Sausalito might be a significant step closer to finishing a yearslong project to overhaul the ferry landing area.
The City Council is scheduled to discuss, and possibly vote to award, a $1.3 million contract with Bauman Landscaping for the “ferry landside improvement project” at its meeting on Tuesday. The contract would kickstart groundbreaking on the $2.5 million project.
“Sausalito is the gem of the bay and the gateway to Marin,” said Mayor Ian Sobieski. “Thanks to a $2.4 million federal and bridge district grant and a low construction bid of $1.3 million, which falls well within the remaining grant budget, and after a seven-plus-year design process, we are on the cusp of awarding a construction contract to build a safer, more organized and enjoyable space for residents and visitors alike. A ferry landing worthy of our beautiful town.”
The project has been in the works since 2017, when the city received federal funding for improvements to the ferry plaza. However, the plans were rejected after more than 40 residents filed an appeal last fall, and the project went back to the drawing board.
The $2.5 million budget includes $2 million from the Federal Transit Agency, $400,000 from the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, and a $100,000 local match.
The City Council approved a conceptual design for the project in February. The council meeting on Tuesday could include authorizing the final project plans and specifications.
“This project is in the heart of downtown Sausalito and is important as a community focal point,” the staff report states. “Moving this project to the construction phase is a significant effort between many parties and all should be commended for this project.”
The city requested proposals in June. The base bid request included widening the plaza area near the ferry, adding accessible parking, installing a wider sidewalk near Lot 1, and putting in trees, bollards and bike racks.
The initial bid also included improvements to close off the end of Tracy Way as it connects with Anchor Street and installing a wider asphalt area on the northeast side of Humboldt Avenue for bike parking. Bike parking will be moved to Humboldt Avenue from Tracy Way.
City staff also recommend that the City Council approve two alternatives to the plan — paving Tracy Way with gravel material to make the area more pedestrian-friendly, and replacing the plaza’s standard bollards with lighted bollards. The alternatives would bring the contract to $1.4 million. The staff is also requesting a contingency of $258,511 for the project.
Two other bids were considered: Ghilotti Brothers for $1.8 million and Kerex Engineering for $1.4 million. Sara Khorshidifard, a city project manager, said Bauman Landscaping was chosen because it was the lowest bidder.
The construction will be phased so ferry service can continue during construction.
“After we award, the contractor would sign the contract and the relevant papers, and the goal is to begin construction in the fall, in September,” Khorshidifard said. “As soon as we start, it will be less than a year.”
