Council approves mitigation and endowment payment for SR-60 Potrero Boulevard interchange work

Beaumont — The City Council approved conservation and deposit agreements to provide mitigation for Phase 2 of the SR-60 Potrero Boulevard interchange, which will impact approximately 0.5 acre of streambed habitat.

Staff explained that California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board require a 2:1 mitigation ratio; staff identified mitigation at the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District's Holmes property adjacent to Beaumont. The mitigation package includes an enhanced work estimate (about $106,000), an endowment (about $154,000) to finance perpetual maintenance through investment proceeds, and a deposit for initial implementation. A 10% contingency was included in the staff estimate; the transcript lists a total estimated amount of roughly $286,900.

Staff clarified the endowment is a one-time payment intended to fund perpetual maintenance so the city would not be obligated for additional recurring payments. Council approved the recommended action and the deposit agreement to begin the mitigation work.