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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-12-01; City Council; 20053; Del Mar Fairgrounds Perm Seasonal Rail Platform16 CITY OF CARLSBAD - AGENDA BILL 20.053AB# MTG. 12/1/09 DEPT. ENG PROPOSED DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS PERMANENT SEASONAL RAIL PLATFORM DEPT. HEAD CITY ATTY. CITY MGR. (jj - RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt Resolution No. 2009-298 expressing support for the construction of the Del Mar Fairgrounds Permanent Seasonal Rail Platform. ITEM EXPLANATION: On November 2, 2009, Carlsbad resident Richard Eckfield spoke to the City Council under Public Comment and asked Council to support the construction of a rail platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds by adopting a resolution. Mayor Lewis previously indicated support of the project by sending a letter on April 24, 2008 to the Deputy General Manager of the Del Mar Fairgrounds urging that the planning efforts to implement the railroad platform move forward. The permanent seasonal rail platform was discussed by the SANDAG Transportation Committee, represented by elected officials, on November 6, 2009 as part of Agenda Item 10, San Dieguito River Bridge and Del Mar Fairgrounds Platform Feasibility Studies. Earlier this year on May 15, 2009, the Transportation Committee also discussed the permanent seasonal railroad platform. The connotation of a permanent seasonal rail platform is that the platform would be in use for events held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and would not be an everyday railroad stop. Funding availability is one of the major constraints to the efforts to plan, design, and construct the permanent seasonal rail platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Although SANDAG was unsuccessful in obtaining stimulus funding for this project, SANDAG Executive Director Gary Gallegos indicated to the Transportation Committee that his staff is aggressively exploring other funding options. There are two options for the siting of a permanent seasonal rail platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. One is to construct a 600-foot platform and the other a 1,000-foot platform. The former has an estimated cost of $3.7 million and the latter has a cost estimate of $5.3 million. Both options require an elevated platform to be constructed on the east side of the railroad tracks with ramps and steps leading directly into the Fairgrounds parking lot. Either option requires the construction of a second track over the San Dieguito River so as to allow one train to pass and one train to be at the platform. However, construction of a second track would fill in wetlands and thus, costly environmental mitigation would be required, in addition to the costs of constructing a second track. Because a new bridge over the San Dieguito River will be taller than the existing, compatibility issues result with the proposed rail platform that could possibly require the platform to be moved further north. Unfortunately, a location further north would not be compatible with the 22nd District Agricultural Association proposed master plan for the Fairgrounds. As a result, further detailed studies will be required to analyze the project feasibility, environmental mitigation, and cost. DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Robert T. Johnson, Jr., P.E. 760-602-2752 bob.iohnson@carlsbadca.gov FOR CITY CLERKS USE ONLY COUNCIL ACTION: APPROVED DENIED CONTINUED WITHDRAWN AMENDED c/ n n nn CONTINUED TO DATE SPECIFIC CONTINUED TO DATE UNKNOWN RETURNED TO STAFF OTHER - SEE MINUTES nnn n Page 2 Although a difficult project to bring to fruition, construction of the proposed rail platform has benefits. Mitigation of existing and future traffic congestion can be realized when the public is offered a choice as to their preferred mode of travel. A permanent seasonal rail platform constructed at the Del Mar Fairgrounds would provide the rail option as an alternate to the use of vehicles that create congestion on the freeway and surface roads. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: Support of further studies to be conducted by SANDAG to determine the feasibility of the permanent seasonal rail platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds does not constitute a "project" pursuant to Section 15378(b)(5) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and no environmental review is required. FISCAL IMPACT: Support of the necessary studies to be initiated by SANDAG to examine the feasibility of a permanent seasonal rail platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds will not result in a fiscal impact to Carlsbad. EXHIBITS: 1. Location Map. 2. Resolution No. 2009-298 expressing support for the construction of the Del Mar Fairgrounds permanent seasonal rail platform. 3. Letter by Mayor Lewis dated April 24, 2008. 4. SANDAG November 6, 2009 Transportation Committee Agenda Item No. 10, San Dieguito River Bridge and Del Mar Fairgrounds Platform Feasibility Studies. LOCATION MAP SITE NOT TO SCALE PROJECT NAME PERMANENT SEASONAL RAIL PLATFORM EXHIBIT 1 DRAWN BY: SCOTT EVANS. CARLSBAD ENGINEERING DEPT. 11/16/09 C: \TRAmC\JOHNSON\OEL MAR RAIL PLATFORU.DWG 3 1 RESOLUTION NO. 2009-298 2 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF 3 CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS 4 PERMANENT SEASONAL RAIL PLATFORM. 5 WHEREAS, traffic congestion will continue to increase on Interstate Highway 5 and on 6 local roads; and 7 WHEREAS, increased traffic congestion has negative impacts to the environment; and 8 WHEREAS, options must be explored and implemented to minimize the number of 9 vehicles utilizing the roadway system to reach major destinations such as the Del Mar 10 Fairgrounds; and11 WHEREAS, improved rail service to the Del Mar Fairgrounds by the ultimate construction of a permanent seasonal rail platform would provide transportation alternatives for I O visitors to the Del Mar Fairgrounds; and14 WHEREAS, studies and investigations are encouraged to be initiated by SANDAG to15 determine the feasibility and cost of a permanent seasonal rail platform at the Del Mar16 Fairgrounds; and WHEREAS, SANDAG should explore all potential funding sources to use for the studies and investigations necessary that would lead to the construction of a permanent seasonal rail1 y __ platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. 21 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, 22 California, as follows: 23 1. That the above recitations are true and correct. 24 2. The City Council encourages SANDAG to explore and secure all potential 25 funding sources to study the feasibility of designing and ultimately constructing a permanent 25 seasonal rail platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. 27 3. The City Council supports the construction of a permanent seasonal rail platform 28 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad on the 1st day of December, 2009, by the following vote to wit: AYES: Council Members Lewis, Kulchin, Hall, Packard and Blackburn. NOES: None. ABSENT: None. MIDEA LEWIS, Mayor ATTEST: RRAJftE M. JA/OJDD, City Clerk U City of Carlsbad Office of the Mayor 2 April 24, 2008 NOV 10 2009 ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT Rebecca Bartling Deputy General Manager Del Mar Fairgrounds 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. Del Mar, CA 92014 Dear Ms. Bartling, As Mayor of the City of Carlsbad, I urge the 22nd Agricultural Association to place a priority on the development of a rail platform, north of the San Dieguito River where it has been shown on the master plan for the fairgrounds for the past 23 years and to show such a train stop in the "near-term" projects listing of the proposed activities in the proposed revised master plan. Traffic congestion at the Del Mar Fairgrounds is an issue which affects all residents of San Diego, not just the residents surrounding the fairgrounds. With the increasing price of gasoline, the need to be concerned about air pollution, and the importance of saving time for Carlsbad residents by not having them sit in traffic gridlock as they travel south on I-5 or Hwy. 101, it is imperative that the 22nd District Agricultural Association move forward with the construction of this train stop. I also urge SANDAG to expedite the planning and design of such a platform in conjunction with the planning to provide a second rail for the main track at that location. A train stop for the Coaster and Amtrak at that location would have the obvious benefit of allowing patrons of fairground events to take the train to the fairgrounds and walk directly to the event or activity. I urge that this project move forward with all possible speed. Sincere! CLAUDE A. "BUD" LEWIS Mayor mhs 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive • Carlsbad, CA 92008-1989 • (760) 434-2830 • FAX (760) 720-9461 San Diego Association of Governments TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE November 6, 2009 ^j f\ AGENDA ITEM NO.: I W Action Requested: INFORMATION SAN DIEGUITO RIVER BRIDGE AND DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS File Number 1142900 PLATFORM FEASIBILITY STUDIES Introduction SANDAG, with assistance from the North County Transit District (NCTD) and the 22nd District Agricultural Association (22nd DAA), recently completed two studies for improvements on the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) corridor. The first is the Project Study Report (PSR) for the San Dieguito River Bridge Replacement and Second Track Project and the second is a similar Final Conceptual Engineering and Environmental Constraints Report for a proposed permanent seasonal rail platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Discussion Proposed San Dieguito River Bridge Replacement and Second Track Project The existing mainline track crosses the San Dieguito River and lagoon on a 1,100-foot single track wood trestle bridge built in 1916 and continues north on an embankment to the Via de la Valle overpass. Like all the wood trestles along the LOSSAN corridor, this bridge requires regular and expensive maintenance. The southern end of the structure currently sits within the 50-year flood plain. This is well below the standard Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 100-year flood plain. A Project Study Report has been prepared investigating the replacement of the existing single-track bridge and adding a new 1.1 mile segment of second main track between the existing double-track segments in Solana Beach and Del Mar, resulting in a combined total double-track segment of 2.8 miles (Attachment 1). Eight alternatives were studied with a construction cost ranging between $75 million and $98 million in 2009 dollars. The alternatives include the construction of a single, double-track bridge or two parallel single-track bridges. Both alternatives would involve the removal of the existing timber trestle bridge and be built within the existing NCTD right-of-way. All alternatives also would require the trackway and bridge be constructed at a higher elevation in order to pass a 100-year flood. A Program Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (PEIR/EIS) for the San Diego to Los Angeles portion of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor was finalized in 2007. It called for no net loss of jurisdictional wetlands in accordance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The proposed new double track between Solana Beach and the new bridge will require new fill to be placed in the wetlands. Therefore, to offset this encroachment the new bridge(s) will have to be longer than the existing structure to ensure no net loss of wetlands or suitable wetlands mitigation will need to be identified. 7 The PSR identified many high environmental constraints for this project. In addition to the wetlands issues described above, biological resources including habitat for endangered and threatened species will likely be impacted. The project also is in the Coastal Zone as defined by the California Coastal Act. It should be noted that the San Dieguito Lagoon Restoration Project, a project funded by Southern California Edison and scheduled for completion in calendar year 2010, will retrofit the existing bridge to permit dredging of the lagoon to improve tidal flushing. This is a stand-alone project that does not effect the conclusions drawn in the PSR; the existing bridge will still need to be replaced and elevated because of the existing structural and floodplain deficiencies. Proposed Del Mar Fairgrounds Permanent Seasonal Rail Platform Project The draft Del Mar Fairgrounds Permanent Seasonal Rail Platform Conceptual Engineering and Environmental Constraints Report was presented to the Transportation Committee on May 15, 2009. Since that time the study has been finalized and it has been studied in conjunction with the adjacent San Dieguito River Bridge Replacement and Double-Track Project. The seasonal platform study presented two options: a 600-foot platform that could accommodate approximately 1,900 passengers with an estimated construction cost of $3.7 million, and a 1,000- foot platform that could accommodate 3,200 passengers with an estimated construction cost of $5.3 million. (Daily rail ridership between the Solana Beach Train Station and the Fairgrounds during the 2008 Del Mar race season ranged from a low of 550 to a high of 6,500.) Both options plan for an elevated platform on the east side of the trackway with ramps and steps directly to the Fairgrounds parking lot. Siting the platform in this location with direct access to the Fairgrounds was a joint effort by SANDAG, NCTD, and the 22nd DAA staff that works in terms of both easy access to events and compatibility with the DAA's draft master plan for the Fairgrounds. The platform and trackway are both elevated in this location in order to clear the floodplain and to meet grade elevations before reaching Via De La Valle. Both options also require the construction of a second track over the San Dieguito River in order to allow for one train to be at the platform while another passes so as not to disrupt service, SANDAG has received one stakeholder request to phase the construction of the San Dieguito bridge and double track with the goal of getting the seasonal platform built sooner. The request proposes construction of a new double track from Solana Beach to the existing San Dieguito bridge with a platform constructed on the existing track north of the existing bridge. In order not to impact the existing bridge, the platform would be at the far north end of the Fairgrounds property. It should be noted that this location is not compatible with the 22nd DAA's proposed master plan This proposal deserves further study; however, initial investigations show there are a number of issues that may be difficult to resolve. In order for the proposed platform to be compatible with the new taller bridge, it may have to be moved even further north to allow for the transition to the higher grade. The double track also would require new fill in the wetlands requiring mitigation since the existing bridge would remain in place and would not be lengthened. Finally, a preferred alternative to replace the existing San Dieguito bridge has not been adopted since detailed engineering and environmental studies have not been performed. The preferred alternative may not be at the alignment or elevation that is compatible with the platform at this location. However, each of these issues could potentially be resolved or mitigated during the project development process. Next Steps These projects are currently on hold due to lack of available funding to continue the development of either the San Dieguito Bridge Replacement and Second Track Project or the Del Mar Fairgrounds Permanent Seasonal Rail Platform. SANDAG recently prepared a detailed application for federal stimulus funds for both projects and submitted this to the state for transmittal to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). However, the state chose to only transmit high-speed rail project applications by the October 2, 2009, FRA deadline. Staff will continue to look for funding opportunities in order to continue the development of both projects. BdDA /Director oflVlobility Management and Project Implementation Attachment: 1. Map of San Dieguito River Bridge and Del Mar Fairgrounds Study Area Key Staff Contact: Jim Linthicum, (619) 699-1970, jlin@sandag.org Attachment 1 Legend Railroad Engineering Study Area | 1 (study area extends north and south of this figure) I I Railroad ROW SOURCE: AirPhoto USA, 2007; SanGIS, 2009; BRG Consulting, Inc., 2009 10/29/09 San Dieguito River Bridge and Del Mar Fairgrounds Study Area ATTACHMENT F:\projects\954 Del Mar Platform\Altachment 1 Engineering Study Area.mxd PROPOSED DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS PERMANENT SEASONAL RAIL PLATFORM BACKGROUND •Richard Eckfield asking City Council support •Mayor Lewis sent letter April 24, 2008 to Fairgrounds Deputy General Manager indicating support •Issue discussed at two SANDAG Transportation Committee meetings STATUS •SANDAG, NCTD, and 22nd District Agricultural Association completed two studies for LOSSAN corridor improvements •First study for bridge replacement and second track project •Second study for permanent seasonal rail platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds PERMANENT SEASONAL RAIL PLATFORM •Report presented to SANDAG Transportation Committee May 15, 2009 and November 6, 2009 •Permanent Seasonal Rail Platform studied in conjunction with bridge replacement and double-track projects OPTIONS •600 –foot platform at $3.7 million •1,000 –foot platform at $5.3 million •Phased construction option –build platform sooner •Phased construction presents issues with compatibility, environmental and wetlands, bridge location BENEFITS •Provides public transit options •Reduces congestion, pollution, fuel consumption •Carlsbad residents have two transit stations NEXT STEPS •SANDAG attempting to secure funding •Project will be discussed further at SANDAG Transportation Committee CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT •Resolution No. 2009-298 provided for Council adoption to indicate support of the Del Mar Fairgrounds Permanent Seasonal Rail Platform QUESTIONS?