Title
Adopt a Resolution, Pursuant to San Leandro Municipal Code Section 1-6-105, to Approve and Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Real Property Agreement with the Owners of 675 Haas Avenue for Property Rights Required for Cary-Haas Bridge Replacement, Project No. 2024.1010
Staffreport
COUNCIL PRIORITY
• Quality of Life
• Public Safety
• Infrastructure
SUMMARY
This Council action will approve the acquisition and confirm receipt of the necessary property rights from the private property owner located at 675 Haas Avenue to allow the City to construct improvements on, and access through, the property in support of the reconstruction of the Cary-Haas Pedestrian Bridge.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommend the City Council adopt a resolution to approve the acquisition of and authorize the City Manager to execute a real property agreement with the owner of 675 Haas Avenue.
BACKGROUND
In March 2023, a eucalyptus tree fell into the San Leandro Creek, causing irreparable damage to the pedestrian bridge linking Haas Avenue and Cary Drive. Following the incident, staff obtained emergency permits from applicable regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over the waterway and initiated removal of the damaged bridge structure. Staff subsequently engaged an engineering consultant to design a replacement bridge using funding provided by a private donor.
The Cary-Haas Bridge was and will be located across properties owned by the San Leandro Unified School District (SLUSD), the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (ACFCD), and the private property located at 675 Haas Avenue. The bridge provides an important pedestrian connection between the neighborhoods on both sides of the creek and serves as a convenient access route for students attending Bancroft Middle School.
Formal property rights and easements were not previously established during the construction of the original bridge. As part of the replacement project, the affected property owners requested that the necessary property rights be formally documented. Staff agreed that establishing permanent rights for the installation, operation, and maintenance of the replacement bridge is appropriate and necessary to ensure the long-term use and maintenance of the bridge.
To allow construction activities to proceed while the permanent property-rights agreements are finalized, the affected property owners agreed to provide the City with temporary Right-of-Entry agreements. These agreements will allow the City and its contractors to enter the affected properties and perform work necessary to construct the replacement bridge while the parties complete the required permanent easements and other property-rights documents. In this case, the City and the Property Owners of 675 Haas are also approving permanent easement.
The bridge replacement project includes demolition of the existing bridge abutments; installation of new abutments and piles on both sides of the creek; installation of a new prefabricated metal bridge spanning the creek; concrete bridge decking; and construction of pedestrian access pathways connecting the replacement bridge to the adjacent properties on both sides of the creek.
Analysis
This action will approve, in accordance with San Leandro Municipal Code Section 1-6-105, acquisition and receipt of the property rights and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute the necessary property-rights agreement with the private property owner at 675 Haas Avenue, subject to approval as to form by the City Attorney. This agreement provides the property rights necessary for the City to construct, operate, access, inspect, repair, and maintain the replacement bridge. Similar property-rights agreements with SLUSD and ACFCD are currently being developed and will be presented to the City Council for approval separately at a later date.
Current Agency Policies
• Provide quality public safety service and grow our partnership with the community to keep San Leandro safe
• Maintain and enhance San Leandro’s infrastructure
• Maintain and support a strong positive relationship between the City, school, and the educational community
Previous Actions
• On September 5, 2023, by Resolution No. 23-121, the City Council awarded an emergency construction contract to McGuire & Hester for the demolition and removal of the Haas Street Pedestrian Bridge and other debris in the amount of $227,500
• On September 3, 2024, by Resolution No. 2024-114, the City Council authorized the acceptance of the letter of intent to donate funds in the amount of $5,000,000 and authorized the City Manager to expend the donated funds
• On October 21, 2024, by Resolution No. 2024-131, the City Council awarded a contractual services agreement to MNS Engineers, Inc. in the amount of $407,197
• On July 20, 2026, by Resolution No. 26-098, the City Council awarded a construction contract to Con-Quest Contractors, Inc. for the construction of the Cary-Haas Pedestrian Bridge Replacement in the amount of $976,775.
Committee Review and Actions
• On July 10, 2025, staff presented an update on the project to the City Council Facilities and Transportation Committee
Applicable General Plan Policies
• Policy T-2.4 Connectivity. Ensure that the design of streets and other transportation features helps to better connect the city’s circulation network and facilitate safer and more convenient travel between San Leandro and surrounding communities.
• Policy CSF-6.8 Maintenance. Ensure that sufficient funding is provided for the ongoing maintenance of City-owned facilities, including streets, streetlights, traffic signals, landscaping, street trees, storm drains, public buildings and other infrastructure.
Permits and/or Variances Granted
• Permit from California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)
• Permit from Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB)
• Encroachment permit from Alameda County Public Works Agency
Environmental Review
This project is Categorically Exempt per California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15301(c) of the CEQA guidelines. A Notice of Exemption was filed with the Alameda County Recorder’s Office on September 18, 2025.
Financial Impacts
In return for the permanent easement, the City will compensate the property owners of 675 Haas Avenue three thousand seven hundred dollars ($3,700). The compensation amount was based on an appraisal of the acquired property rights and approved by the property owners.
In September 2024, the City Council authorized the acceptance of the letter of intent to donate funds in the amount of $5,000,000 for the reconstruction of the Cary-Haas replacement Bridge. The donated funds will be used to fund the acquisition of the private property rights.
This Council action will not impact General Fund balance.
ATTACHMENTS
A: Draft Resolution - Cary-Haas Bridge Acquisitions
B: Draft Real Property Agreement with Owner of 675 Haas Avenue
PREPARED BY: Austine Osakwe, Senior Engineer, Public Works Department - Engineering Division