Time/date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Source:
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CHRIS DALY Board of Supervisors |
COMMITTEES Rules Committee, Chair MEMBER Bay Area Air Quality Management District |
December 9, 2009
Dear Resident of District 6:
I am writing to invite you to an important community meeting to discuss a recent proposal by the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) that may have significant consequences to many properties in the area of Main and Beale Streets, as well as the South Beach areas of Second and Townsend Streets. This meeting will also be a good opportunity to review current plans to replace the Transbay Terminal with a new
Transbay Transit Center. The meeting will be held on:
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
5:30 7:00 PM
South Beach Harbor Community Room
Pier 40A, The Embarcedero
San Francisco, CA 94107
CHSRA is preparing to consider an alternative site for the proposed Transbay Terminal, currently underway at First and Mission streets. When San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved in 2008 a bond issue to fund a high speed rail system in California, they did so with the understanding that a Transbay Terminal would be built at First and Mission Streets to fully integrate public transit and locate it near the downtown core. Planning for the First and Mission site has been underway for many years with the appropriate entitlements and planning programs in process. The project broke ground on the temporary terminal site last December.
By contrast, CHSRA is preparing to consider an alternative site for a northern terminus at Beale and Main Streets that is simply infeasible and has been rejected in environmental reviews already conducted by the TWA and the City and County of San Francisco. Studying this proposal further would result in costly delays and further expense to the development of a viable high speed rail system in California. Moreover, on its face, the Main and Beale Streets alternative would require hundreds of home-owners to lose their homes through eminent domain, none of whom have even heard from CHSRA about their pending action.
I am holding this informational meeting to present the facts of what is being considered to you and to collect your concerns to forward to the CHSRA. I have invited representatives of the California High Speed Rail Authority to attend this district meeting and explain why they would consider the Beale and Main site to the detriment of District 6 residents, the City of San Francisco and their own program.
I hope you can attend this important meeting and make your views known. If you would like more information or have additional questions, please contact my staff April Veneracion at (415) 554-7972.
