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SANDAG's LOSSAN Rail Realignment Update

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Date: Jun 21 , 2024
Category: News & Announcements

SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL PRESENTATION JUNE 26th

Solana Beach City Hall, Wednesday, June 26th at 6:00 PM

Thank you to everyone who attended and provided public comments at the SANDAG LOSSAN Rail Realignment Public Scoping Meeting on Tuesday, June 18th. We have heard from many of you that you would like to get involved to learn more about the proposed project and share your thoughts or suggest other alternatives to be considered.

Your input is important and so at the request of the City Council, SANDAG staff will be at the next City Council Meeting to give a presentation on this very important topic. The public is invited and encouraged to attend this meeting of the City Council at Solana Beach City Hall on Wednesday, June 26th at 6:00 PM for a special presentation from SANDAG on the scope of the Project, the three Alternatives proposed, and the Notice of Preparation (NOP). Their staff will provide a brief presentation about the proposed project and the new potential routes, discuss the CEQA process, and answer questions. There will be an opportunity at this meeting to provide formal comments on the NOP to SANDAG.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

SANDAG has initiated the environmental phase of the San Diego LOSSAN Rail Realignment project to move the tracks away from the coastal bluffs in response to the ongoing erosion and threat to the train/Coaster tracks that connect San Diego to Santa Barbara. On June 4th, SANDAG released the Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) proposing three alternatives. Two previously proposed and analyzed alternatives – Alternative B and C – would relocate the tracks east under cities of Del Mar and San Diego, with portals near Los Peñasquitos Lagoon on the south and near Jimmy Durante at the north. The Alternative A added for consideration as part of the NOP would initiate tunneling at Lomas Santa Fe to Via de la Valle within a widened double-tracked trench, extending south under Stevens Creek, the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and continuing under the San Dieguito Lagoon to align with the I-5.

Some of the facts concerning Alternative A gleaned from the SANDAG screening analysis are, Alternative A:

  • Is the longest of the three alternative alignments with significant more costs (approx. $4.4+ billion);
  • May impact rail operations requiring extended construction timelines and Shoofly operations to facilitate freight and passenger rail service on a controlled schedule;
  • Would require boring and tunneling under the San Dieguito Lagoon, and unknown impacts to Stevens Creek floodway;
  • May disrupt the Del Mar Fairgrounds operations and future land use opportunities;
  • Would impact directly or indirectly businesses and homes along S. Cedros for 7 to 10 years.

The City is requesting that SANDAG Staff to consider withdrawing the NOP, to take time to inform and engage the additional stakeholders now directly affected by the Alternative A included in the NOP and to reinitiate the NOP along with the concurrent Federal environmental process (National Environmental Policy Act) later this year.

SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS

If you cannot attend the upcoming City Council meeting, you can still provide input by submitting public comments in two ways:

  1. By Mail: Address your comments to SANDAG, 401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101, ATTN: Tim Pesce.
  2. By Email: Send your comments with the subject line "SDLRR Project NOP" to lossancorridor@sandag.org. (please feel free to copy the City of Solana Beach email address: LOSSANalignment@cosb.org.)

Comments should be submitted as soon as possible but no later than July 19, 2024. Don't miss this opportunity to make your voice heard!

For more information please visit SANDAG's LOSSAN Rail Improvement website.