Merced leaders expressed a willingness Tuesday to support a thorough look at potentially moving the planned downtown California High Speed Rail station to a different site roughly four miles southeast of the city’s urban core.
However, the latest vote by Merced City Council doesn’t amount to full support of the idea just yet.
The City Council voted 6-1 authorizing City Manager Scott McBride to write a letter to Ian Choudri, California High Speed Rail Authority chief executive officer, offering the city’s support of a “collaborative review of the concept” of moving the planned downtown station to a site in unincorporated Merced County, near Highway 99 and Mission Avenue.
At the suggestion of Councilmember Darin DuPont, the letter was revised from an earlier draft that offered “conceptual support” of the station relocation. Councilmember Fue Xiong cast the dissenting vote.
Tuesday’s council vote was the latest chapter among several recent developments that have manifested with respect to Merced’s place in the High Speed Rail Authority’s plans to build a bullet train connecting Southern California with the San Francisco Bay Area.
California state law, under Senate Bill 198, mandates that the first 171-mile operating segment of the train be built from Bakersfield to downtown Merced.
Under the authority’s current plans, the downtown Merced station would be built in an area bordered by 15th and 16th streets, and O and R streets. So far, most of that construction has taken place south of Madera County, and a shovel has yet to even hit the soil in Merced.
Changing the existing plans for the downtown Merced station would require approval by the California Legislature.
Back in August, the authority released a report containing suggestions the state could save billions by changing its existing plans for including Merced in the train’s initial operating segment.
Merced leaders voiced displeasure with that report, saying they were blindsided, adding that it didn’t align with the longstanding partnership between the authority and the city.
In the report’s aftermath, several discussions took place between the city’s transportation subcommittee and regional partners with authority officials.
The first public announcement of the proposed southeast Merced station as an alternative to downtown came when authority officials gave presentations earlier this month to Merced City Council and the Board of Supervisors.
Authority officials have said the alternative southeast Merced site would save $1 billion in construction costs and could be built in less time than a station in downtown Merced.
Skepticism over authority’s intentions
DuPont, who represents southeast Merced’s District 1, has been one of the most vocal critics of the authority’s recent ideas about potentially changing directions on a downtown station.
“I do not trust the High Speed Rail Authority one bit,” DuPont told his colleagues.
In particular, DuPont said he has questions about regulatory powers the authority would have.
For example, he raised concerns about zoning and land use permitting controls the authority could have over land within a one-half mile radius of high speed rail stations, and how that could impact residents.
“I do not want our citizens to be burdened by the fact that the station comes, (the authority) puts a station here, takes sales tax and property tax within a half mile, has permitting controls within that half mile, and we’re left to maintain the infrastructure that is in and around the station,” DuPont said.
“I mean let’s be honest, the federal government took $4 billion away from this project. (The authority) is looking for funding.”
Xiong, who represents north Merced’s District 6 and cast Tuesday’s lone dissenting vote, has also expressed reservations about moving the station to southeast Merced. Xiong says the community at large hasn’t been given ample opportunity to weigh the pros and cons of what the authority is proposing.
“I think it’s important that we engage the community, right?” Xiong said. “I think we’re playing our cards if we show support now, rather than hearing from community members.”
Xiong referenced a new UC Merced Community and Labor Center report survey on California High Speed Rail which found less than 25 percent of residents surveyed are fully aware of the project, demonstrating the need for more community outreach. “As it stands, we haven’t done any of that,” Xiong said.
Others on the council reminded the public that the council’s Tuesday vote is merely a means to continue the dialogue with the authority about the proposed southeast Merced site – not a green light to put the kibosh on existing plans.
Earlier this month, the Merced County Board of Supervisors sent a similar letter to that effect.
“We’re not supporting the relocation. We’re supporting looking at it further. We’re supporting looking at an alternative,” said District 3 Councilmember Mike Harris, adding that he supports engagement, saying there will be more to come. “The community can reach out to us, we’ve reached out to them, we went to town halls, we discussed it at town halls … All we’re being asked to do now is tell the authority that we’re open to looking at another alternative rather than downtown.”
District 4 Councilmember Shane Smith said in order to answer the outstanding questions and concerns the council and residents have, the dialogue with the authority must be allowed to move forward.
“There’s going to be tremendous opportunity for community engagement along the way for discussions,” Smith said.
“As a council, I don’t think a decision (on the proposed southeast station) is even this year, maybe it’s next year. But if we’re not open to considering an option from a government partner who’s going to build this asset for us, then I think we’re just basically turning our back on the whole idea of high speed rail coming to Merced.”