City of Del Mar Staff Report

TO Honorable Mayor and City Council Members

FROM Kathleen A. Garcia, Planning and Community Development Director Via Scott W. Huth, City Manager.

DATE January 28, 2013

SUBJECT: SANDAG San Dieguito Double Track and Special Events PlatForm Update

REQUESTED ACTION/RECOMMENDATION:

Receive report and community input, and provide direction to staff on process for providing review and input to Association of Governments (SANDAL).

DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:

SANDAL has initiated planning for the San Dieguito Double Track and Special Events Platform Project. The second main track will start in Solana Beach, just south of Dahlia Street. It will continue 1.1 miles south across the San Dieguito Lagoon, resulting in a continuous 2.8-mile stretch of double track. The project will replace the 96-year-old San Dieguito River wooden trestle bridge and add a special events rail platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds for North Country Transit District (NCTD) and Amtrak trains. This project will raise the elevation of the rail bridge up to ten feet in height to meet federal flood regulations and in turn, raise the approaches on either side. This higher track elevation is foreseen to have significant community impact to the adjacent residential areas of Del Maras well as visual and other impacts to the wider community. Project benefits include improving a critical part of the 351-mile LOSSAN rail corridor, increasing capacity, and achieving the long-term vision for the North Coast Corridor Program of improving transit services. The project is partially funded with TransNet through the preliminary engineering and environmental phases only but not through construction. The environmental review process will be conducted from early 2013 to early 2014. SANDAG's Project Newsletter, containing a more complete project description, can be found in Attachment A and at www.KeepSanDiegoMovinq.com.

SANDAL has organized a Technical Working Group (TWG) with technical staff from the cities of Del Mar and Solana Beach, NCTD, Amtrak, Caltrans, JPA and the 22nd District Agricultural Association (Fairgrounds). The Del Mar City Council appointed Mark Filanc as the Del Mar resident to the TWG. The TWG has met City Council Action:

1 January 28, 2013 Item 10 City Council Staff Report Regarding SANDAG San Dieguito Double Track Project January 28, 2013 Page 2 of 3

twice since its formation, first to review the overall project and second to review the project scoping for environmental review.

SANDAG has initiated their public outreach process on the double tracking project. They heard input from the Lagoon Committee on January 16, 2013. At their meeting, the Lagoon Committee expressed initial concerns and issues, which are listed in Attachment B. SANDAL will return to the Lagoon Committee at future stages.

SANDAL also conducted a Project Scoping Meeting on January 22, 2013 to gather input on what should be studied under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). SANDAL will be preparing technical studies to address: • Cultural Resources •Environmental Justice • Biological Resources •Jurisdictional Delineation • Noise/Vibration Impacts •Hydrology, Flow and Water Quality • Air Quality &Greenhouse Gas Emission •Geology and Soils • Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) •Sediment Transport and Scour

The project information from the Scoping Meeting can be found at: http://www.keepsandiegomovinq.com/Lossan/san dieguito docs.aspx. A partial list of participants' concerns and issues is included in Attachment B. SANDAL has requested scoping letters be submitted no later than February 21, 2013. Staff will prepare a draft letter for City Council approval at the February 4, 2013 meeting utilizing these concerns and issues raised by the City Council. SANDAL will also be making a project presentation at this same meeting.

According to their schedule (Attachment C), SANDAL anticipates that this phase of work will take approximately one year to complete. During that time, SANDAL will be conducting both stakeholder and public meetings. For certain regional items with significant community concern, such as the Del Mar Fairgrounds Master Plan, City Council has established citizens Ad-Hoc committees or working groups to discuss the issues and provide stakeholder review and input to City Council during the life of the project. In this instance, City Council could consider forming ayear-long citizens Ad- Hoc committee to develop stakeholder input, review future SANDAL documents and provide City Council with community concerns for formal submission to SANDAL.

REQUEST: Staff is requesting input from City Council as to desired methods for future community input and additional issues for the response to SANDAL.

FISCAL IMPACT: To be determined based upon direction from City Council.

2 January 28, 2013 Item 10 City Council Staff Report Regarding SANDAG San Dieguito Double Track Project January 28, 2013 Page 3 of 3

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

SANDAG will be conducting environmental review based upon the schedule shown in Attachment C.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment A - SANDAG's Project Newsletter

Attachment B - Community Concerns (Lagoon Committee and Scoping Meeting)

Attachment C - SANDAG's Project Schedule

3 January 28, 2013 Item 10 ATTACHMENT A

For City Council Report Dated January 28, 2013

4 January 28, 2013 Item 10 Transportation

SAN DIEGUITO DOUBLE TRACK AND FAIRGROUNDS PLATFORM FACT SHEET

No~rrx eouerrr —"'~ The Project T~sR o~snncr. Enclnitys Blvd. This project will replace the 96-year-old ENCINITAS wooden trestle San Dieguito Railway River Bridge, add 1.1 mile of second mainline rail 5 somas Santa Fe ~r. track south of Solana Beach, and add a special SOLANA BEACH events platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds for ww~xlCa~PS~nDNpoMOVinga~m a~Neigh~~a~ North CountyTransit District(NCTD) pe\M DEL MAR sb and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains. SAN DIES

~"'~~ T The new rail bridge will consist of either one '~y e nee double-track structure or two single-track O~ 2 This project is a critical part of the 351-mile structures, but bridge capacity for at least Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo ~`~A7ES Ok p one new track will be provided before the (LOSSAN) rail corridor and serves as a vital existing bridge can be demolished. Possible link for passenger and freight movements in improvements include construction of new San Diego County. The LOSSAN corridor is the turnouts, signals, retained embankments, and second busiest intercity passenger rail line in drainage facilities. Some realignment of the the United States. Additionally, the corridor is tracks is being considered to accommodate the only viable freight rail link between San the improvements and future rail needs. All Diego and the rest of the nation. of the double tracking falls within the NCTD right-of-way. The new bridge and tracks will The existing San Dieguito River Bridge, be elevated above the 100-year flood plain built in 1916, is near the end of its service to reduce potential damage to the rail line life and requires frequent and expensive during severe storms. maintenance. There also is a need to raise the bridge and approaches to meet federal The second main track will start in Solana requirements for avoiding floods that could Beach, just south of Dahlia Street. It will cause bridge and track damage or failure. continue 1.1 miles south across the San Dieguito Lagoon, resulting in a continuous The double tracking will eliminate a 2.8-mile stretch of double track. A universal significant bottleneck between Solana Beach track crossover also will be installed between and Del Mar. Once the project is completed, the tracks to enable trains to reach the new trains will no longer have to sit idle waiting platform from either direction. at a siding as another train uses the single track. This project also will help reduce The new special event platform will be located the cascading effects of train delays in the

401 8 Street Suite 800 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds adjacent to its LOSSAN corridor. San Diego, CA 92701 west parking lot. The platform will serve The special event platform will allow (619) 699-1900 seasonal events at the fairgrounds, including Fax (619) 699-7905 passenger trains to directly serve the Del the Del Mar racing season and the San Diego wwwsandag.org Mar Fairgrounds, increasing transit ridership County Fair. SANDAGregion and reducing fairgrounds-related congestion.

~SANDAG (Continued on reverse)

5 January 28, 2013 Item 10 The platform will accommodate trains with include bridge and track replacements, new as many as ten cars and is expected to attract platforms, pedestrian undercrossings, and as many as 2,700 passengers per day during other safety and operational enhancements. key events. The rail enhancements are part of a strategy The San Diego rail corridor was built more to improve all modes of transportation within than 100 years ago. This section is used daily the congested North Coast Corridor. by as many as 70 trains, including COASTER commuter trains, Pacific Surffiner intercity Project Status trains, and BNSF Railway freight trains. The double tracking, bridge replacement, and special event platform are funded This project, combined with others in the through preliminary engineering and rail corridor, will reduce travel times for environmental clearance. The project is passengers, improve system reliability and not yet funded through construction. The goods movement, reduce passenger and environmental review process will be truck volumes on Interstate 5, and provide conducted from early 2013 to early 2014. for increased passenger and freight rail services in the future. Project Cost Caltrans and SANDAG have secured Corridor Strategy $9.5 million for preliminary design and During the next 20 years, SANDAG plans environmental studies. Funding sources to construct approximately $800 million include $2.6 million in local TransNetfunds, in improvements in the San Diego County and $6.9 million in Passenger Rail Investment section of the LOSSAN corridor, including a and Improvement Act (PRIIA) funds from primary effort to double track the corridor the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). from Orange County to Downtown San The preliminary cost of the double tracking, Diego. To date, slightly more than half of bridge replacement, and special event the county's rail corridor is double tracked, platform is estimated to be $100 million in with an additional 11 miles in design or year of expenditure. under construction. Eventually, more than 97 percent of the corridor will be double For More Information

tracked. Other infrastructure improvements KeepSanDiegoMo wing.co►NSDDT

The San Dieguito Lagoon lies between Solana Beach and Del Mar.

November 2012 ,,,e

6 January 28, 2013 Item 10 ATTACHMENT B

For City Council Report Dated January 28, 2013

7 January 28, 2013 Item 10 Attachment B

SANDAG San Dieguito Double Track Project City Council Staff Report of January 29, 2013

Lagoon Committee Meeting of January 16, 2013 Partial List of Committee Concerns and Issues: • Track alignment east of current track would better protect northern lagoon. Filling of Stephen's Creek is a concern. • Single, shorter platform could have potentially less lagoon impact than double, longer platform. • Railroad bridge should be designed at the lowest height possible and coordinated with Camino del Mar bridge to reduce height. • Raised track south of the river valley will impact slough and drainages. • Aesthetics are a major concern for bridge design, raised track, and platform • Noise impacts from the platform (announcements, customers) and train (operations, horn) should be mitigated. • Lighting impacts to Lagoon and neighborhoods should be mitigated, including shielding and turning off in non-operational hours. • Drainage and hydrology should be improved rather than impacted. • Pedestrian underpasses on both sides of the river banks should be included, allowing legitimate crossing (under) the tracks and continuation of trails. • Long term future (2050) alignment of tracks should be considered, with priority towards protecting both the lagoon and the bluffs from rail impacts.

SANDAG Scoping Meeting of January 22, 2013 Partial List of Community Concerns and Issues: • Tidal flow should be improved and not impacted by this project • Landscape should be native and appropriate for sensitive wetlands • No lighting should be on bridge • Trails and public access along the river bank and across/under the railroad right-of- way should be accommodated. • The project should be coordinated with the Camino del Mar bridge replacement project, in terms of hydrology and how it could influence or lower the height of the railroad bridge. • Length of train platform at 10 cars seems excessive for a seasonal platform. • Impacts on the beach from the spillover of ridership should be analyzed. Beach access should be discouraged. • View of berm will have tremendous impact on adjacent residential neighbors. • Noise from additional trains is a concern, especially if track is raised, noise will carry. • Restoration efforts by SCE should be coordinated with project design. Mosquito abatement efforts by Del Mar should be coordinated with project. • There is a need for a Del Mar Citizen's Committee to provide input as stakeholders.

8 January 28, 2013 Item 10 Archived: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 3:44:54 PM From: Robin Crabtree Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 11:15:05 PM To

Subject: SANDAG Bridge/Rail Project Importance: Normal

Dear City Council Members and Planning, I did attend the Open House by SANDAG tonight at the Del Mar Hills School and wanted to share with you ali some of my thoughts that I did share through the court reporter with SANDAG also.

These were my concerns/recommendations: 1. The platform is too far south towards the residential area---concern for lights and noise affecting residential life--should be moved more north towards Via de la Valle 2. Also with the platform as south as it is being proposed it also affected the visual impact of the beauty of the lagoon and wetland that is so nice to look at when driving along CDM 3. The platform is too large--making room for 10 train cars---far too large--needs to be scaled back 4. With the placement of the platform so south there is also a concern for environmental impact to the sensitive wetlands and animals---noise and lights 5. The elevation of the train rail 6-10 feet incredibly impacts the residents along the beach community---trains will be at the same level as the residents second story windows!! With the elevation comes more noise and vibration---the noise will be louder for the immediate residents but will project even farther thereby affecting the entire beach community 6. Noise mitigation must be included in anything being planned 7. The focus of a new bridge on CDM being raised in order to lower the rail is of utmost importance! The rail needs to be raised as little as possible to minimize the impact on all the beach community residents. 8. There is also a proposal to either place the new rail either west of the existing rail or east---MUST be east of the existing rail!! Not closer to residential homes. 9. Unfortunately this is going to affects many peoples property values...the further away this platform can be the better, the lower the elevation of the rail the better, and the noise mitigation must be included to take care of all the beach residents.

I did share these comments with SANDAL and wanted to make sure I shared with all of you as well. Thank you.

Robin Crabtree

9 January 28, 2013 Item 10 Archived: Thursday, January 24, 2013 9:20:34 AM From: Kathleen A. Garcia Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 9:19:02 AM To: Kathleen A. Garcia Subject: FW: SANDAG Bridge/Rail Project Response requested: No Importance: Normal

From: Barbara Johansen Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 7:39 PM To: Robin Crabtree Cc: AI Corti - Private; Terry Sinnott; Lee Haydu; Donald Mosier; Sherry) L. Parks; Kathleen A. Garcia Subject: Re: SANDAG Bridge/Rail Project

~..

This is an excellent description of the main concerns/issues from last night's presentation regarding the permanent train platform.

There are many concerns...and the more that our residents recognize the positive and negative outcomes from what is being

currently planned for double railing with a platform at the fairgrounds....the more we will protect and preserve the beauty of Del Mar...l assume

for all of us.....one of the greatest reasons we all wanted to live here

Also....) was struck by the extensive number of graphics available last evening....although informative.....it left me feeling that they were further along in what their vision of the platform would be.....before receiving any input from the people who will be affected the most...... the Del Mar residents.

Barbara Johansen

10 January 28, 2013 Item 10 ATTACHMENT C

For City Council Report Dated January 28, 2013

11 January 28, 2013 Item 10 Project TimelinE

2012-2014

January 22, 2013

SpringlSummer 2013 Ongoing Public Environmental Outreach Phase

Summer/Fall 2013

Winter/Spring 2014

Before 2030

Before 20~ *Project is funded through engineering and environmental phases only. Funding for design and construction TBD.

KeepSanDiegoMoving.com/SDDT ~N~G NOR'~NB COUNTY —~~~ `~ ~ ~ .. - ~, ',~j ~'t~~LL~.~c~L4 ~~~.,~, rw►nsrr o~srwcr~ ~.. 12 January 28, 2013 Item 10