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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-03-25 - AGENDA REPORTS - CA HIGH SPEED RAIL PLN COMMENT (2)Agenda Item: 4 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: Casey Bingham DATE: March 25, 2014 SUBJECT: COMMENTS REGARDING CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY DRAFT 2014 BUSINESS PLAN DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council adopt the recommendation of the City Council Ad -Hoc Subcommittee on High Speed Transportation and submit written comments during the public comment period regarding the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) 2014 Draft Business Plan. BACKGROUND Since 1996, state law has charged the California High Speed Rail Authority with the development and implementation of intercity high speed rail service between northern and southern California. In 2008, California voters passed Proposition 1 A, which authorized $9.95 billion in bonds for the planning and construction of high speed passenger train service between Los Angeles Union Station and the San Francisco Transbay Terminal. At that election, the California High Speed Rail Authority was further authorized to pursue other public and private funding to plan and construct the project. On May 3, 2012 the CHSRA Board approved the Supplemental Alternatives Analysis (SAA) for the Sylmar to Palmdale segment of the high speed rail system. The currently approved SAA includes two surface alignments that run through the eastern Santa Clarita Valley for evaluation in the future Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) process. On June 11, 2012, the City Council held a special meeting at Sulphur Springs Community School dedicated specifically to the proposed California High Speed Rail Authority Project. At this meeting the City Council requested that the CHSRA also include a third alternative be evaluated in the EIR/EIS process. The third alternative requested includes the extension of the bored tunnel originally planned to daylight near Lost Canyon Road in Canyon Country for an additional two miles. The City Council and City staff continued to communicate with CHSRA staff over the following two years, strongly expressing the importance of the tunnel extension alternative for inclusion in the environmental review. On February 5, 2014, CHSRA staff hosted a Stakeholder Working Group (SWG) meeting for the Santa Clarita area. Mayor Pro Tem McLean and Councilmember Boydston of the Santa Clarita City Council High Speed Transportation Ad -Hoc Subcommittee were in attendance. At this meeting, Michele Boehm, CHSRA Southern California Regional Director, gave a status report on the Southern California project section from Palmdale to Los Angeles Union Station, along with an update on the recommendations of alignments for inclusion in a revised SAA to be considered by the Board later this spring. The alignment alternatives currently proposed by CHSRA staff in Santa Clarita include three alignments that will roughly parallel the SR -14 corridor and through the Sand Canyon area. The CHSRA staff is now prepared to recommend to their Board a tunnel extension of two miles; continuing the underground tunnel past the proposed Vista Canyon Ranch development, two local schools, and the residential neighborhoods of Sand Canyon. CHSRA staff has further indicated that they will likely recommend that one of the surface alignments, previously approved by the CHSRA Board be eliminated. This would mean that one surface alignment and the tunnel extension alignment will be recommended to the Board to be carried forward through the EIR/EIS process. At the February meeting, Ms. Boehm also stated CHSRA staff is currently studying the feasibility of another alignment alternative: a direct route from the proposed Burbank high speed rail station, near Bob Hope Airport, to the Palmdale high speed rail station that would bypass Santa Clarita entirely. City staff has reviewed the CHSRA's 2014 Draft Business Plan. While there remains great debate over the future of the proposed project, as the environmental process is currently moving forward, it is important for the community to express its concerns over specific alignments to be considered as part of the environmental review process. City staff has expressed appreciation to CHSRA staff for adding the two mile tunnel extension alignment, as one of the alternatives for consideration to be recommended to the Board later this spring for inclusion in the environmental review. At their meeting of March 12, 2014, the City Council Ad -Hoc Subcommittee expressed to CHSRA staff their preference for the Burbank to Palmdale direct alignment, bypassing the Santa Clarita Valley entirely. The subcommittee members also reiterated their continuing concerns regarding the surface alignments still under consideration in the Santa Clarita Valley. The date of CHSRA staff's formal recommendation to their Board of the rail alignment alternatives for inclusion in the Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement has not been set. However, CHSRA staff has indicated it will most likely be late spring or early summer of this year. At that meeting, the CHSRA Board is expected to formally direct specific alternatives for inclusion in the EIR/EIS. Given the immense importance of this issue to Santa Clarita and other southern California communities, the letter from the City Council requests that the CHSRA Board meet in Southern California when the decision is made to select the alignments for environmental review. Holding the meeting in Los Angeles would provide residents, elected officials, and business leaders the opportunity to address the CHSRA Board and facilitate a more interactive dialogue. The City Council Ad -Hoc Subcommittee on High Speed Transportation recommends a letter be submitted during the public comment period regarding the CHSRA 2014 Draft Business Plan. A draft letter is attached for the Council's consideration. The letter expresses the Council's preference for the Burbank to Palmdale direct alignment, as the preferred alternative, as well as the tunnel extension alignment for inclusion in the environmental review. The letter further expresses lack of support for either of the surface alignments currently under consideration in the Santa Clarita Valley. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS 1. Recommend a different alignment as the preferred high speed rail alignment through Santa Clarita. 2. Other direction as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT No additional resources are needed to implement the recommended action. ATTACHMENTS Letter- CHSRA Chairperson Richard Draft 2014 Business Plan 3 March 26, 2014 Mr. Dan Richard, Chairperson California High -Speed Rail Authority 770 L Street, Suite 800 Sacramento, CA 95814 SUBJECT: COMMENTS REGARDING CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY DRAFT 2014 BUSINESS PLAN Dear Chairperson Richard The following are comments from the Santa Clarita City Council regarding the 2014 California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) Draft Business Plan. The Council recognizes and appreciates the efforts over the past two years by CHSRA staff to be responsive to the community's concerns. We are grateful for the visits to Santa Clarita from Jeff Morales, CHSRA Executive Director, and Michelle Boehm, CHSRA Southern California Regional Director, to learn firsthand of our community's concerns regarding the proposed project. On February 5, 2014, the CHSRA hosted a Stakeholder Working Group (SWG) meeting for the Santa Clarita area at the City's Sports Complex. At this meeting, Michele Boehm gave a status report on the Southern California project section from Palmdale to Union Station along with an update on the proposed staff recommendations of alignments for inclusion in the Supplemental Alternative Analysis (SAA). The Council would like to thank the staff for recommending the two mile tunnel extension alignment in Sand Canyon as one of the alternatives for the Board's consideration to be included in the SAA. At this meeting, Ms. Boehm stated CHSRA staff is currently studying the feasibility of another alignment alternative: a direct route from Burbank, near Bob Hope Airport, to the Palmdale high speed rail station that would bypass Santa Clarita entirely. City staff has reviewed the 2014 Draft Business Plan and appreciates the CHSRA's efforts to provide updated financial and ridership forecasts. The City is most concerned with the impacts the construction and operation of the high speed train would have on local residents. Given the substantial negative impacts to the local neighborhoods, schools, and a planned jobs center, the City Council does not support the proposed surface alignments through the Santa Clarita Valley. While there remains great debate over the future viability of the proposed project, as the environmental process is currently moving forward the City Council strongly supports the direct alignment between Palmdale and Burbank, as the preferred alternative. This alignment is more direct, would eliminate impacts to our community, and would create a more attractive alternative to passengers. Supervisor Antonovich supported a similar preference in his letter to you dated October 11, 2013. The Council recognizes there may be some concerns from the City of Burbank and affected communities if the Palmdale to Burbank direct alignment alternative is included in the SAA. The Council requests that the CHSRA Board please be responsive to the concerns of the City of Burbank and affected community residents. Given the immense importance of this issue to Santa Clarita and other Los Angeles County communities, the City Council requests that the CHSRA Board meet in Southern California, not Sacramento, when the decision is made to include the new alignment in the SAA. Holding the meeting in Los Angeles would provide residents, elected officials, and business leaders the opportunity to address the CHSRA Board and to facilitate a more interactive dialogue. I appreciate your willingness to help resolve the City's concerns and find an agreeable solution to mitigate the high-speed rail system's impacts to the City of Santa Clarita. If you or your staff should require any additional information regarding this letter please contact me, or Michael Murphy, Intergovernmental Relations Officer, at (661) 255-4384, or by email at mmurohvna.santa-clarita.com. Sincerely, Laurene Weste Mayor LW:KS:MPM:cb cc: Santa Clarita High Speed Rail Task Force Santa Clarita City Council Kenneth W. Striplin, City Manager City Leadership Team Jeff Morales, CHSRA Executive Director Michelle Boehm, CHSRA Southern California Regional Director