Sausalito has awarded $1.3 million contract with a company to handle its ferry plaza overhaul. Bauman Landscaping was the lowest bidder, said Kevin McGowan, the city’s public works director.
The city received two other bids: Ghilotti Brothers for $1.8 million and Kerex Engineering for $1.4 million.
The city engineer’s estimate for the base bid was $1.26 million. The budget for the project is $2.
5 million. The City Council voted unanimously last week to give Bauman Landscaping the contract. The move marks the beginning of end of process that began in 2017 to upgrade the ferry plaza.
“Thank you community, thank you pioneers of this idea,” Mayor Ian Sobieski said. “It is a step forward. It is a positive step.
” The council approved a conceptual design for the project in February. At its meeting last week, it approved the project’s plan and specifications, but not without some tweaks. McGowan recommended changing some details regarding bike parking because of safety concerns.
The project plans that were included in the bid put a bike return area on Humboldt Street, but the area is also used for tour bus parking. McGowan said that during the summer tourist season, an average of 175 bikes a day used the bike parking area on Tracy Way. The increased use of electronic bikes has led to a decreased need for bike parking, he said.
An alternative to the Humboldt Street design is putting the bike parking on the eastern side of Parking Lot 1. Temporary bollards would be placed along the lot entrance and the Sausalito Yacht Club driveway. The area would have about 200 bike spots and would keep the sidewalks and the queue for the ferry free of bikes.
The bollards could be moved if needed. “I think some of the refinements that we’ve been able to come up with can be quite successful,” said David Parisi, a traffic engineer with Parametrix, a consulting firm for the city. The City Council directed staff to move forward with a change order to do bike barking in Parking Lot 1.
Bonnie MacGregor of Sausalito spoke in favor of the contract during the council meeting. She said changes could be made later and that construction needs to begin before the winter rains. “We could talk and talk and talk and talk and talk for the next few years and not come to a 100% agreement on anything,” said MacGregor, a board member for the volunteer group Sausalito Beautiful.
“I think a lot of these things could be given with change orders and the project needs to be given a temporary go.” Other speakers also endorsed the contract. “We are really supportive of this plan, and would like it to move forward,” said Kass Green, owner of the Inn Above Tide hotel.
“We believe this is the best step forward for Sausalito, that this is going to be an incredible improvement and now, with the PBID, I can’t wait to sell the beauty of Sausalito to the rest of the world.” The PBID is the Property Business Improvement District. The deal includes two plan alternatives involving surfacing on Tracy Way and lighted bollards.
The alternatives bring the contract to $1.4 million, and staff is also requested a contingency of $258,511, which the City Council awarded. “Closing Tracy Way is particularly important because it focuses our infrastructure on what truly matters: allocating our waterfront to people rather than cars,” Jeff Knowles of Sausalito wrote to the City Council.
“Transforming Tracy Way into a pedestrian promenade will make the area safer and more inviting for residents and visitors alike.” Sharna Brockett of Sausalito spoke in favor of the contract award, noting that the smaller details can be changed. “Don’t get hung up on the softscape,” Brockett said.
“This can move. Let’s get this thing over the finish line.” Kieran Culligan, chair of the Sausalito Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, said he has observed more 60 empty parking spaces on a “beautiful, sunny day” in Parking Lot 1.
He said there is plenty of opportunity to increase parking capacity in other areas. “We’re going to improve this for ourselves but also for our planet, so let’s move forward,” Culligan said. “I think we’ve worked through all of the issues.
” City officials hope to begin the phased construction in the fall..
