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seeks approval to construct a new Costco store. The 2018 Agreement provides the <br /> process to fund, design, and construct the traffic mitigation measures identified as <br /> necessary by the JDEDZ Project CEQA documentation. In short, Costco is to pay all <br /> costs to design and construct the traffic mitigation measures and the City is to pay all <br /> costs to acquire the needed right-of-way, with the balance of the 2018 Agreement <br /> specifying the final cost-sharing arrangement, the cost reimbursement process, as well <br /> as other legal requirements. <br /> In May 2018, City Council adopted the JDEDZ Transportation Fee, applicable to the <br /> approximately 20 acres of"non-Costco" properties in the JDEDZ Project area. Payment <br /> of the JDEDZ Transportation Fee is due when a "non-Costco" property owner in the <br /> JDEDZ Project area chooses to develop or redevelop. The JDEDZ Transportation Fee <br /> is the mechanism by which "non-Costco" properties in the JDEDZ Project area pay their <br /> share towards the design and construction of the traffic mitigation measures required for <br /> their development. The creation of the JDEDZ Transportation Fee was a requirement of <br /> the 2018 Agreement. <br /> When the 2018 Agreement and the JDEDZ Transportation Fee were approved, <br /> construction of the public street improvements was expected to begin as soon as the <br /> JDEDZ Traffic Mitigation Measures Improvement Plans (improvement plans) were <br /> complete. However, CEQA challenges to the JDEDZ Project approval process ensued <br /> which kept construction of the traffic mitigation measures from moving forward as <br /> quickly as expected. Over the last four-plus years, there has been litigation, a rescission <br /> and reapproval of various JDEDZ Project documents, and most recently, the denial of <br /> an appeal challenging an earlier court ruling in favor of the JDEDZ Project. For this <br /> agenda report, it is not necessary to review the JDEDZ Project approval history in detail, <br /> but throughout the extended delay City staff and Costco have continued the efforts as <br /> outlined within the 2018 Agreement to implement the JDEDZ Project. <br /> City staff worked with Costco representatives to prepare the biddable improvement <br /> plans to construct the traffic mitigation measures. The improvement plans consist of the <br /> Stoneridge Drive and 1-680 Project (as named in the 2018 Agreement) and the JDEDZ <br /> Street Improvements (as also named in the 2018 Agreement), which together include <br /> the five traffic mitigation measures identified as necessary in the CEQA documentation. <br /> Costco and City staff have obtained the necessary permits to construct the traffic <br /> mitigation measures in accordance with the improvement plans. Purchase agreements <br /> for the right-of-way and temporary construction easements necessary to construct the <br /> traffic mitigation measures have been negotiated. Finally, Costco issued a bid package <br /> based upon California Public Contract law and ACTC requirements requesting <br /> interested general contractors bid on the improvement plans in late March 2022. Bids <br /> were received and publicly opened on April 29, 2022. <br /> Although the work required to construct the traffic mitigation measures has not changed, <br /> the bids received on April 29, 2022, were significantly higher than the "Planning Level <br /> Estimate" prepared in 2017 and discussed within the 2018 Agreement. Higher costs <br /> Page 3 of 12 <br />