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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda Report - February 17, 2010 J-02AGENDA ITEM Z4070 CITY OF Low COUNCIL COMMUNICATION AGENDA TITLE: Consideration of the following actions regarding the California High - Speed and Regional Rail Program: a) Direct staff to prepare a letter confirming the City's desire to have the Union Pacific corridor alignment considered through Lodi. b) Authorize the Mayor to send a letter supporting Merced County's request for the High-speed Rail Heavy Maintenance Facility at the former Castle Air Force Base. MEETING DATE: February 17,2010 PREPARED BY: Community Development Director RECOMMENDED ACTION: Consideration of the following actions regarding the California High-speed and Regional Rail Program: a) Direct staff to prepare a letter confirming the City's desire to have the Union Pacific corridor alignment considered through Lodi. b) Authorize the Mayor to send a letter supporting Merced County's request for the High - Speed Rail Heavy Maintenance Facility at the former Castle Air Force Base. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The City Council received a presentation at your shirtsleeve meeting on February 9th regarding the status of the California High-speed Rail program and the various alignments being considered in the Lodi vicinity. The environmental review process for the Merced to Sacramento segment has begun and a fundamental question about Lodi's preference for the alignment has been asked. In the current document, the alignment bypasses Lodi by sweeping from the Union Pacific corridor to the Central California Traction Line north and south of the City. The result of this alignment most likelywould affect Lodi's ability to attain regional/commuter service. The benefits and negatives to having the high speed alignment through Lodi were discussed. Based on the meetings that have occurred and the presentation by Mr. Schmidt from the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, staff believes that it is Lodi's best interest to confirm an alignment that has the ability to utilize the Downtown Multi -Modal station at some time in the future. We feel this provides the best opportunity for possibilityto be connected to a regional rail system that could ultimately connect Lodi to Sacramento and points south. The second action that we are requesting involves the request from Merced County for support in having the Heavy Maintenance Facility for the High-speed Rail to be located at the former Castle Air Force Base. As noted in the letter attached, the facility has the potential to employ several thousand in direct and indirect jobs. This is a facility that benefits the Merced to APPROVED: Blair Ki ty Manager Sacramento segment by placing a required facility within the region. There are no alternative locations proposed that are closer to Lodi. FISCAL IMPACT: NIA FUNDING AVAILABLE: N/A Konradt Bartlam Community Development Director Attachments: High-speed Rail informational handout Letterfrom Merced County dated February 3,2010 SM1 IVJVA4Ar WAF }� r A M A Ww.. / he California High -Speed Rail Authority( HSRA)isproposing high-speed train service far travel between Los Angeles and Sale Diego in the south to the .Sorg Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento in the north. This fast, Safe, reliable system will travel at speeds in excess of 200 miles per Dour and is forecast to carry up to 4 T million passengers annually for the entire 800 - mile high-speed train network b { the year O35. M ERCED T SACRAMENTO HIGH-SPEED TRAIN PROJECT Fi, The Merced-to-5acrarnento serdon of rhe High • 5peed Traln (HST) systern Includes the Cry ofsocramento south to the City of Merced Proposed roure ahernatives generally follow the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (SIV5F), rhe Cer?Mal Callfarnla TracHan (CCT) or the flWon Poellic (UP) radroads throughput the se cellon. HS-rsrarlons are propo5rd in Sacrcrrrrerrto, Stockton, Modesto, and Merced, (see deealteamap inRdej son Fr#nc�sto 1 �ib:m r J �—1 J �wrt MENTO 'I ` TION J . LEGEND �"` E x� � � CMnBCIFr� Smlewide - - } kgw.F�ee6 Grein Sps�em k. i .- - i � Allemont�'OrrrY�Re}orml wa CoF+4c�++ I�.�R� fir• . ModwO _ Y J. T }rgiia y ti ." Y�!#b#ITuI#rafFlanlard - ��Ireert _. F ■'kY rcedi Rakersllrld Palmdmt Airport e ;Ego _� 9M9rnar toy Airgrlez marhrnk * OntmNo AleW 1..i Norwalk Anehrlm Irwrnr %A MLIFraeta Escontlf�W Unhiarsity CRY Sin Wd" P R 0 G R A M -EIR EIS PR01EC7A WRDNMEN M I ANAI YZ & 1 l i t i 1 �r 1�'W", 1 1 �L Ir a �coptr�� is the f�►'stoppoXtcrnit to bevr�e lrrvoh+wed IGS the Adeemed-ty- Saavme►rtohTTprayjeci-kWEnvlrmme talfffpactReporvFnvho*n erofof Impact tatemerxt lR1E15). Duringthescopingprocessrhepubll as well as city, conn[}, state, and federal ageng*s how on oppportualry to provide mm►der+ts on r jest oh�ern tf es and environmental impacts to be evaluated In the E1RMS. Mepurpose of aft scoplaq process is ta: o Alen My puNk and m3mcy con cems earAl in the enAvnmentolprocess receAorinp. ut cm alfemarlves and ftejes rhut rsrdll be examined in the * l Draft Elly - save time /P the *r wo#procez andfadlitate of efficient fl"N preparatlorr pros -M FINAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MUMINA&M N -MMW COME PARTICIPATE IN THE MER ED TO SACRAMENTO HION-SPEED TRAIN PRD ' 'Ir The Gallfornia High -Speed Rail Authority grill has tpublic scoping tmeetings along the project section to pro Ode the public with ars opportunity to learn about the p1'o � ask questions andprovide feedback about what project alterr advaes and envlronnuntat Issues shouldbe evaluated In the EIRIVS. Please joln us for orae of the �.- follo wInaWOUSe sesslans� . MERCED SACRAMENTO 111IF0,1 '=#u�F;1, 2010 Janaary7,Q.R III z _0iO;pati 3:OG=Opi COMMENTS PV&C scopm!7 eoinrnents regard1n-9 the Merced -to -Sacramento HS I -project will be accepted un tit Wednesday, February 26.20 10. Tease send commcntx to Dari t eovltt Deputy Director, Ar?erced-to socrarrrenty, California High -Speed RallAathorlty, 925 L .Street, Suite 7925, Sacfarnentq CA 95879. Comments can also be subrnitfed via email to comments hsr ca gov ivith'the i6bjectline Merced to Sacramento HST." MODESTO January28r2010 [00 �CA iI For more information visit www.cahighspeedraii.ca.gov February 3,2010 Honorable Phil Katzakian Mayor, City of Lodi 305 W Pine Street Lodi. CA 95240 SUBJECT: High Speed Rail Dear Mayor Katzakian, MERCED,k--,--- FEB 8 2010 City lerk City o Lodi The Greater Merced High Speed Rail Committee has filed an Expression of Interestto the California High Speed Rail Authority to locate the Heavy Maintenance Facility (HMF) in Merced County. The Greater Merced High Speed Rail Committee selected two sites to submit to the California High Speed Rail Committee in order to be more competitive depending upon the rail alignment selected for the High Speed Rail line. The preferred site is the former Castle Air Force Base located on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line. The proposed locations are the most northern sites presented to the Authority to locate their Heavy Maintenance Facility. The location of both Merced County sites will allow your citizens easy access to new well paying jobs that will benefit the entire northern San Joaquin Valley communities reduce our unemployment. The Heavy Maintenance Facility will employ 1,500 wide the potential of another 3,000 indirect jobs being generated by firms interested in supplying the HMF with parts and services they will not have on site. Besides benefiting our northern San Joaquin Valley region with additional jobs and opportunities for manufacturers, a HMF located in Merced County would also increase the likelihood that the Merced to Sacramento segment of the California High Speed Rail would be constructed in addition to funding provided for improvements to connecting commuter services. We ask for you support in the form of a letter or resolution that will promote Merced County as the best location for placing High Speed Rail HMF. In addition, last week the Obama Administration announced that California is going to receive $2,349,400,000 of the $8 billion in stimulus funding for high-speed train development under the American Recoveryand ReinvestmentAct (ARRA). This is only half of the amount requested by the California High Speed Rail representatives which means some cf the segments of high speed rail lines may not be built at this time, possibly leaving the Merced to Sacramento segment to be built years later. We believe it's importantthat we all communicateto the California High Speed Rail Authority that these ARRA funds be used to build track for the segment north of Fresno. Your efforts can make a difference. Respectfully, Bill Spnggs Mayor, City of Merced Cc: City Council, City of Lodi John Pedrozo Supervisor, County of Merced son Fr#nc�sto 1 �ib:m r J �—1 J �wrt MENTO 'I ` TION J . LEGEND �"` E x� � � CMnBCIFr� Smlewide - - } kgw.F�ee6 Grein Sps�em k. i .- - i � Allemont�'OrrrY�Re}orml wa CoF+4c�++ I�.�R� fir• . ModwO _ Y J. T }rgiia y ti ." Y�!#b#ITuI#rafFlanlard - ��Ireert _. F ■'kY rcedi Rakersllrld Palmdmt Airport e ;Ego _� 9M9rnar toy Airgrlez marhrnk * OntmNo AleW 1..i Norwalk Anehrlm Irwrnr %A MLIFraeta Escontlf�W Unhiarsity CRY Sin Wd" P R 0 G R A M -EIR EIS PR01EC7A WRDNMEN M I ANAI YZ & 1 l i t i 1 �r 1�'W", 1 1 �L CITY COUNCIL PHIL KATZAKIAN, Mayor SUSAN HITCHCOCK, Mayor Pro Tempore BOBJOHNSON JOANNE MOUNCE LARRY HANSEN February 18,2010 CITY OF LODI Bill Spriggs, Mayor City of Merced 678 West 18th Street Merced, California 95340 CITY HALL, 221 WEST PINE STREET P.O. BOX 3006 LODI, CALIFORNIA 95241-1910 (209)333-6702/ FAX (209)333-6807 www.lodi.gov citvclerk(Mlodi.4ov BLAIR KING, City Manager RANDI JOHL, City Clerk D. STEPHEN SCHWABAUER SUBJECT: GREATER MERCED HIGH SPEED RAIL COMMITTEE Dear Mr. Spriggs, City Attorney Pursuant to your request, the City Council of the City of Lodi, at its regularly scheduled meeting of February 17, 2010, took action to support the Greater Merced High Speed Rail Committee in their interest to locate the California High Speed Rail Authority Heavy Maintenance Facility in Merced County. The City of Lodi supports all efforts that will provide infrastructure investment and jobs to the region. Further, the City concurs that having this facility within the northern San Joaquin Valley area will increase the likelihood that the Merced to Sacramento segment of the High Speed Rail will be constructed. If you have any questions or comments regarding the above, please feel free to contact Konradt Bartlam, Community Development Director at (209) 333-6711. Sincerely, Phil Katzakian Mayor C: John Pedrozo, Merced County Supervisor Stacy Mortensen, San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission