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CC - Item 11A - Letter to California High Speed Rail Authority and Information UpdateROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL n FROM: JEFF ALLRED, CITY MANAGERZ?('JI DATE: SEPTEMBER 28, 2010 111 SUBJECT: LETTER TO CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY (CHSRA)- AND INFORMATION UPDATE SUMMARY The City Council will consider approval of a letter to be sent to the California High Speed Rail Authority to communicate that the City is OPPOSED to any rail alignment along the 1-10 Freeway that would directly or indirectly impede on properties in Rosemead, which would include aerial, north side, and/or south side. Also, as a reminder, the CHSRA will hold a community meeting to provide information and receive public input as follows: DATE: Wednesday, October 6th TIME: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. LOCATION: Grace Black Auditorium 3130 Tyler Avenue El Monte. In addition, the CHSRA has agreed to hold another community meeting in Rosemead in October or November. The meeting will be held in the Rosemead Community Recreation Center on a date to be determined. Recommendation: That the City Council approve the proposed letter for signature. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION In November of 2008, California voters approved Proposition 1A authorizing the issuance of $9.95 billion in bonds to establish a high-speed train system linking San Diego and Southern California, the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The project will cost some $40 billion and funds are being sought from federal government and the private sector to fill the substantial gap. Attachment "A" is a list of facts regarding the project. ffEM NOe 1 APPROVED FOR CITY COUNCIL AGENDA: City Council Meeting September 28,2010 Page 2 of 2 On April 27, 2010, the City Council took action "to support the alignment on the 1-10 freeway route on the condition it goes along the median for the California High Speed Rail project." However, at its meeting of September 14, 2010, the City Council took action to: OPPOSE any rail alignment along the 1-10 Freeway that would directly or indirectly impede on properties in Rosemead, which would include aerial, north side, and/or south side of the 1-10 Freeway. Also, by way of information, the CHSRA has agreed to conduct a community meeting in Rosemead to enable citizens to obtain information and voice concerns. The meeting will be held in the Rosemead Community Recreation Center on a date to be determined in October or November. Also, a meeting on the CHSRA project was held at the League of California Cities conference in San Diego on September 16, 2010. Council Members Clark and Ly attended the meeting and voiced concerns regarding the project. Finally, on September 21, 2010 the CHSRA hosted an informational meeting in the Metro building in downtown Los Angeles. Council Members Armenta and Clark attended and Council Member Armenta spoke at the meeting. MAYOR: GARY TAYLOR MAYOR PRO TEM: STEVEN LY COUNCIL MEMBERS: SANDRAARMENTA MARGARETCLARK POLLY LOW September 28, 2010 Ppsemead 8838 E. VALLEY BOULEVARD • P.O. BOX 399 ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA 91770 TELEPHONE (626) 569-2100 FAX (626) 307-9218 Curt Pringle, Chairman Members of the Board of Directors California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) 925 L Street, Suite 1425 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Chairman Pringle and Members of the Board: This letter is to inform you that the Rosemead City Council has taken action to OPPOSE any rail alignment along the 1-10 Freeway that would directly or indirectly impede on properties in Rosemead, which would include aerial, north side, and/or south side of the 1-10 Freeway. We appreciate the CHRSA representatives who have been in contact with the City and attended our September 141h City Council meeting to make a presentation on this significant project. However, after receiving the presentation and hearing concerns expressed by our citizens, it is clear that there is strong opposition to an alignment along the 1-10 Freeway unless it is to be construction within the freeway median in an at-grade or below-grade manner. While the Rosemead community understands that the primary purposes of the project are to alleviate traffic congestion and improve the quality of our environment, the matter becomes extremely personal to the residents and business owners near the route because of possible displacement from their homes businesses and other devastating consequences. Many of our citizens in close proximity to the freeway have expressed their angst believing that their property values would be negatively affected particularly if the system were to be constructed along the shoulder of the freeway right-of-way or in an elevated vertical configuration. It is difficult for the community to imagine that an aerial 35 ft. high structure with a 50 ft. wide platform could have any other effect than to denigrate the aesthetics of surrounding neighborhoods. Moreover, there are also strong concerns about excessive speed that could present safety risks, noise, and possible vibrations the trains would cause. We appreciate that the actions of the CHSRA to postpone the Board's consideration of a Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report that had initially and prematurely been scheduled for presentation to the Board earlier this month. Clearly, the presentation of such a report needs to be delayed until the affected residents and communities have had an adequate opportunity to obtain information and express concerns regarding the alternatives to be considered. We also appreciate the actions of the CHSRA to schedule a community meeting in El Monte on October 6`h and the commitment to schedule another community meeting in Rosemead in October or November. Page 2. Finally, the City of Rosemead and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments look forward to working closely with CHSRA representatives to ensure that our community and residents have had sufficient opportunity to obtain information and register any concerns to the Board. Sincerely, Gary Taylor Mayor Steven Ly, Mayor Pro Tem Mayor Pro Tern Sandra Armenta Council Member Margaret Clark Council Member Polly Low Council Member