First public meeting set for Merced rail future

The first public meeting related to high-speed rail planning in Merced is scheduled Wednesday, and planners are asking the public to come and share their thoughts on a project expected to have major implications in town.

The “Visioning Workshop” meeting, which is the first of four to be held, is 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Sam Pipes Room of City Hall, 678 W. 18th St.

Merced City Manager Steve Carrigan said the workshops are the beginning of a dialogue to not only explain to the public what’s in store, but also to get input from residents on what they want to see from the project.

“This is a rare opportunity to design an iconic gateway for Merced,” he said. “The high-speed rail project truly can transform a community and it all starts with these workshops.”

He said it’s vital that the community gets involved in the planning process.

The Merced City Council in October picked engineering firm Hatch Mott MacDonald, which has locations throughout the Bay Area and Southern California, to lead the planning process. The firm has experience working on more than 35 stations, including high-speed rail stations in Taiwan, the United Kingdom and a proposed station in Gilroy, according to its representatives.

Nora De Cuir, public involvement specialist with the planners, said people throughout the city have a stake in how the railway and its surrounding area turn out.

“We’re really hoping that all community members – residents, business owners, property owners in the downtown area – anyone who is interested in the future of Merced, will feel welcome at this workshop,” she said.

The firm plans a sort of open house in City Hall, including information on the city’s rail history and the importance of planning the high-speed rail stop. Planners say they want residents to voice their opinions on what in the downtown should be protected and what should change.

Richard Davies, project manager with the firm, said the public meetings are often a good opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings about the planning. “Part of it is to put the context right and ensure everybody knows exactly what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it,” he said. “We see this as a great catalyst for change if that’s what they (residents) want,” he said.

It remains unclear exactly how recent changes to plans will affect Merced. Officials said Thursday that the first 250-mile segment, from north of Bakersfield to San Jose, would begin operating in 2025, three years later than the previous plan that called for trains to run from Merced to the San Fernando Valley by 2022. It is also 50 miles shorter.

The shift allows officials to put off the costly and hotly debated plan to tunnel through the Tehachapi Mountains, which has drawn intense opposition from residents.

Nonetheless, plans for the station in Merced go forward. The planning document is supposed to be complete by the end of the year.

Loreli Cappel, a planner focused on land use, said the firm will ask what “character” residents desire in the downtown, including what kind of residential and commercial space they want to see.

“While we recognize the economic value this station can bring, we want to make sure this is a very livable part of the city,” she said.

For more, go to to www.cityofmerced.org or email Economic Development Director Frank Quintero at quinterof@cityofmerced.org.

This story was originally published February 21, 2016 at 1:44 PM with the headline "First public meeting set for Merced rail future."