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Home My WebLink About1991-02-26 - AGENDA REPORTS - COMMUTER RAIL STATION SITE (2)r AGENDA REPORT UNFINISHED BUSINESS DATE: February 26, 1991 SUBJECT: COMMUTER RAIL STATION SITE Resolution Number: 91-21 City Manager Approvai �- Item to be presented:,, Lynn M. Harris John E. Medina DEPARTMENT: Community Development/Public Works//9 _ fr BACKGROUND Pursuant to the Council's direction on February 19, 1991, staff presented potential commuter rail station site locations to the Planning Commission for General Plan conformity and comments. Staff has also continued its investigation of the five station sites recommended at the public forum which was conducted on February 11, 1991. Further analysis, based on concerns expressed during the forum, has been performed on these five sites. During this time, various site owners availed themselves of the opportunity to present possible concepts for developing their particular site. The Planning Commission opted to recommend the Glazer and Gates sites as their co -number one choice and the Drayton site as number three for short-term consideration. For the long term, they placed the Bermite/Whitaker Corporation site as the first choice with the Schmidt property as number two. Briefly the comments which were made regarding their selection were as follows: • Service to Canyon Country is very important and needs to be addressed for the long term, if not the short term. • Action on the Glazer site must be coupled with a program to relieve potential added traffic on Placerita Canyon Road. Construct a new east/west route across Placerita Canyon, i.e., one of the proposed Rio Vista alignments. • It is important that a site be developed to meet the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) start date of October 1992. • Environmental concerns on all sites must be addressed and especially those that relate to the construction of the extension of Pine Street to Sierra Highway and the existing oak trees on the Gates site. One point was clearly evident in all of the input we received, and that was that the Bermite site was by far the number one choice. The proposed commuter rail service can extend to within one and one-half miles of the site - so near and yet so far. With such public support, staff feels that we should try to persuade the LACTC to extend service to the site. The issues to be overcome to extend the service are: Adopted: 4 -2c Agenda Item: —4 6 0 COMMUTER RAIL STATION SITE Page 2 • Extend the lease agreement to include the added one and one-half miles ($750,000 per mile). • Extension of the centralized, switching communication system to serve the site. • Construction of the layover facility at the site, an LACTC expense. • A minimum or no cost long-term lease arrangement with the Whitaker Corporation for the station and layover facilities. Although the LACTC has previously rejected the Bermite site as a short term -site, recent discussion with their representatives suggests that we may be able to resolve these issues to their satisfaction. Their possible .agreement would certainly be worth the effort. If we cannot secure tentative agreement on the Bermite site, we recommend that the Glazer site be developed in time for the start of service. This will be done concurrently with an action plan to deal with the expected increased traffic on Placerita Canyon Road. We will also continue our review of owner proposals for alternate sites. Any better proposal than the Glazer site could be developed since the LACTC has indicated that the application in its current form does not require the City to build the site or restrict any location change. 1. The Council adopt Resolution No. 91-21 and approve the site application for the Bermite site with the Glazer site as the short-term site if we cannot work out an extension of rail service to the Bermite site. 2. Direct staff to proceed with design development of the Bermite or Glazer site depending on the final limit of rail service. 3. Direct staff to continue monitoring and reviewing owner proposals for alternate sites and return to the Council if an alternative site is more cost effective. 4. Transfer $50,000 from General Fund Reserves to a Commuter Rail Site Capital Project to cover appraisal and design development expenses. ATTACHMENTS Resolution No. 91-21 Site Application Agenda Report dated February 12, 1991 /ka 0 RESOLUTION NO. 91-21 0 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA TO APPLY FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FUNDS FOR TRANSIT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PROJECTS AS PART OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION'S APPLICATION WHEREASO the California Transportation Commission (CTC) programs and allocates Transportation Planning and Development funds (TP&D) for Transit Capital Improvement (TCI) Projects; and WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation annually submits to the California Transportation Commission its resource allocation recommendations on Mass Transit guideway projects; and WHEREAS, the CTC has estimated that $40 million would be available in Fiscal Year 1991-92 for the TCI program; and WHEREAS, the CTC has solicited applications for the FY 1991-92 TCI Program; and WHEREAS, the Los Angeles -County Transportation Commission has submitted an application for these funds to be used toward construction of commuter rail stations in Los Angeles County; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Santa Clarita declares its desire for a Commuter Rai1..Station within its City limits, understanding that funding such a station is largely the responsibility of the City; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Santa Clarita, conditioned upon the successful completion of the necessary environmental clearance, declares its intent to provide a 50% match ($520,000) for the construction costs of the commuter rail station development project identified by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission in its TCI application for an Intermodal Transfer Station. ATTEST: PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this day of CITY CLERK r4T. 111 1991. 0 Page 2 STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) 0 I, Donna Grindey, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 91-21 was duly adopted and passed on the day of , 1991 by the following vote: AYES: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS CITY CLERK COMMUTER RAIL STATION SITE I� / A P P L I C A T 1 0 N (Attach Additional Sheets it Neccessary) CITY Santa Clarita CONTACT Mr. John E. Medina DATE February 26, 1991 PHONE (805) 255-4970 SITE LOCATION (Cross Streets) The Bermite area is located at 22116 W. Soledad Canyon Road and adjacent to the Saugus Speedway. SIZE OF AVAILABLE PROPERTY 23 acres COST OF PROPERTY TO BE PURCHASED To be determined at a later date. ANY RELOCATION REQUIREMENTS? (Explain) N/A PLEASE LIST ANTICIPATED ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED (Traffic Lights, Street Widening, Property Ease- ments) A traffic signal including median modificationsaud striping will be needed to _provide safe traffic movement into the proposed station. ESTIMATED PARKING SPACES Approximately 300 GRADE CROSSING ELIMINATIONS PROPOSED N/A TYPE OFTRANSIT (BUS) FACILITIES PROPOSED AT FACILITY To be determined at a later date. PLAN TO EXPAND PARKING ApPoximately 550 spaces • FINANCING PLAN To be determined at a later date. JOINT DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES The Uniden Valencia, the Bermite property, have expressed an interest in Inc., potential developers of incorporating a Commuter Rail Station as part of their development. JOINT DEVELOPMENT CONTACT PHONE DATE OF COUNCIL APPROVAL OF SITE APPLICATION November 27, 1990 (Attach City Resolution) CITY CLERK COMMUTER RAIL STATION 1 (BERMITE) 31OW ID0 WL Sol EDAD CANYON ROAD .umJ . i ✓ SITE DATA gomm III :1]""I rm "040 90-6 vownk, fill a-lartlivi'voki Walmitt,111, 11 n 0 0 v CA m