State allocates more than $1 billion for transportation

Bishop Pavement Project receives funding

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) recently announced it allocated nearly $1.2 billion for investments for urban and rural projects throughout the state, continuing a historic push to improve the state’s vital transportation infrastructure.

The latest allocations include nearly $428 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and $168 million via Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of

2017.

The CTC included $245 million for full trash capture devices, shoreline embankment restoration, improvements to bus, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure, railroad overcrossings, and better alignment with the Americans with

Disabilities Act throughout the state highway system. Trash capture devices are mesh screens placed in rivers and other waterways that filter out large and small pollutants. They prevent litter from continuing downstream to bays, estuaries, and the ocean.

The latest CTCapproved projects include The Bishop Pavement Project for $556,000 in additional funding for the plans, specifications, and estimate phase. The project will rehabilitate the pavement and sidewalks of U.S. Highway 395 from East Jay Street to Barlow Lane and State Route 168 W (West Line Street) from Main Street to the

Northern Inyo Hospital.

Additional funding support is necessary for complete streets elements and drainage changes incorporated into the project design following the public engagement period.

The Bishop Pavement Project is currently slated

• Laws Museum - 102 Main Street, Laws – County staff has had several conversations with the board and staff of the Laws Museum regarding a potential long-term lease of the Laws property to the Bishop Historical Society. The existing agreement between the Historical Society and county dates to 1981 and is out of date with current needs and processes. The Bishop Historical Society has expressed interest in a 99-year lease of the property. Staff recommends the county continue to seek an updated long-term lease with the Bishop Historical Society.

• South Street Office/ Storage - 207 South Street, Bishop – Currently, this former Inyo County office building is being used for storage, at an annual cost of approximately $15,000 per year (for utilities, pest control, and other maintenance services). The storage is needed – if the county were to dispose of or redevelop the property, storage capacity would need to be found. Disposing of or redeveloping the property also removes any future possibility of it being repurposed, once again, as a county office building, should the need for additional county offices arise. However, this is prime real estate in downtown Bishop that is arguably not being put to its highest and best use. Staff recommends an exploration of options for potentially developing the property, and an evaluation and cost-benefit analysis of other storage options for the county.

• Jay Street lot near

Jack in the Box - Bishop – The county sought and received $160,000 under the SB 2 Planning Grants Program to conduct a vacant lands inventory, host a public outreach campaign, and draft amendments to the County General Plan and zoning ordinance for eight parcels in the county to increase the allowable housing density on those select parcels. The board approved the application for these funds via resolution, for the stated purpose of accelerating the development of housing within the county. Combining the SB2 funding with a REAP grant award, the County expended more than $210,000 to: conduct a rigorous process to identify lands within a fire district, with direct access to utilities such as water, power, and sewer and avoid environmental hazards; and complete a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) study to enhance an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and complete the EIR evaluating the 8 parcels that were identified. Despite all of this work, during final approval of the General Plan Amendment and Zone Reclassification, this property was removed from consideration. The property remains completely vacant, and has General Plan and zoning designations for Public Facilities. The state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) did approve the Housing

Element without the General Plan Amendment and Zone Reclass, but its approval letter states explicitly that the agency continues to expect the county to move forward with rezoning this site as a requirement of timely and effective implementation of the Housing Element. This 5.69-acre property is one of the county’s most developable properties, as the city of Bishop has already brought utilities to the property line, and the CEQA to re-zone and redesignate the General Plan designation on this property to Central Business has been entirely completed. Staff recommends the board re-consider this county-owned property for a General Plan Amendment of Central Business District and Zoning Designation of Central Business, which would allow for potential housing development on the property in the future.

The Inyo County Board of Supervisors meets in regular session at 10 a.m. today with the agenda available at the county website, www.inyocounty. us. The meeting will be held in the Board Chambers at the County Administrative Center in Independence, 224 N. Edwards St. You can stream meetings live and participate via Zoom through the county’s website at www.inyocounty.us/.