Passenger Trains > Transportation Agency of Monterey County --no clue

I see where the major dope smokers of TAMC are still "at it". Let's totally disrupt a long standing family business so we can build a station for trains that we have absolutely no clue when they will arrive since we haven't bothered to talk to the track owners, the UP, about anything we need to do etc. etc.
It never ceases to amaze me!!! I also notice that no one is mentioning any possible use of the rusted out Brooklyn Bridge branch and bridge which they bought from the UP for $9 mil. Sigh.
C.

Rail project first step approved
Salinas: Station would displace long-standing business
By CLAUDIA MELÉNDEZ SALINAS
Herald Salinas Bureau
Article Last Updated: 10/03/2007 01:29:09 AM PDT


After an hourlong, hand-wringing session over the future of commuter trains and a long-standing Salinas enterprise, the City Council chose a layout plan for its future multi-transportation station, the first step to get federal funding for the project.
For the lawyer of the Molinari family, owners of the land that transportation planners say they need to build the project, it's also the first step to an eminent domain takeover.

On their second appearance before the City Council this year, representatives of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County told the council they needed their endorsement of one of two plans in order to go after federal approval.

Without federal approval, they said, they could not begin negotiations with the property owners most affected by the project.

But council members seemed reluctant to give approval to either design, because both rely on the use of property of the Molinari family, owners of American Supply Co.

The first plan proposed would use 19 feet of the Molinaris' property, which transportation administrators described as having "minimal" impact. However, Molinari representatives said the portion of the property in question — which includes one of the company's newest warehouses — would require destruction of a building.

Because taking 19 feet would, in financial terms, equate with taking the entire property, transit officials recommended that the council approve the second plan, which essentially


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relies on taking the entire extension of the Molinaris' land.
"It makes more sense to take the whole business and place them somewhere else," said Deputy City Manager Rob Russell.

But the Molinaris have yet to hear where they would move, how much money they would receive or what kind of help they could get, said their attorney, Brian Finegan.

In January, "we had a make-nice meeting, we smiled at each other, but TAMC has nothing," Finegan said. "They have no money, no approval from the federal transit administration, they have no ability to commit to anything."

The TAMC project has now jumped from $70 million to $100 million and still doesn't have the needed approvals, Finegan said. In the meantime, his clients need to expand their businesses, and they resent the uncertainty this long-delayed process has brought on them.

"We've been working on this for a long time to come up with a plan that serves the city well," said Debbie Hale, TAMC executive director. "If we didn't have to ask you, we wouldn't be here."

Council members seemed caught between their desire to move forward with bringing commuter rail service to Salinas and their willingness to accommodate a large Salinas business — one that employs 50 people and has been in the city for more than 50 years. No council member wanted to make a motion.

In the end, the design chosen on a 4-0 vote was the one recommended by TAMC, which would use most of Molinari's property on East Market Street and have surface parking rather than a parking structure.

"I'm not comfortable with this at all," said Councilwoman Janet Barnes, who seconded the motion made by Tony Barrera. Council members Jyl Lutes, Sergio Sanchez and Gloria De La Rosa were absent.

Mayor Dennis Donohue said he wants the city working to find alternatives for the Molinaris, including looking for sites they could move into.

"This is not how I want to get into the eminent domain business," Donohue said.

At the end of the meeting, Finegan said he was disappointed.

"This is going on the wrong track here," he said. "The action today moves us closer to eminent domain than we were before."


Claudia Meléndez Salinas can be reached at 753-6755 or cmelendez@montereyherald.com.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Cart before the horse. Yup, that's TAMC.

I was going to say, "What are they smoking at TAMC???".....but your first line answered that question for me, Carol. :)

samreeves Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cart before the horse. Yup, that's TAMC.


Yeah, but if you can't get federal approval without a plan, but choosing a plan depends in part on having federal approval, do you really have a way to attach the cart and horse at all?

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> samreeves Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Cart before the horse. Yup, that's TAMC.
>
>
> Yeah, but if you can't get federal approval
> without a plan, but choosing a plan depends in
> part on having federal approval, do you really
> have a way to attach the cart and horse at all?

I believe this is called Catch-22????
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

What's wrong with the current station in Salinas which is a real gem??? Unless you folks living there speak up the agencies and cities won't have a clue.

mococomike Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What's wrong with the current station in Salinas
> which is a real gem??? Unless you folks living
> there speak up the agencies and cities won't have
> a clue.

This isn't just for trains but for all sorts of wonderful things, light rail, mass transit, commuter trains from San Jose, you know, BIG time thinking!!!
:-)
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Dont forget the soon to arrive BART extension

I don't understand - the current Amtrak station in Salinas has capacity to handle whatever crowds may someday want to hop on a train or two, and from what I see from the road there's more than enough room for buses. Granted, parking is somewhat limited but that's easily fixed by restructuring or removing some of the close (unused?) buildings.

At any rate, have there been any real plans published for what these people want? Or is it just another bizarro-agency mega-project like the insanely designed and vastly overbuilt BART station in Millbrae?

Remember the rule our leadership both Democrat, Republican and those "others" in the Monterey and Santa Cruz area live by
"It's only money and it's not our's"

roberthedgecock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dont forget the soon to arrive BART extension

I KNEW I'd forgotten something!! :-) Not to mention HSR!! BIIIIIIIIG PLANS, indeed. :-)\
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Carol, you are starting to sound like me.

Having been born, raised and (formerly) worked in Monterey, I always follow these threads.

I especially like the reply above that points out that Salinas already has an adequate station. And with prices rising with each passing year, that it would be better to just start the damn service (Caltrain extension to Salinas) ASAP. Use the existing Watsonville Junction platform (with huge adjacent parking lot) for Pajaro passengers and start building a Castroville platform, to be placed into service after the start-up.

And don't even get me going on TAMC's review of a rapid-bus dedicated corridor as an alternative to restarting Del Monte service. This is another no-brainer that is wasting limited funds that instead should be working to identify funds to rebuild the Salinas River bridge (homeland security funds, maybe?).

What Monterey County could really use is some leadership (with rail marketing savvy) from the Chambers of Commerce acting as lobbyists to push TAMC to start service AND to push the City of Monterey to honor their general plan and allow rail service back to the foot of Wharf #2. Think of all the cars that could be taken off of Hwys. 1 & 101 when people come down to the Peninsula!

drew1946 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Carol, you are starting to sound like me.

SPARE ME!! There must be a mistook somewhere here!! :-)
Well, actually, Drew, stupidity isn't limited to Santa Clara County. We have an abundance of it here with TAMC----I mean these people make Santa Clara County transportation people look like total Mensa's, of which I used to be a card carrying member until age started removing IQ points and I am now in the Densa section----------sigh. But this whole deal with the buildings "Next" to the RR station, and they are actually in the next BLOCK from the rr station, is amazing. What we need here is Rod D looking for a place to wedge in his CTRC stuff. But I digress. :-)
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Highspeed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Having been born, raised and (formerly) worked in
> Monterey, I always follow these threads.
>
> I especially like the reply above that points out
> that Salinas already has an adequate station. And
> with prices rising with each passing year, that it
> would be better to just start the damn service
> (Caltrain extension to Salinas) ASAP. Use the
> existing Watsonville Junction platform (with huge
> adjacent parking lot) for Pajaro passengers and
> start building a Castroville platform, to be
> placed into service after the start-up.
>
> And don't even get me going on TAMC's review of a
> rapid-bus dedicated corridor as an alternative to
> restarting Del Monte service. This is another
> no-brainer that is wasting limited funds that
> instead should be working to identify funds to
> rebuild the Salinas River bridge (homeland
> security funds, maybe?).
>
> What Monterey County could really use is some
> leadership (with rail marketing savvy) from the
> Chambers of Commerce acting as lobbyists to push
> TAMC to start service AND to push the City of
> Monterey to honor their general plan and allow
> rail service back to the foot of Wharf #2. Think
> of all the cars that could be taken off of Hwys. 1
> & 101 when people come down to the Peninsula!

And when was the last time you were down here to see just how this service would get from the rail end in the Costco parking lot in Sand City to Wharf 2? Going thru the "window on the bay" and the rec trail etc.?
They can rebuild the bridge and do etc. etc., but getting from Sand City to the rest of the peninsula is pretty well blocked off with development and the "window on the bay". Never happen. All the rail marketing savvy in the world ain't gonna override the environmentalists and how this piece of Monterey heaven is gonna stay the way it is today.And you know what, I agree with them!! :-)Guess I've finally become a NIMBY!! :-)
C.
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

> rail service back to the foot of Wharf #2. Think
> of all the cars that could be taken off of Hwys. 1
> & 101 when people come down to the Peninsula!


Unless trains were ran every hour on the hour, it wouldn't make a dent in the traffic. People traveling between the Bay area and the Monterey Peninsula have too many options on places to go once they arrive in Monterey. Carmel, Pebble Beach, PG, etc. Even if they could get into Monterey (as Carol says), they wouldn't give up their cars and take a bus. Just never going to happen.

At most it would be one train a day. How many cars would one train take off the highway? You can stand on the side of Highway 1 on any weekend and count more cars in a minute, than one train would eliminate.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

CarolVoss Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All the rail marketing savvy in the world
> ain't gonna override the environmentalists and how
> this piece of Monterey heaven is gonna stay the
> way it is today.And you know what, I agree with
> them!! :-)Guess I've finally become a NIMBY!!
> :-)
> C.
> C.


I have to admit, one of the saddest experiences has been watching Monterey (city & county) loose its working people and having the 'intelligentsia' get into the positions of decision making. There is no common sense left in governance.

Only the NIMBYs are so ignorant as to want to brag about being that way. The rest of us just shake our heads in dismay.

CarolVoss Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Highspeed Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Having been born, raised and (formerly) worked
> in
> > Monterey, I always follow these threads.
> >
> > I especially like the reply above that points
> out
> > that Salinas already has an adequate station.
> And
> > with prices rising with each passing year, that
> it
> > would be better to just start the damn service
> > (Caltrain extension to Salinas) ASAP. Use the
> > existing Watsonville Junction platform (with
> huge
> > adjacent parking lot) for Pajaro passengers and
> > start building a Castroville platform, to be
> > placed into service after the start-up.
> >
> > And don't even get me going on TAMC's review of
> a
> > rapid-bus dedicated corridor as an alternative
> to
> > restarting Del Monte service. This is another
> > no-brainer that is wasting limited funds that
> > instead should be working to identify funds to
> > rebuild the Salinas River bridge (homeland
> > security funds, maybe?).
> >
> > What Monterey County could really use is some
> > leadership (with rail marketing savvy) from the
> > Chambers of Commerce acting as lobbyists to
> push
> > TAMC to start service AND to push the City of
> > Monterey to honor their general plan and allow
> > rail service back to the foot of Wharf #2.
> Think
> > of all the cars that could be taken off of Hwys.
> 1
> > & 101 when people come down to the Peninsula!
>
> And when was the last time you were down here to
> see just how this service would get from the rail
> end in the Costco parking lot in Sand City to
> Wharf 2? Going thru the "window on the bay" and
> the rec trail etc.?
> They can rebuild the bridge and do etc. etc., but
> getting from Sand City to the rest of the
> peninsula is pretty well blocked off with
> development and the "window on the bay". Never
> happen. All the rail marketing savvy in the world
> ain't gonna override the environmentalists and how
> this piece of Monterey heaven is gonna stay the
> way it is today.And you know what, I agree with
> them!! :-)Guess I've finally become a NIMBY!!

Yup. There's no use pouring any more money into Monterey County rail projects ATM. All it will be funding are useless studies and to put warm bodies inside the TAMC office.