Friday, January 27, 2017

The $64,000 sketch

Well, once you have a $3 million lifeguard tower, prices start losing their shock value.

Coast News:
The City Council’s recommendation to the group, which is composed of local residents, community stakeholders and city commissioners, included the following:

[...]

• Approve a staff request for $64,000 that would allow city staff to develop conceptual drawings of an under crossing at Verdi Avenue as an alternative to a proposed at-grade crossing at Montgomery Avenue in Cardiff.
Who's drawing it? Picasso?

35 comments:

  1. The millions that are being wasted on not lowering the tracks is a waste.

    This week Catherine proposed a reasonable option ,by suggesting we pursued lowering the tracks from La Costa to Enc. Blvd.

    She was aware the Cardiff folks would not look too kindly on doing that through their area and at grade crossings may be more acceptable.

    For Leucadia, it is the solution for most of the issues. Surely this deserves consideration before the city goes any further with any of the tunneling, that will only serve to ever prevent the tracks being lowered.

    Years ago, the cost of one tunnel under was equal to a dozen at grade crossings. Those prices have skyrocketed since then.

    The El Portal under crossing should be delayed until we do everything we can to lower the tracks. The millions saved would go toward a single solution to so many problems and give this community easy access along the whole corridor.

    Way to go Catherine. And Mark too. Please don't waste millions more on piecemeal solutions when a single answer right there.

    No need for quiet zones when trenching is the answer.

    No need for tunnels when trenching is the answer.



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    1. Trenching doesn't work everywhere in Encinitas. Unless you use eminent domain to acquire all of the commercial businesses on the west side of the tracks in downtown, and eliminate the use of the property. It is unfeasible to trench there. Not only is cost a factor, but I think people like our downtown on both sides of the 101, not just one side like neighboring Leucadia.

      So trenching isn't the answer corridor wide.

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    2. There's no money to lower the tracks, period. Lowering the tracks in Encinitas will take a large chunk of federal matching funds. Get your Google in gear and check out Solana Beach's undergrounding in 1992. Lots of Federal Money that isn't coming our way. Especially in the next 4 years...

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  2. The lifeguard tower will cost at least $3.7 million. The bond issue was $3 million.

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  3. Thats not including soft costs... the lifeguard tower total cost will be north of $4 million dollars!!

    So sad. Will not do anything more for public safety than a $5,000 plastic one that the state uses all up and down the coast.

    City Council has no problem wasting our money on useless projects and then not funding the ones that are good for the community.

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    Replies
    1. "So sad."
      Way to lose an argument out of the gate.

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    2. Flaming torches and pitchforks!! Now!!!

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    3. Obstructionists = separatists.

      "Julie G and the gang"

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  4. An under crossing at Verdi? Noooooo put at grade crossing at both Montgomery and Verdi. If not lower the tracks all the way through Encinitas.

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  5. Keep in mind the renderings have to be extremely accurate.

    They will include an interactive 3-D virtual reality tour in 4K. You'll be able to smell the homeless living in the underpass, and listen to a crazy lady say the same thing over and over and over.

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  6. If the city hadn't spent millions for piecemeal construction, designs, drawings, studies, etc., it could have accumulated about half the cost of lowering the tracks from lagoon to lagoon. That solves all the problems and satisfies all the lobbies. There's no foresight.

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    1. How does $64k relate to $200 - 300 million to trench?

      And there is a study that shows trenching on the CMLS website. One was prepared for Mont. crossing and one was prepared for Leucadia crossing. Add them up and you get a $255 M corridor plan to trench.

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  7. With Streetscam in councils ear, it is a done deal. Real estate interests and an ever so obliging Planning Dept., along with an acquiescing Council, it appears that the fix is in.

    We may [?] still have time to rise up and make them hear their own constituents who entrusted their votes for them.

    If past history is any indication, it may take legal action to clear their ear canals. Lets all hope that is not the case.

    The choice couldn't be more clear of what council should put their efforts toward. Stop wasting millions on piecemeal self-gratifying token projects.

    Start with lowering the tracks through Leucadia, if that is attainable. If the Cardiff folks have any interest, their effective organizing talent would be more than welcome to, once and for all, trench from La Costa to Manchester.

    No need for $$ quiet zones.

    No need for $$$$$$$ tunneling under.

    No need for $$$ at grade crossings.

    Implore SANGAG to show some genuine spine and contribute some of the 5 widening where they would be better served. They don't deserve our participation, if they don't represent our best interests. Drop out. It is a choice, but it takes some spine. If other municipalities feel the same, the power to insist could amount to something.



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  8. Trench and cover our public railroad so we can use this public property to better serve us.

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    1. That would make a tunnel almost five miles long.

      An open trench like Solana Beach's would be just fine.

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  9. That "sketch" won't be rendered with real pencil on real paper. It will be done in Illustrator or Photoshop using photo reference (clip art), then embellished with landscaping and human figures, and whomever is contracted to do this will be laughing all the way to the bank. What does city council care? It's not THEIR money.

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  10. 7:17am Mikey, when will you realize your ability to comprehend reality is seriously lacking?

    Get some professional help and stop accusing certain residents of posting here, when they are not. Your cognitive mind is missing a few or way too many dead brain cells, and it doesn't help that you continue to blame others for your lack of being able to comprehend reality.

    As usual, your reputation will always precede you. Your business network does not legitimize your standing in this community. You live in an alternate universe. Get some help and stop trying to demonize the objects of your obsessive compulsions. Be a man for a change and leave these women alone.

    They have never done a thing to you personally, and you have gone after them for years. Grow a pair.

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  11. 3pm You are an idiot. You can't fix stupid. Nobody has ever mentioned a five mile long tunnel. You must have pulled that out of your backside.

    Sections should be lowered and covered, especially along Leucadia. Cardiff is already lowered for the most part, and would only need to be covered in several convenient locations for the residents to have their quiet zones and easy access and egress to the beaches.

    Covering gives as many available crossings along the corridor as any would want.

    Solana Beachs' several raised bridge crossings are very expensive to build and I would bet the Cardiff folks would not like them, one bit.

    Demand SANDAG contribute or tell them to take a hike. Their rep said they don't have the money to help trench the tracks. Do they need us as much or as little as we need them?

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    1. 7:02 posted this:

      "Trench and cover our public railroad so we can use this public property to better serve us."

      With no other details given, that sure sounds like an almost five-mile-long tunnel.

      Solana Beach has two overhead crossings, a ramp at the Amtrak station and the bridge at LSF. The ramp is much cheaper than the overheads or the bridge.

      5:18, before you make more of a fool of yourself, be aware that I know a whole lot more about the topic than you do.

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    2. Now I'm just a simple country boy, but count the acres of prime commercial space that could be created by trenching and covering a couple miles and it seems to me an option worth at least discussing.

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    3. Solana Beach didn't cover. Alameda didn't cover.

      Why create more real estate? Encinitas is too crowded as it is.

      Who wants more bars on the coast?

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  12. If the Leucadia 101 is 2.7 miles long, how can that add up to a total of 5 miles down to Cardiff. That can't be much more than a mile.

    I guess I will have to drive it myself, next time I am out.

    The tunnel wouldn't be the whole way anyway. as it meets the downtown train station and the newly reworking of the intersection for double tracking in Cardiff.

    6:24pm It is good know you are so well versed about the tracking that divides this community. Are you able to help us in lowering the tracks? Welcome Aboard!

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    1. It's close to five miles from lagoon to lagoon.

      6:24 was into dropping the tracks below grade long before you even thought about it.

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  13. 1:06 really? Long before I ever thought about it?

    How could you know how along this has been a a thought of mine? You can't and don't.

    Moving on. Please help this community out with your vast knowledge and impress upon the powers that be to finally do what we all know needs to be done.

    In the meantime, please help this community stop these piecemeal projects that will only serve to prevent the lowering from ever happening.

    Millions $ are and will be wasted on these obstructions to trenching the tracks that will solve all of the problems.

    No need to study and pursue quiet zones.

    No need to create anymore tunnels that will serve one small area at great costs and won't solve the community wide division problem.

    Thank you for your wisdom.

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  14. Night time sounds not silent but filled with revving straighpipes from motorcycles and cars along the Hwy101. My windows are closed and its still loud!! WTF?!!!

    Do sheriffs do anything in this City? Why don't they ticket these rude Assholes?

    Why wont our City Council direct the City Manager to direct the Sherriff captian to enforce existing muffler laws. Its so simple and low cost, yet it would clean up a huge source of existing pollution. Come on City Council, help us out will you?

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    1. Have you told the council, city manager and sheriff's captain about the problem?

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  15. Council may need to be reminded of the income stream that could result from enforcement. All of these straight pipes are illegal.

    Just as if we deleted our cars smog equipment and got caught, it would cost us thousands to fix and be justly legally penalized for removing the state mandated smog controls.

    There could be sound generated cams set up discreetly and the sheriffs would hardly have to do a thing. Just sit back and collect. Call in the revenuers.

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    1. Dude.

      You have a problem, and it's deeper than mufflers.

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  16. No its not... its straight pipes and jackasses that run them thats the problem, and cops that don't enforce the laws. City Council needs to change things for the better. Direction on this one needs to come from the top. Our City Staff is not smart enough to act accordingly.

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    1. Have you told the council, city manager and sheriff's captain about the problem?

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  17. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

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  18. Blakespear wants to ignore community character. It's not important to her and the other four on the Council.

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    1. Anybody going to this? It's tomorrow night.......


      http://www.delmartimes.net/encinitas-advocate/news/sd-cm-enc-0127-blakespear-housing-20170126-story.html

      - The Sculpin

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    2. Will it be online live like the regular council meetings?

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  19. If it is not being broadcasted, no wonder they moved it. If it is, good on them.

    I have to believe they have learned something from past failures and trying to manipulate a predetermined result again will be obvious from the get go.

    Lets hope that is not the case. They have a chance to create something that will be palatable, but only if they stop the giveaways to developers. Hope springs eternal.

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