Bleckley Drive Drainage Improvements

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and figures may be misheard.

What: A multi-phase storm sewer and channel project on Bleckley Drive (Kellogg north to Elm Street) in Councilmember Shepherd's district. Phase one is substantially complete; phases two and three involve utility relocation, a large drainage box, removal of street trees and temporary access roads.
Where it stands: On October 13 the council voted 7-0 to start eminent domain proceedings for the remaining parcels (about 23 of roughly 80 tracts had not agreed) and 7-0 to approve Supplemental Design Agreement No. 4 and raise the budget to $36 million.
Next: Eminent domain proceedings; staff to share environmental reports and tree-replacement options with residents; Councilmember Shepherd meeting with public works.

Three residents spoke at the public agenda and again on the pulled consent item. They oppose the project and the loss of about 89 mature trees, and cited safety next to the temporary roads and deep excavation, dust and health, lower home values, access during construction and the cost estimate being about four years old.
Some said a property owner's signed agreement does not mean support, and one asked the city to buy homes instead.
One resident said flooding is brief and the neighborhood has coped; others asked for micro-tunneling or other alternatives.

Real estate staff said offers cover specific items such as trees and sprinklers, that court-appointed appraisers (three) will set value in eminent domain, and that talks continue until the hearing. They do not expect easements to lower values.
Public works said the $36 million budget includes design, construction and acquisition and will not grow, funded by the storm water utility; design changes have saved some trees on private land and a sewer layout was revised.
Temporary roads are 5 inches of asphalt, 8 feet wide; EMS and fire said they carry ambulances and squad trucks but not large pumpers. Work is expected to take four to five months per block, with trees removed block by block; replacement trees are planned at 3-inch caliper.
Staff said contractors have not reported health problems and dust control follows state air-quality rules.
Supplemental design agreement No. 4 costs $319,200, bringing total design fees to about $3.4 million.

Councilmember Shepherd called it a needed but disruptive project, said she sent public works a 28-page document of concerns, and suggested residents be allowed to pay the difference for more mature replacement trees.
Mayor Wu asked that the record state the project will not exceed $36 million and voted in favor.
City Attorney Magaña confirmed the eminent domain item was properly pulled from the consent agenda for public comment.

About 51 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-13 - City Council	51
2026-10-09 - City Council Agenda Review	0

2026-10-09 - City Council Agenda Review - Previewed October 13 items: acquisitions, easements and starting eminent domain for a few properties.
2026-10-13 - City Council - Public comment, eminent domain petition approved 7-0 (consent item 11, pulled), and Supplemental Design Agreement No. 4 with a $36 million budget approved 7-0.
2026-09-22 - City Council Workshop - Update: limits now Kellogg to Elm, phase one substantially complete at about $6.5 million, $36 million total budget, box construction in Q3 2027, about 70 percent of easements acquired.

Watch the video (roughly 1:22:30 to 1:39:49, 1:41:37 to 2:01:25 and 3:13:58 to 3:28:05)