the upper concrete pad (concourse) to sink below its original pour line. The concern with the wall pulling away is that the gap continues to expand allowing water to fall between the concrete pad and the wall into the backfilled soil. As the soil becomes saturated the soil pressures applied on the wall increase forcing the retaining wall to pull away at a faster rate.
Staff has assessed the wall and does not believe there will be a catastrophic failure of the wall, but with no action, the wall will continue to destabilize over time. Staff recommends the hiring of a structural engineer to assess the extent of the wall’s separation and structural integrity. The structural engineer will give a recommendation for stabilizing the wall and provide technical plans/specifications for the work to stabilize/repair the retaining wall. Once the engineer completes the Plans, Specification and Estimates, a formal Request for Bid (RFB) will be advertised for the repair work to be done by a licensed contractor.
The Rawhide Stadium will continue to operate and have games during their regular season. As such, the City must schedule the project to construct during the off-season which is from late September through March. Due to the limited work timeframe, the hiring of a structural engineer and subsequent contractor is very time sensitive. The Technical Plans and Specifications must be completed by the end of June at the latest for project construction to begin in late September and finish in early March, prior to the 2024 season. This should be sufficient time to complete the repair work, but if Staff sees another wet winter, as occurredthis year, it will shrink the timeline for construction. With this in mind, staff is working diligently to keep this moving forward and on schedule.
Fiscal Impact:
Staff recommends that the funds for repairing/stabilizing the Rawhide Stadium wall be appropriated from the General Fund (001). There is not currently an established budget for this repair work to be done. Staff requests up to $35,000 for plan development (including structural engineering fees), material testing, and staff time. Staff is estimating that the design work will be less than $25,000 and will include potential method(s) and technical specifications to stabilize the wall. The engineer will also include in the technical specifications the reconstruction of the concourse area (sidewalk), and will also review the wall’s below-grade drainage system (located at the base of the wall) to ensure functionality. The project may require additional soil testing to confirm the soil’s stability under the wall; a larger material testing contingency has been added to account for this. Once the Structural Engineer defines the scope of the repairs, and construction costs can be estimated, staff will return to council for the appropriation of additional funds for construction.
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Budget Summary: Rawhide Stadium retaining Wall Repair Project |
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Design Cost (Not to Exceed) |
$25,000 |
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Staff Time (5%) |
$5,000 |
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Material Testing (5%) |
$5,000 |
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Estimated Design Cost (Not to Exceed) |
$35,000 |
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Appropriation Request (General Fund 001) (Not to Exceed) |
$35,000 |
Prior Council Action:
None
Alternatives:
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize the appropriation of up to $35,000 from the General Fund for the Rawhide Stadium Retaining Wall Repair Project.
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Environmental Assessment Status:
N/A
CEQA Review:
N/A
Attachments:
1. Pictures of Current Condition