Elk Grove's 5 Year Capital Improvement Plan Includes Several Major Projects, Unsecured Funding

May 26, 2017 |

At their Wednesday night meeting, the Elk Grove City Council heard a presentation on the City's five year capital improvement plan (CIP). While the projects are as varied as the ambitious Kammerer Road extension to the mundane such as sidewalk improvements, there is one characteristic several of the long term major projects share - unsecured sources of funding.

Presenting the information to the Council was public works director Bob Murdoch and capital program manager Rick Carter. Murdoch said for a project to be included in the CIP it would be valued at over $250,000 and those less than that are included in the annual operating budget.

"This version of the CIP is much more financially constrained than in the past," Murdoch said.   

As part of his presentation, Carter outlined a number of projects that are scheduled to start in fiscal year 2018 and beyond. Carter said the money for the projects comes from 25 separate funding sources.

Among the major projects that have greater than 50-percent of unsecured funding is the Southeast Policy Area (SEPA) drainage right of way acquisition which has secured 28-percent of its $31.2 million funding needs; and the Old Town streetscape project with 34-percent of its $6.1 million funding identified.   

The other major project of great interest to the City Council is the Kammerer Road extension. This project, which was originally planned for four lanes but scaled back to two lanes, has a budget of $54.9 million and has secured funding of 56-percent of the total.

The development of SEPA and the extension of Kammerer Road, which is part of the larger Southeast Connector Road between Elk Grove and El Dorado Hills, are viewed as keystones to Elk Grove's ambitious housing expansion plan and hopes to lure major employers to the City. When the SEPA project was approved, former Mayor Gary Davis promised the development would bring 25,000 high-paying jobs to Elk Grove. 

Although not the primary provider of parks in Elk Grove, the City has taken it upon themselves to develop and service a number of parks in the Laguna Ridge neighborhood. Carter noted that there is an expected decrease in Laguna Ridge revenues earmarked for parks, so several of these projects will be delayed for at least two to three years. 

"Unfortunately, pretty much all the other parks end up delayed two to three years," he said. "That includes Singh and Kaur Park, which was originally scheduled to go to construction late this upcoming year." 

Carter said based on Council directions, CIP priorities are numerous improvements within the SEPA; Kammerer Road extension; the Civic Center; the animal shelter; and payment maintenance.

Conspicuously absent from Murdoch and Carter's presentations, as well as comments from the City Council, was any mention of the proposed 99-acre soccer facility and stadium on Grant Line Road. The parcel, which was purchased with an unpaid $6 million dollar loan from the City's drainage fund, was to be home to soccer fields and a stadium that had ranged in cost between $50 and $120 million. 

Although there was a line item in the CIP noting the parcel, there are no plans for development of the facility in the next five years. Currently the City collects about $2,000 annually on a lease to grow hay on the parcel.