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Montebello outlines steps to build Bluff Road fence after decade-long delay
Summary
City staff reported a path forward to replace 8,500 feet of fencing along Bluff Road, but progress depends on recording a survey, negotiating with five private parcel owners and meeting state grant requirements before the city can solicit bids.
Montebello city staff said a state grant will pay up to $935,000 to remove and replace about 8,500 feet of fence along Bluff Road, but the project cannot move to construction until a county-recorded survey confirms right-of-way and the city reaches agreements with five private parcel owners.
City officials told the council that the grant was secured in 2020 and that the Department of Parks and Recreation executed the original contract and later amended the performance period to June 30, 2028. The city’s draft record of survey — intended to show which portions of the roadway are public and where private parcels encroach — was completed in February 2025 and is under review by the Los Angeles County surveyor and recorder.
The record of survey work identified five parcels that overlap the public right-of-way. Public Works staff said those parcels together take up a sizeable portion of the roadway on the north side of Bluff Road and that the city must either obtain recorded proof of the right-of-way or negotiate easements or other agreements with the property owners before it can place the fence.
City Manager (staff) emphasized the constraint imposed by the grant program: "One of the fundamental requirements that the state usually has with these grants is they won't give you funding or they won't even actually consider you unless you have full ownership of the land that you're trying to build on, or you have a long term lease agreement," adding, "the good news is that we got the money." The staff presentation and council questions made clear the grant is reimbursable; Montebello must pay construction costs up front and submit invoices for reimbursement.
Staff laid out next steps and a tentative timeline: complete county recording of the survey (county review expected to take several months), negotiate in good faith with the five parcel owners, return to council to authorize bid solicitation and then solicit bids for fabrication and installation. The presentation projected bid solicitation in mid-2025, fabrication and installation between September and December 2025, and a notice of completion in early 2026 — but city staff repeatedly cautioned that the schedule is contingent on successful negotiation and county recording.
Council members pressed staff on design, continuity of the fence and cost risk. Public Works staff said specifications are being prepared now and they are looking at decorative but strong metal fencing similar to Caltrans installations, but that metal prices and fabrication quotes can change rapidly and that the $935,000 grant amount limits options. Staff confirmed the grant does not include land acquisition; the goal is to secure permissions or easements to place the fence on or adjacent to private parcels at no acquisition cost if possible.
The presentation noted that the city has not received upfront grant funds: the award is a reimbursement contract, and staff estimated the state typically returns reimbursement requests in 30–45 days once properly documented, with the state holding about 5% on final audit until project records are fully settled.
If negotiations with parcel owners fail, staff said they would return to council to discuss legal options and next steps. The item was informational; no final council action was taken during the meeting.
