Santa Rosa board approves engineering design contract for Fulton Road sewer lift station relocation

The Santa Rosa Board of Public Utilities on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a work order to hire engineering design services for the Fulton Road Sewer Lift Station (SLS‑11) relocation project.

Rochelle Maeda, associate civil engineer with Santa Rosa Water, told the board the existing lift station — built in 1965 and located at the Fulton Road and West College Avenue intersection — is at the end of its useful life, difficult to access with large equipment and poses safety and maintenance challenges. She recommended awarding the design work under the city's master professional services agreement to Brelje & Race Consulting Engineers of Santa Rosa, with a not‑to‑exceed consultant fee of $1,322,000.

Maeda said the project includes construction of a new lift station on a city‑owned parcel across the street from the existing facility and installation of a new force main of roughly 3,200 feet down Fulton Road. The new alignment will pump north‑to‑south to create a more direct route to the Laguna Treatment Plant and improve pumping efficiency. The existing lift station will be demolished and valves installed at West College and Fulton so staff can continue to use the West College force main when needed.

The consultant fee presented to the board included approximately $480,000 for design, $210,000 for construction assistance, $152,000 for geotechnical and site investigations, $128,000 for project development and hydraulic modeling, $75,000 for utility locating, an estimated $88,000 for an addendum to the prior initial study/mitigated negative declaration under the California Environmental Quality Act, permitting support and a 10% contingency, bringing the total near the recommended amount.

Staff told the board the planning‑level construction estimate is about $26 million and that, because one permit requires two years of rare plant surveys, the schedule targets construction beginning in summer 2027 with construction lasting about 18 to 24 months. Maeda and Director Burke identified likely permitting needs from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Board member Glenn Wright moved to approve the project work order; Vice Chair Bill Arnoni seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

The board's action authorizes the design phase; later approvals will be required to award the construction contract and any related property actions for the demolished site.