East Valley Water District has surpassed yet another milestone necessary to open a new centralized headquarters facility. The Board of Directors unanimously approved the Mitigated Negative Declaration, which allows for construction to move forward on the 22 acre project in early March. State law requires that all projects must assess potential environmental impacts. In this case, the District approved a Mitigated Negative Declaration which states that an initial study found this project doesn’t have a significant effect on the environment.
“With design work for the project 80% complete, the District needed to approve the Negative Declaration, in order to comply with California Environmental Quality Act regulations, prior to moving forward,” said Board President Matt LeVesque. “This step opens the door to apply for permits from the City of Highland and gives the green light to begin requesting bids for upcoming phases.”
The new centralized headquarters will continue to provide the community with quality water and sewer service while creating additional opportunities for special events, trainings, and visits to a new public demonstration garden. With design work 80% complete, this facility will sit on 22 acres, and allow for all district operations to take place at one location. Currently East Valley Water District operates out of three different locations with over $200,000 per year in rent payments and utilities. The new headquarters will consolidate these locations, address unmet needs, and provide for future opportunities. In an effort to embrace the local history and protect a vanishing regional element, the District has made it a priority to continue operating the existing orange grove on the property.
“The new facility will enhance operational efficiencies and allow for new opportunities to provide quality customer service to the residents we serve,” said John Mura East Valley Water District General Manager/CEO. “While we are celebrating this milestone, we will keep working with this level of determination to make sure that this project stays on budget and on track for a spring 2014 completion.”
Major project milestones already reached include:
• Selecting the Greenspot Road Property as the future District Headquarters location
• Select a funding plan which uses a combination of reserve funding and bond financing
• Contracting with Balfour Beatty Construction to design and build the facility, with a Guaranteed Maximum Price of $15.5 million
• Completing 80% of building design to LEED silver standards for sustainability
The next anticipated major milestone will be receiving the project approval and permits from the City of Highland within the next month.