LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD E-MAIL YOUR CITY COUNCIL. JEROME STOCKS IS ALSO PRESIDENT OF NORTH COUNTY TRANSIENT.
Encinitas rail trail hits road block
By: ADAM KAYE - Staff Writer ENCINITAS ---- Plans to build a segment of a regional bikeway through Cardiff hit a buzz saw of opposition Tuesday, as residents told consultants that mandatory fencing would spoil views and that parking would be a problem.
Consultants and a city engineer hosted the informal meeting at City Hall, which drew about two dozen Cardiff residents.
They came to debate a plan that would place a trail head on San Elijo Avenue, halfway between Liverpool and Birmingham drives. From there, the plan calls for a 10-foot-wide, asphalt bikeway to run north to H Street.
While no action was taken, the plan appeared headed to the scrap heap.
Residents scoffed at the prospect of so much asphalt and a requirement from the railway owner, North County Transit District, to fence the railroad tracks. DON'T LET THEM PUT A FENCE UP DIVIDING OUR CITY
"I'm kinda bummed about this 10-foot-wide thing," said Barbara Cobb of the Cardiff Town Council. "That's a lot of asphalt."
"There needs to be a swell of opposition to the fence," added resident Carol Holub. "It's going to ruin the town."
As planned, the ribbon of pavement would comprise Encinitas' first segment of the Coastal Rail Trail, a route that someday will link San Luis Rey River in Oceanside to Santa Fe Depot in San Diego.
Carlsbad and Oceanside have completed sections of the rail trail, and in Solana Beach the trail is finished.
Federal grants would pay for the bikeway through Encinitas, but when construction would begin is anyone's guess, planners said.
Cardiff resident Julie Thunder told consultants from Dokken Engineering the rail trail in Cardiff didn't belong on the railway. The trail should run along the west side of Highway 101, where an existing, paved path is enjoyed by many.
Stephan Vance, a senior transportation planner with the San Diego Association of Governments, responded that that path is probably too narrow and would be difficult to maintain. But he did not rule out examining the location further. ITS ALREADY USED AND MAINTAINED BY THE STATE. SO WHY WOULD IT BE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN? ANOTHER PUBLIC SERVANT'S WAY OF AVOIDING LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT HIS IDEA.
Some speakers said the highest priority for the railway is for the city to deliver promised pedestrian crossings. Four are proposed, including Cardiff crossings at Montgomery Avenue and Santa Fe Drive.
Resident Michael Clark said a dedicated bikeway would become an attraction for visitors, who would drive to the trail head and add to Cardiff's parking problems.
"Aren't we inviting a lot of traffic into Cardiff?" he said. "It seems to me we're not looking at the whole picture."
Other residents said they worried that planting trees along a bikeway could block cherished ocean views.
The most consistent objection, however, was to any plan that would require installing fences along the railroad.
"I can't say that we could overcome the fence issue," Vance said, adding that North County Transit District would not approve the bikeway without the fencing.
"The fence," Cardiff activist Teresa Barth said, "is the deal-breaker."
ANY TRAIL BELONGS NEXT TO THE OCEAN.
*blogger's take: The NCTD is kind of pain in the butt. It's the NCTD that makes Leucadia ugly and now they are harshing on the rail trail. Remember when we gave them $50,000 bucks to paint their bridge? Comon' NCTD, be bros. You are harshing our mellow. Any fence you put up is just going to get climbed over or holes cut in it.
Solana Beach has a nice rail trail...with a fence. Is it a different situation because the tracks are lowered? I don't like the idea of a fence but is a small waist high fence a decent compromise? If they want to put in some huge 10-12 foot chainlink fence that is lame, but maybe a small fence would make the lawyers feel better and we can have a nice trail to walk on.
I'm not buying that a trail is going to do much to increase traffic or parking, the beach is already the big draw for that area.
When was the rail trail first proposed? Ten years ago the proposal was just a path along the tracks to make it easier to bike from Oceanside to San Diego. There wasn't talk of fences or a cutsey, expensive landscaping project that requires a lighting and landscaping district.
ReplyDeleteLook back over the evolution of Solana Beach's trail. No mention of charging property owners a fee for upkeep. Bang! Once the trail was in and planted, the crying began for funds to keep up the maintenance.
How much is everyone willing to tax themselves on a trail next to the railroad tracks?
Solana Beach set it up where properties closest to the trail are assessed more than properties farther from the trail.
Yeah, the Solana trail has some serious bling. Joggers don't seem to notice the landscaping anyway, they always have that scary far away look in their eyes.
ReplyDeleteMan, joggers freak me out big time.
Please, no fence! How incredibly stupid would it be to live within 200 yards of the beach and need to fire up the truck to get there.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe anyone should begin to think about fencing off the railway until the pedestrian overpasses are finally built.
ReplyDeleteYes, the existing trail is already maintained. We do not need another high digit capital improvement, for which we all will be asked to pay.
Hey, JP, good catch on the "buzz saw of opposition" phrase. I guess Adam Kaye can use that once a year or so, though, right?
No we don't need this new "designer trail," especially if the locals are so set against it.
No new fences shutting off our access to the beach!
Jerome Stocks idea will increase traffic and air pollution from all the short trips people will need to make to the beach. It is crazy but look who is behind it. He doesn't live next to the beach so he has to drive anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe fence will not stop me plebians. Stocks owes us 50G.
ReplyDeletePeople jog on the rr easement, walk their dogs on the easement, park on the easement and cross to the ocean over the easement. It's an easement. Once you put up a fence it's something else and if the rr ever quits the use does the establishment of the restrictive fence mean that they can put something the community doesn't want in because the fence made it something less than an easement. People jogging or on bikes aren't going to careen out of control into on-coming trains. Those that get hit by trains either weren't looking or knew exactly what they were doing and for the latter a fence isn't going to help. Dump the fence. Carpenter park is doing quite well on it's own. Dump the "maintained landscaping". If the fence goes in the next thing the rr will want is to use the space for metered or permitted parking, an easy revenue generator for the rr. Run your trains and coasters but don't divide and ruin our communities. Thank you very much.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I like the idea of a rail trail. The very best scenario for Leucadia would be to lower the tracks, put in a rail trail like Solana Beach, and avoid the current nasty crossing at Leucadia Boulevard (and have a bridge instead). How cool would it be to ride, skate, jog all along 101, but not have to be right next to traffic? I support this, I just hope we do it right.
ReplyDeleteSol Beach got the grade seperation and that set them up. Encinitas rolled over and Stocks got set up with top dog position on the NCTD.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The rail trail and lowered tracks would be excellant for Leucadia. Get it done right! Solana Beach voted for an assessment district for maintenance costs. It mere petty change for the improvement to the community. I dont want Leucadia to turn into TJ. Start planting some nice landscaping and build sweat looking infrastructure like Laguna Beach, not like LA or San Diego.
ReplyDeleteDid we not once have an opportunity to lower the tracks and blew it?
ReplyDeleteBy "we" of course I mean "they".
Sorry Gil- How do figure that the Rail Road property is an Easement? The NCTD property is Right-of-way in fee. The roads need to get permission to cross the RR right-of-way. I agree not to fence off all of the right-of-way, althought it may be needed near interections to keep people from dodging around the gates and getting smeared.
ReplyDeleteI'm only concerned if the rr stops running the route and pushes out nctd and finds a way to use the line for something other than a railroad. At the last merger there was talk of abandoning the line as unprofitable.
ReplyDeleteThe last evaluation of the rr line was the increase of freight trains. The talk included a bullet train from Sacramento that may still be on the drawing board. Double and triple tracking is coming.
ReplyDeleteOk I was at the meeting and besides the fence the issues included were a hardscape path and lighting. The newspaper article did not mention that the city's Bikeway Master Plan also creates a bike way along San Elijo and HWY 101 -- with the rail trail that would be three bikeways between Hwy 101 and San Elijo. While I support alternate transporation (biking and walking) I think three bikeways in this area is a bit much and would require long term maintenance.
ReplyDeleteWe were on track to lower the tracks allowing NCTD to double track the corridor. Bossypants Guerin promised many of us she would fight to the 'death' to prevent double tracking unless they lowered the tracks. She peed down her leg and supported double tracking and fencing. Why, who knows. I would suspect she was paid off by someone for her change of commitment. Just like she and Dalager have with the coastal commission.
ReplyDeleteJerome Stocks now supports fencing to keep all of us that live near the tracks from crossing the tracks. He sites all the tragic deaths in Encinitas from train versus pedestrian. I challange anyone to give the details of more than one death that was anything but suicide. A fence will not keep a suicidal person off the tracks.
The whole rail trail fencing thing is trying to set us up for a high speed rail from Sacramento to San Diego. Do we really want a 200 MPH train going through our town?
We need to dump all the city councilpersons supporting this folly by recalling them.
After this next election I will lead a recall for those that want to fence off our communities from the beach.
Fishy, fishy.
ReplyDeleteIs there some law that doesn't allow personal gain from a public office?
One of the owners of Miracle Theatre Productions is an appointed arts commissioner.
Last I heard the high speed train was supposed to take an inland route?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind getting to SF in 3 hours by bullet train if the tracks were lowered through communities. I doubt that project would ever happen though.
Jerome is clueless and bad for Encinitas. I can not think of one good thing he has done for Encinitas. He is supposedly a republican but is bought and paid for by the fire department union. Anything- to be in office to fee his ego. Sounds just like Bilbray, but Bilbray is bought and paid for by Oil Companies.
ReplyDeleteMove the tracks to I5 and make the NCTD property a linear park or sell it as commercial property. Either way, It would be much better for Encinitas. The railroad was built in the 1800s in the least expensive flat alignment- the beach. At that time, there were not 3 million people wanting to live and visit the beach. Now its time to move it off the beach. To think otherwise is foolish.
ReplyDeleteStocks isn't the brightest bulb on the dimly lit city council, but he knows how to pay back his political contributors.
ReplyDeleteThe tracks aren't moving inland.
ReplyDeleteCorrection:
ReplyDeleteOne of the owners of the Miracle Theatre Productions resigned from the art commission on June 22, 2006.
People, we do have a prescriptive easement for beach access across the tracks.
ReplyDeleteLook up prescriptive easement; it means a long established use, with a claim to right, usually for access and egress (in and out).
The City has an easement over our properties for their sidewalks, for example. The Railroad has an easement over our Public Roads. This does not mean that we do not have a claim of right and an actual right established by long use to cross the tracks.
Don't tread on us. No new fences. We agree with Teresa Barth. Another highly maintained bike trail is not necessary. The people are not calling for it. This is another publicity move by Jerome Stocks for Jerome Stocks, plain and simple.
He needs to clear his head and listen to what the people are telling him, and the rest of our befuddled City Council. Wake up!
stop at subway and eat one of my horrible sandwiches while you walk the rail trail and lose that ugly fat.
ReplyDeleteThe rail trail is a long time SANDAG project. It existed before bossypants or Stocks were in office. I believe it was the brain child of some San Diego Bike coalition freaks. It sucked then and it still does for our community, but I've never heard our City Council support it at all. In fact, do some homework. I'll bet you'll find that the consultants work for SANDAG, NOT Encinitas. Barth was there, and if she knows any frickin thing, she should know that! If she doesn't then she's not worth poo as a candidate.
ReplyDeleteThe hate on this site is creepy. So exactly when and where have you "anonymous" people heard any council person support it? I havn't seen it. If they are behind it, let's get 'em. But if not then we need a different rant.
"Callin U out, bee-yatch," you are a hypocrte and a sexist. You talk about hate, and that is just what you are spewing, at women, in particular.
ReplyDeleteThe citizens of this city have every right to vent and to question the authority that has betrayed us many, many times.
Who are you? Jerome Stocks, or one of the Guerins, or one of their supporters, like Aceti?
You bad mouth us for being anonymous, yet you are, hypocrite. You bad mouth us for being upset over betrayal:
"We were on track to lower the tracks allowing NCTD to double track the corridor. Bossypants Guerin promised many of us she would fight to the 'death' to prevent double tracking unless they lowered the tracks. She . . . [changed her mind]and supported double tracking and fencing. Why, who knows. I would suspect she was paid off by someone for her change of commitment. Just like she and Dalager have with the coastal commission."
Jerome Stocks, you sure the heck went along with the citizens taxpayers paying $55,000 for painting that bridge, another vanity project for you, when NCTD or SANDAG should have paid for it, not us!!
Please, anonymous "bitch poster," if you can't stand the heat, stay out of our kitchen. No one is asking you, or paying you to post here, or are they? Is this another campaign of disinformation? Chill out and leave us alone.
The 2002 city lawsuit against the NCTD and double tracking was a ploy to gain time and votes before the election. It worked. The city only needed the lawsuit for a few months. If the city had "settled" early, questions would be asked. It was a con.
ReplyDeleteLower the tracks or no fencing and no multiple tracks. If its good enough for Solana Beach its good enough for Encinitas. We are not Oceanside, alhough Jerome thinks so.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thinks the tracks should remain where they are is short sited and does not represent Encinitas. Jerome should go. He should be the first to be impeached.
ReplyDeletei think Jarrod and Jerome are twins. I think Jerome should start walking with his brother and get to working off his fat ass!
ReplyDeleteChef,
ReplyDeleteyou are a hypocrte and a sexist. You talk about hate, and that is just what you are spewing, at women, in particular.
The citizens of this city have every right to vent and to question the authority that has betrayed us many, many times.
Who are you? Jerome Stocks, or one of the Guerins, or one of their supporters, like Aceti?
You bad mouth us for being anonymous, yet you are, hypocrite. You bad mouth us for being upset over betrayal:
"We were on track to lower the tracks allowing NCTD to double track the corridor. Bossypants Guerin promised many of us she would fight to the 'death' to prevent double tracking unless they lowered the tracks. She . . . [changed her mind]and supported double tracking and fencing. Why, who knows. I would suspect she was paid off by someone for her change of commitment. Just like she and Dalager have with the coastal commission."
Jerome Stocks, you sure the heck went along with the citizens taxpayers paying $55,000 for painting that bridge, another vanity project for you, when NCTD or SANDAG should have paid for it, not us!!
Please, anonymous "bitch poster," if you can't stand the heat, stay out of our kitchen. No one is asking you, or paying you to post here, or are they? Is this another campaign of disinformation? Chill out and leave us alone
Can't we all just get along???
ReplyDeleteThanks for repeating my words, "callin you" poster.
ReplyDeleteYou act as a mirror to reflect the truth.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery, they say.
Look, we can pull together, or pull apart. From what the majority of the posts are stating, Council covertly or overtly did go along with the plans for more expensive capital improvements re the bike trails, with fences!
From your post, "callin you out," you expressed sexism. I apologize for repeating your sexist word. We are not ranting here; you are the expert on that RSPB. Or whoever you are. We like Teresa Barth. Her comments were and are to the point and on topic.
However, anyone can post here and vent a bit, as you well know. You keep tellng people to do their homework, and when they have, and do, you seem to dis(respect) them.
That's fine, copycat, you just give us a foil, like a mirror, from which to bounce our calls to action, for integrity, for people who pay attention, who read, to understand, and care. You are reflecting, projecting truth by echoing it in your last post.
love,
Chef
Truth hurts,Chef,
ReplyDeleteI am not "Callin you out..." I AM the RSPB, I have never posted under any onther name other than RSPB....I am DRUNK!!!
Dear Cheffy pooh;
ReplyDeleteThanks for repeating my Bleats, "callin you" poster.
You act as a mirror to reflect the shoe.
Imitation is the highest form of copying, they say.
Look, we can pull a rope, or pull a string. From what the majority of the posts are stating, Council covertly or overtly did go along with the plans for more expensive capital improvements re the bike training wheels, with feeces!
From your post, "callin you out," you expressed communism. I apologize for repeating your commie word. We are not farting here; you are the expert on that RSPB. Or whoever you are. We like Teresa Barth. Her pants were and are to the panzy and on toxic.
However, anyone can poo here and gas a bit, as you well know. You keep smelling people to do their yardwork, and when they have, and do, you seem to respect them.
That's fine, alleycat, you just give us a foil, like a mirror, (actualloy a foil is a type of sword!) from which to bounce our calls to laughter, for instability, for people who pay dues, who read, to understeer, and care. You are vomiting, projectile truth by chewing it in your last post.
love,
Chef
OK That's funny stuff, I don't care who you are, man that's funny!
ReplyDeleteYeah, laughter is the best medicine.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the other poster meant a play on words as in aluminum foil, like a mirror, and foil, like a foe, the guy in the "black hat."
We can filter the post thru our funnybone, and a bit of potty talk; still, the truth shines out:
Current City Council is corrupt; we don't need new fences. We need new Council Members, people who aren't bought off to become lobbyists for lobbyists.
utterly fascinating
ReplyDelete