Residents will vote on paying to have Milligan bridge replaced

The Laguna Beach City Council has approved an engineer’s report that outlined potential costs for residents and the city of replacing a deteriorating bridge on a private road in Laguna Canyon.

The council’s unanimous vote June 2 signaled the city’s intent to levy fees on property owners to help pay for the design and construction of a new bridge on Milligan Drive that crosses over a county-owned flood control channel.

A new bridge is expected to cost $425,193, according to a city staff report that cited research from the engineering firm, AndersonPenna Partners Inc.

Wooden supports for the 16-foot-wide bridge are rotting, Public Works Director Steve May wrote in an email. City crews first discovered the problem two years ago, and City Manager John Pietig has said in previous council meetings that the bridge needs to be replaced as soon as possible.

Residents of Sarah Thurston Park use Milligan Drive to enter and exit their neighborhood, and city crews cross the bridge to collect trash and mow grass in a park.

Laguna Beach County Water District employees walk across the bridge to read meters every two months but don’t drive vehicles across the span, district Assistant General Manager Christopher Regan said.

The bridge is in a Caltrans right-of-way, and thus the city does not own or maintain it. Caltrans will not accept ownership of the bridge since it serves a private road, the staff report said.

Twenty-one lots would be assessed — 14 are private parcels and seven belong to the city. The city’s parcels include a landscaped area and a gravel lot large enough to hold 15 parked cars. Residents who have no available street parking in front of their homes often use the gravel lot, according to the staff report.

Twelve private parcels would be charged $15,461, and two would be charged $30,923, AndersonPenna reported. Engineers based costs on the number of buildable lots on a piece of property.

The city would pay $92,769 for its seven parcels — some of which are smaller than a buildable lot — and contribute an additional $85,000 for “general benefit to the public,” the staff report said.

Sharon Risley, a 47-year resident of Sarah Thurston Park, said the city might have missed a few parcels and asked staff to look at the area again before the July 21 council meeting, during which public feedback on the proposed assessment district will be gathered.

Adam Kaplan said the proposed fee of more than $30,000 would be a burden on his 92-year-old mother, from whom he rents, and himself.

“I don’t have money like that,” Kaplan said. “I’ll gladly pay money, but I can’t pay that much.”

The city is seeking a county permit to replace the bridge since it passes over the flood control channel, county Public Works spokesman Shannon Widor said. County workers occasionally drive across the bridge to clear storm drains in the area.

May said he would ask the county about helping fund part of the bridge replacement cost.

Residents in the area will vote on whether they want to pay a share of the costs. If “yes” votes are greater than 50% of $340,153, then the funding plan passes, May said.

The council will vote on whether to approve the city’s $92,769 assessment at either the July 21 or Aug. 4 meeting on the subject.