Chowchilla picks a preferred HSR route

There was no debate among City Council members here Tuesday over which route for the high-speed rail is best for the community, but the council held off on hiring a consultant for area planning.

The council voted 4-0 to support the plan to send the rail along Avenue 21 to Road 13, rather than two other options. The council also agreed it would hold off on spending about $50,000 on a consulting firm, which would look at the best way to mitigate negative impacts.

Councilman Dennis Haworth was absent from the meeting.

After hearing from Chowchilla residents during a few meetings earlier this year, it became clear that the Avenue 21 to Road 13 plan had the most support. City Administrator Brian Haddix also said that plan would protect the northwest corner of where Highway 152 meets Highway 99, which has drawn some interest from developers.

The only member of the public to speak during the meeting, Constantino Herrera, said he was behind the plan, saying he believes it would go a long way to cleaning up uncertainty among developers. “I think it’s going to open up new avenues,” he said.

Haddix asked the council to give him the discretion to hire a consulting firm, but council members said they were hesitant to spend the money. Though the council has picked a preferred route, it remains unclear which will be identified by the state High-Speed Rail Authority.

Councilman Richard Walker pointed to the city’s general fund deficit of about $15,000, which city leaders plan to cover by dipping into reserves.

“Can we really afford it?” Walker asked.

The council will look at it again at the Oct. 27 meeting, when Haddix will have the opportunity to present funding avenues for a consultant.

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 9:50 PM with the headline "Chowchilla picks a preferred HSR route."