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It’s been talked about for years and now Auburn has started to move on it: convincing the State of California to cede to the city the portion of Highway 49 that extends from City Hall through the Downtown area to the Elm Avenue/Lincoln Way intersection.
In return, the city wants to offer the state the stretch of Elm
Avenue between High Street and Highway 49 (North) in order to maintain
the highway’s continuity.
The relinquishment of the Highway 49
segment is needed for Auburn’s ambitious Streetscape corridor project
connecting Historic Old Town with the Downtown area.
The city
council, sitting as the redevelopment agency’s governing board,
launched the effort this week by agreeing to hire MHM Engineers and
Surveyors of Roseville to do the ground work necessary to accomplish
the relinquishment.
The price tag will be no more than
$125,000, according to City Manager Bob Richardson, who noted that the
redevelopment agency’s fund balance now stands at about $1.2 million.
“It
is the city’s responsibility to initiate the relinquishment process and
begin the work necessary to make this change at the state level,”
Richardson said in a memo to the council. “There will be several months
of data collection, environmental study and negotiations before a final
agreement can be reached. Once that occurs, the city will need to have
legislation introduced at the state and have the plan adopted by the
California Transportation Commission...”
In other matters this week, the council:
— Declared October “Auburn Symphony Month” in honor of the local symphony’s 21st season.
—
Urged Congressman John Doolittle and U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and
Dianne Feinstein to support efforts to have the 100-mile Western States
Trail between Auburn and Squaw Valley designated a National Historic
and Scenic Trail.
— Approved a “not to exceed” $54,000 contract
with Municipal Compliance Consultants for code enforcement services
through next June 30.
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