Developers to pay $2.5 million for E. Bidwell pedestrian bridge

The developers of Sutter Health at Broadstone Crossing II agreed to pay $2.5 million toward a pedestrian bridge at Iron Point Road and East Bidwell Street. The Folsom City Council unanimously approved a development agreement with Elliott Homes on Aug. 26 for public improvements at Broadstone Crossing Phase II. As developer of the Sutter Health complex, Elliott is required to design and construct improvements along East Bidwell and Iron Point to address worsening traffic conditions as a result of the project, based on a transportation impact study. The agreement requires the developer to make a fair share contribution to a pedestrian bridge across East Bidwell Street to the Palladio shopping and entertainment center. The city agreed to build the improvements as part of a regular capital improvement project, so long as the developer funds design, construction and a fair share contribution of $2.5 million toward the pedestrian overcrossing, according to the report. Elliott Homes knows all about buildings, but as far as traffic construction, not so much. "We're really good at building things. We're not good at closing East Bidwell," Elliott Homes Vice President Price Walker said on Aug. 26. Since Elliott owns property on both sides of East Bidwell at the proposed bridge area, the developer agreed to provide the land and the value will be counted toward the $2.5 million contribution, staff said. "This has been a good private-public partnership," said Folsom Planning Manager Desmond Parrington. The estimated timeframe is dependent on securing state or federal funding for the rest of the cost but could be completed within the 10-year term when fully funded. Parrington said staff is aiming for more like five years. Broadstone subdivided an existing 18.7-acre parcel at 1565 Cavitt Drive into three parcels with three separate buildings, together totaling 200,840 square feet. The commission also approved the design review for the 106,500 square-foot Sutter Medical Office building, the largest of the three buildings planned. The developer is responsible for the traffic, access, signal coordination and circulation measures set forth in the traffic impact study. The work may be done as part of the project, or the improvement work may be paid for by the applicant/owner. Broadstone II is anticipated to bring 5,571 daily vehicle trips, which includes 541 a.m. peak-hour trips and 718 p.m. peak-hour trips, according to the report. The project is anticipated to cause new or worsen existing deficiencies at eight locations: East Bidwell St./Scholar Way, East Bidwell/Power Center Dr., East Bidwell/Broadstone Parkway, East Bidwell/Via Sole, East Bidwell/Kilrush Dr. (Via Felice), East Bidwell/Iron Point Road, East Bidwell/US 50 Eastbound ramps and Iron Point/Cavitt Dr. Besides the bridge contribution, the deal calls for an initial deposit of $1.445 million for the other nearby traffic issues. Broadstone is then required to send an additional $2.155 million to cover the remaining costs of $3.6 million for the various improvements, authorities said. The improvements include: · Changes to lane striping at East Bidwell/Iron Point and East Bidwell/Placerville Road. · Changes to lane striping at East Bidwell/Broadstone Parkway. · Minor extension of left turn pockets to prevent "secondary deficiencies" at East Bidwell/Scholar Way, East Bidwell/Power Center Drive, East Bidwell/Via Felice, and East Bidwell/Iron Point Road. · Updated signal coordination along East Bidwell from Scholar Way to Placerville Road. · Channelization of the eastbound right-turn lane of eastbound Iron Point Road and adding a second eastbound right-turn lane with a receiving lane on southbound East Bidwell and movement of the bike lane. · Addition of a third northbound left-turn lane on Iron Point Road. · Potential additional right-of-way acquisition, if needed.