Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Trails Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves $189,652 contract to resume Lions Creek trail design, citing federal grant funding
Summary
The council awarded a design and permitting contract to Dewberry Engineers to complete design and environmental work for the Lions Creek Trail missing link between Kern Avenue and Tapestry, using federal grants and local gas tax matching funds for the project.
The Gilroy City Council unanimously approved a $189,652.26 contract with Dewberry Engineers to resume design, permitting and environmental work for the Lions Creek Trail missing‑link project between Kern Avenue and the Tapestry area near Christopher High School.
Staff said the project had advanced to about 65% design under an earlier engineer but was put on hold for funding reasons. The city later secured federal grant funding and a California Recreational Trails Program award that together provide the bulk of construction funding; the engineering contract covers completion of design to bid level, permitting (including Valley Water), an at‑grade pedestrian crossing at Santa Teresa and Day Road East, and updated environmental documents.
City staff said the construction phase is expected to be funded largely by the awarded federal grants and that the city’s local match will come from gas tax funds rather than general fund. The award reduces the previously typical federal 20 percent match because other project funding sources were combined, producing an effective local match staff described as approximately five percent of project costs in this phase.
Council members asked whether the city’s design‑build capabilities made a design‑build approach preferable; staff responded Dewberry had previous design work (65% complete) and sole‑source continuation would avoid repeating earlier tasks and would be acceptable to the grantor. Council voted 7–0 to award the contract and authorized the city administrator to execute the agreement.
Timeline: staff said design completion is expected in early 2026 with construction procurement and expected award in 2026 and a probable construction completion in mid‑2027 if schedules hold.
Why it matters: the trail will connect residential areas to school and park facilities and fill a missing multimodal link in the city’s trail network. Grants and matching local funds are covering design and construction work, and council acceptance restarts the long‑paused project.
