Fresno Bee Logo

Valley officials balk at paying for rail master plans | The Fresno Bee

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • FAQ
    • Advertise
    • Place Classified Ad
    • Display Advertising
    • Stay Connected
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • E-mail
    • RSS Feeds
    • Archives
    • Activate Digital Subscription
    • Manage Account
    • Newsletters

    • News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Weather
    • Education
    • Marijuana
    • California
    • Nation/World
    • Databases
    • Special Reports
    • Obituaries
    • Sports
    • High Schools
    • Outdoors
    • Grizzlies
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • College
    • Columnists
    • David White
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The California Influencer Series
    • Political Notebook
    • Fresno State Bulldogs
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Entertainment
    • Calendar
    • Movies
    • Movie Times
    • Music
    • TV
    • Theater & Arts
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Dine Out
    • Peoples Choice
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Beehive
    • Rory Appleton
    • Joshua Tehee
    • Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Calendar
    • Religion
    • Horoscopes
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Beehive
    • Bethany Clough
    • Carmen George
    • Fresno Famous
    • Ask Amy
    • Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Technology
    • Mortgage Rates
    • Blogs
    • BoNhia Lee
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Valley Voices
    • Other Opinions
    • Submit a Letter
    • Columnists
    • Armen Bacon
    • Victor Davis Hanson
    • David "Mas" Masumoto
    • Marek Warszawski
    • Today's Obituaries
    • Place an Obituary
  • CV Magazine
  • Peoples Choice Awards
  • Best of Clovis
    • Today's Hot Deal
    • Today's Circulars
    • Classifieds
    • Auctions/Estate Sales
    • Garage Sales
    • Real Estate
    • New Homes Map
    • Jobs
    • Automotive
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Legal Notices
    • Service Directory
    • Classified
    • Open House Weekend
    • Real Estate Marketplace

    • Jobs
    • Fresno Bee Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
    • Search Real Estate
    • New Homes Map
  • Mobile & Apps

High-Speed Rail

Valley officials balk at paying for rail master plans

By John Ellis / The Fresno Bee

    ORDER REPRINT →

January 17, 2011 11:06 PM

A San Jose lawmaker wants Central Valley cities with high-speed rail stops to develop environmentally friendly master plans for areas around the stations -- at their own cost.

Valley officials are cool to the idea, which they view as another unfunded mandate being handed down from Sacramento.

"This is totally unneeded and unnecessary," said Steve Geil, president of the Fresno County Economic Development Corp. Fresno city spokesman Mike Lukens called it "a solution in search of a problem."

Introduced by Assembly Member Jim Beall Jr., a San Jose Democrat and strong high-speed rail proponent, the legislation proposes a pilot program starting in the Valley.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Fresno Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Part of the legislation states that "no reimbursement is required" from the state because local jurisdictions have "the authority to levy service charges, fees or assessments sufficient to pay for the program."

The bill also says cities with stops "shall collaborate" with the California Air Resources Board to develop incentives that simultaneously encourage development around the stations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Beall, however, said the legislation is in its infancy and will be amended to address concerns. The goal, he said, is to help Valley municipalities spur development around high-speed rail stations -- not stick them with unfunded mandates.

The bill is "a work in progress," Beall said.

In December, high-speed rail officials chose a 65-mile span from near Borden, south of Madera, to Corcoran in Kings County, as the first piece to be built of what ultimately is planned as an 800-mile system linking California's major urban centers.

Later, rail officials voted to use a new federal cash infusion to extend the construction from Corcoran toward Bakersfield.

Stations are planned in Fresno, Merced and Bakersfield -- among other cities -- as well as a proposed station in Hanford.

Ultimately, Beall said he wants a bill that will give cities or local authorities the power to create infrastructure financing districts around stations to help finance transit-oriented projects.

He talked of ideas he wants to work into the bill such as creating a master plan for areas around the station and then undertaking a single environmental study that covers the entire area. It could help streamline the planning process and allow cities to build quickly around the stations, he said.

Another idea, Beall said, is giving local cities the power to tap an environmental mitigation fund associated with the high-speed rail project and use that money to deal with the loss of open space and agricultural lands. It's something that, for instance, might benefit Hanford.

He also talked of finding ways for cities and counties to count high-speed rail station areas as credits for reducing air pollution.

"It's about having the high-speed rail stations become driving forces for development," Beall said. "Creating identities around the stations. That's the intention of the bill."

Fresno officials said they're way ahead of Beall.

"We're already doing comprehensive planning in the downtown area and the surrounding neighborhoods," Fresno city spokesman Lukens said. "This only calls on us to do what we're already doing."

City officials are including the station area in its overall planning for the Fulton Mall, which has been under way for two years. The hope is that the two areas can be developed to make Fresno an attractive stop for those using the rail system.

Hanford, in the meantime, is "not all that excited about the high-speed rail" project in general -- and that includes locating a station there -- Mayor Dan Chin said.

Assembly Member David Valadao, R-Hanford, who is skeptical of the entire high-speed rail proposal, took no position at this early stage, but said he will "keep a close eye" on Beall's bill.

Fellow Assembly Member Henry T. Perea said "the intent is right in wanting to get ahead of the issue," but he said he wasn't sure legislation was the right way to tackle the issue. He's also skeptical of any state mandates.

"There's probably a better way to do it," Perea said.

His idea is to educate communities that will have stations and encourage them to work together to secure matching grants from the High-Speed Rail Authority or the state Transportation Commission.

"I think that it's important for the local community to be thinking about economic development plans for the area directly surrounding the station," he said. "This is a huge economic opportunity for all of us."

Beall, in the meantime, said he is looking for comments from local elected officials and economic development experts. He said he is planning to visit the region and talk with people about his ideas for economic development along the rail route and how the legislation can be most effective.

"We're going to try and make it work for Fresno and all the other communities of the Valley," Beall said.

The reporter can be reached at jellis@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6320.

Related stories from Fresno Bee

HOMEPAGE

High-speed rail story archive

December 02, 2010 04:16 PM

  Comments  

Videos

Gov. Gavin Newsom: ‘Let’s level about the high-speed rail’

Neighbors voice concern over homeless encampment in Fresno

View More Video

Trending Stories

Man killed in hit-and-run in north Fresno. Police say he may have been in crosswalk

February 21, 2019 07:45 PM

Comics in Clovis. Flowers in Fresno. These 6 new spots offer deals — and something different

February 21, 2019 06:00 AM

It’s National Margarita Day. Here are 6 spots celebrating with specials in Fresno, Clovis

February 22, 2019 10:19 AM

This new Fresno restaurant serves Indian street food, ‘naughty naan’ and tacos

February 21, 2019 02:20 PM

She worked for district for over 30 years. Now new Clovis school will bear her name

February 21, 2019 10:02 AM

Read Next

Cox calls high-speed rail an ‘important component’ of Congress’ infrastructure plans
Video media Created with Sketch.

Political Notebook

Cox calls high-speed rail an ‘important component’ of Congress’ infrastructure plans

By Rory Appleton

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 21, 2019 11:13 AM

California Representative TJ Cox criticized Governor Gavin Newsom’s State of the State address, especially on the future of high speed rail, which the Democrat from Fresno said was an infrastrcture goal of Congress.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Fresno Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE HIGH-SPEED RAIL

Trump slams California’s ‘fast train’ as Gavin Newsom leads 16 states suing over border wall

High-Speed Rail

Trump slams California’s ‘fast train’ as Gavin Newsom leads 16 states suing over border wall

February 19, 2019 07:46 AM
No, Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t kill high-speed rail. But what’s his Plan B?

High-Speed Rail

No, Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t kill high-speed rail. But what’s his Plan B?

February 18, 2019 03:00 AM
Bullet train carried promise of a more prosperous Fresno. Those hopes have been derailed

Marek Warszawski

Bullet train carried promise of a more prosperous Fresno. Those hopes have been derailed

February 13, 2019 12:26 PM
Newsom wants to see high-speed trains for Merced-Bakersfield, puts brakes on SF-LA vision

Local

Newsom wants to see high-speed trains for Merced-Bakersfield, puts brakes on SF-LA vision

February 12, 2019 12:13 PM
California’s bullet train is pumping billions into the Valley economy. So why is it so unpopular?

Big Valley

California’s bullet train is pumping billions into the Valley economy. So why is it so unpopular?

December 23, 2018 12:00 AM
Assemblyman calls for high-speed rail chair’s resignation, amid critical audit

High-Speed Rail

Assemblyman calls for high-speed rail chair’s resignation, amid critical audit

November 30, 2018 03:26 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

The Fresno Bee App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Rewards
  • Pay Your Bill
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Advertising with the Bee
  • Place Classified Ads
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story