Caltrans District 5 Maintenance Station and Equipment Shop Relocation Project
Project Description
The proposed project involves the construction and operation of a replacement District 5 Maintenance Station, Equipment Shop, and associated site improvements on 56.5 acres of state-owned property located at 4485 Vachell Lane in San Luis Obispo County (Assessor Parcel Numbers 076-071-021 and 076-071-022). The proposed project would develop approximately 24 acres south of Buckley Road and would include buildings, staff and visitor parking, utility improvements, and ancillary improvements. There are two Build Alternatives under consideration and a No-Build Alternative. To supply the proposed project with water and sewer services, Alternative 1 includes constructing an on-site water well and septic system, and Alternative 2 includes constructing new water and sewer utility infrastructure that would connect to existing City of San Luis Obispo infrastructure. Following public circulation of the Draft EIR, these alternatives were further evaluated. Caltrans identified Alternative 1 as the preferred alternative after consideration of the project’s purpose and need, funding, schedule, construction methods, and its potential to impact environmental resources. After construction is complete and the Maintenance Station and Equipment Shop staff transition to the proposed project site, the state will decommission the existing Maintenance Station and Equipment Shop structures, and all related activities will stop at 50 Higuera Street and 66 Madonna Road. For the purpose of the proposed project, decommission means removing all equipment, materials, operations, activities, and employees from the existing Maintenance Station and Equipment Shop facilities at 50 Higuera Street and 66 Madonna Road. Decommission does not include the demolition and removal of buildings and other structures.
Project Benefits
Purpose
- Construct facilities that meet Caltrans District 5 programming requirements for existing and future Maintenance Station and Equipment Shop operations (building sizing, employee staffing, parking, storage space, etc.)
- Improve daily functions by separating the Maintenance Station and Equipment Shop facilities as industrial type facilities from the conflicting uses of the District 5 Administrative Offices and the Material and Testing Laboratory
- Consolidate the Maintenance Station and Equipment shop facilities to a single location
- Construct a facility in District 5 that provides efficient access to the state highway system.
- Construct a facility that meets the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the California Code of Regulations Title 24.
- Decrease flood risk by relocating the Maintenance Station and Equipment Shop facilities outside or above potential flood zones
Need
The Caltrans District 5 Maintenance Station and Equipment Shop facilities currently consist of a combination of aging and undersized facilities at problematic locations. Past, present, and predicted future problems with these facilities include:
- The current faculties are inadequate in size and function and do not meet the needs for existing staff and equipment,
- Fragmented work locations which make operations activities inefficient,
- Conflicting industrial type and administrative type workspaces,
- Escalating operational costs of maintaining aging facilities,
- Reoccurring flooding events causing damage to buildings and equipment
- Existing buildings do not meet current seismic structural building standards nor modern green building practices, which maximize efficient use of energy and water resources
Estimated Funding Breakdown
| Funding Source | Funding Amount |
|---|---|
| Local | Not Applicable |
| State | $106,245,000 |
| Federal | Not Applicable |
Proposed Project Schedule
| Process | Date |
|---|---|
| Final Environmental document to be completed | Summer 2024 |
| Right of way acquisition to be completed | Not Applicable |
| Design to be completed | Winter 2025 |
| Advertise | Spring 2025 |
| Construction to begin | Fall 2026 |
| Construction to be completed | Fall 2027 |
Project Contact
Paul Valadao, Project Manager
Phone: 916-764-9123
Email: paul.valadao@dot.ca.gov
Lucas Marsalek, Environmental Coordinator
Phone: 805-458-5408
Email: lucas.marsalek@dot.ca.gov
District 5 Public Information Office
Phone: 805-549-3237
Email: info-d5@dot.ca.gov
Documents
Accessibility Assistance: Caltrans makes every attempt to ensure our documents are accessible. Due to variances between assistive technologies, there may be portions of this document which are not accessible. Where documents cannot be made accessible, we are committed to providing alternative access to the content. Should you need additional assistance, please contact us at (916) 654-2852 or visit https://dot.ca.gov/request-ada-compliant-documents.
Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (PDF - 2.8MB)
Final Environmental Impact Report (PDF - 25MB)
Public Notice - November 2023 (PDF - 296KB)
Notice of Determination - June 2024 (PDF 395KB)
News / Events
A Public Hybrid Meeting (in person and virtual) to discuss the Draft Environmental Impact Report was held Wednesday November 29th, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Historic Octagon Barn located at 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
A video recording of the meeting can be watched here: https://youtu.be/MQstLF5HvqM
Notice of Preparation Virtual Meeting Presentation:
A virtual public meeting to discuss the Notice of Preparation for the Draft Environmental Impact Report was held on Monday, April 11, 2022. A narrated video which provides the information shared during the meeting is available at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCgtXRuB0yw
Title VI Information
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) assures that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and Federal Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations).
Caltrans will make every effort to ensure nondiscrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether they are federally funded or not, and that services and benefits are fairly distributed to all people, regardless of race, color, or national origin. In addition, Caltrans will facilitate meaningful participation in the transportation planning process in a nondiscriminatory manner.
Title VI Brochures
Title VI brochures in various languages