Conceptual Landscape Plans for Barton Road and I-215 Exchange in Grand Terrace

The Grand Terrace City Council got the opportunity to review and discuss the three conceptual designs that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) along with the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) proposed for the Barton Road and I-215 Interchange. The widening of the I-215 freeway between the 60 freeway and the I-10 freeway is starting to come to a conclusion. With that happening, the interchange at the I-215/Barton Road has had three design plans drawn up to specify what the landscape/hardscape final concept will be at that location. The concepts presented by Caltrans are primarily hardscape in nature keeping with State directives, especially in lieu of the drought California is going through at the present time. Also, these concepts incorporate the railroad theme that is in the design of the freeway retaining walls. Early on in the project, city staff met with SANBAG and Caltrans representatives and asked them to incorporate into the design process the identity symbol for Grand Terrace (Blue Mountain). Because of that recommendation, the center median on Barton Road, west of Mount Vernon Avenue, has a stone sculpture of the Blue Mountain silhouette. At the same time, a component of the Interchange Project is the proposed roundabout to be located on the west side of the interchange, and it is definitely a landscape/hardscape concept. Staff has always been a supporter of the hardscape landscaping idea, because it reduces both irrigation and maintenance costs. The Blue Mountain silhouette could be incorporated in the roundabout design, as well. At the council meeting held last week, the council provided valuable input into what design they favored, which was Option #2 without the monument, and Councilmember Doug Wilson suggested they do the railroad feature in rock instead of railroad ties; it will now go back to Caltrans and SANBAG to finalize the concept to be approved by the council in the future. The maintenance of the roundabout and hardscape features will be done by the city. The I-215/Barton Road Interchange Project is fully funded through SANBAG.