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Fortuna council adopts mitigated negative declaration for Twelfth Street interchange project
Summary
The Fortuna City Council certified an IS/MND and approved the Twelfth Street Interchange Modernization Project, clearing the way for NEPA coordination with Caltrans and continued design work; staff and consultants described a preferred five‑leg roundabout, multiuse trail connections and mitigation measures.
The Fortuna City Council on a 3-0 vote adopted a mitigated negative declaration under the California Environmental Quality Act and approved the Twelfth Street Interchange Modernization Project, a multi-year effort to replace nonstandard intersection geometry at Twelfth Street, Newberg Road and the US 101 ramps.
The decision formalizes staff’s environmental finding that, while the project would cause impacts in several categories, all identified impacts can be reduced to less‑than‑significant levels through mitigation measures listed in the project Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. Brendan (Staff member) and consultants detailed a design centered on a five‑leg single‑lane roundabout, pedestrian-only bridge over US 101 and a continuous multiuse path connecting across the interchange.
Why it matters: the project targets a known collision history and deficient pedestrian and bicycle connections where the current layout “offers limited to no bike and ped connectivity” across the overcrossing, staff said. Council approval allows staff to complete the federally required NEPA coordination with Caltrans and to close out the current State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) grant that funded the preliminary design and environmental work.
Staff and consultants said the project area is constrained by legacy railroad right-of-way, existing businesses and the location of the overcrossing. Josh Wolf, project manager and civil engineer with GHD, told the council that “one of the key challenges is there’s just a lot going on in this short segment of road,” noting skewed intersection angles, remnant rail tracks and limited bridge width. Wolf described design work including truck turning analyses for large permitted loads and a recommendation to build a separate pedestrian bridge rather than widen the existing structure; the consultant estimated a standalone pedestrian bridge at roughly $2,000,000 compared with about $5,000,000 to upgrade the existing span to current Caltrans standards.
The proposed improvements include realigning Newberg Road, adding a two‑way left‑turn median to serve Clendenin Cider Works, a five‑leg roundabout within the existing triangular parcel, a continuous multiuse path that would cross the freeway, enhanced crosswalks with rectangular rapid‑flashing beacons and pedestrian refuge islands, and a short segment of Great Redwood Trail alignment.
Public comment came from Cliff Clendenin of Clendenin Cider Works, who said his business “is very much in support of this project” but asked the council to preserve overflow parking and to support Clendenin’s effort to acquire a portion of the Caltrans field south of the farmhouse for parking and orchard uses. Brendan (Staff member) and staff acknowledged the concern, noted the project would reconfigure existing informal overflow space and said the area could be considered for a future trailhead, parking, or other public use in subsequent design phases. Staff also said contractors would be required to maintain business access during construction and that the city could consider compensation agreements for demonstrated business losses during phased construction.
Staff reported the IS/MND was circulated starting Feb. 26 and closed March 28; the city received comments from the North Coast Regional Water Board and the Great Redwood Trail Agency and worked with those agencies to incorporate clarifications (for example, recognizing existing land‑use covenants on the former mill site and accurate right‑of‑way ownership/easement descriptions).
What happens next: the council’s approval directs staff to complete NEPA coordination with Caltrans (Caltrans is the NEPA lead), finalize the project’s PA/ED phase and close out the current STIP grant. Staff and regional partners will continue to pursue funding for design and construction phases.
Votes at a glance: Resolution 2025-06 — Adopt IS/MND and approve Twelfth Street Interchange Modernization Project: Council member Diaz — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Trent — yes; Mayor Mike Johnson — yes.
Ending: The approval advances preliminary design and regulatory clearance but does not commit funds for construction; staff said construction will proceed only after future funding is secured and right-of-way negotiations are completed. Representatives from GHD and Caltrans will continue coordination during the PA/ED phase.
