City of Wasco speaks of challenges High Speed Rail is posing to their community

City of Wasco speaks of challenges High Speed Rail is posing to their community

WASCO CITY OFFICIALS HAVE WITHTHEPROJECT...AND IT DOESN'T ENDWITH THE CITY...A LOCAL WASTEMANAGEMENT COMPANY I SPOKE TOSAYS THE PROJECT HASCOMPLICATED BUSINESS FOR THEPAST FEW YEARS."OUR GROWTH IS HINGED ON HIGHSPEED RAIL AND WHAT THEY'REGONNA DO AND WHAT THEIR EFFECTIS GOING TOBE ON OUR BUSINESS."JEFF MARTIN MANAGES AMERICANREFUSE, A WASTECOMPANY IN WASCO, AND HE SAYSTHE CALIFORNIA HIGHSPEED RAIL AUTHORITY WILLEVENTUALLY BE BUILT CLOSE TOHIS BUSINESS.

UNLIKE THE MASSIVECONSTRUCTIONSEEN DOWN THE ROAD FROM AMERICANREFUSE, THISPARTICULAR SECTION OF THE RAILHAS NOT BEGUN BEINGBUILT YET.

BUT IT'S BEEN IN THEPLANNING STAGES FOR FOUR YEARS,WHICH HAS BEEN EXPENSIVE FOR HISCOMPANY, MARTIN SAYS."WE'VE HAD TO HIRE OUR OWN TEAMOFATTORNEYS AND ENGINEERS TO MAKESURE TO CONTINUE THAT WE CANCONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS AND WORKAROUND WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE ANDHOWWE CAN ADJUST IN THE FUTURE."ACCORDING TO MARTIN, THECALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAILAUTHORITY HAS GONE BACK ANDFORTH ON WHERE EXACTLY THETRACK WILL RUN THROUGH.

ATTIMES, THE AUTHORITYPLANNED ON DISPLACING MARTIN'SENTIRE BUSINESS, OTHERTIMES, DISPLACING SOME OF IT.THE CURRENT PLAN, HE SAYS, WILLDISPLACE NONE OF IT, AND HE'SHOPEFUL IT WILL STAY THAT WAY.MARTIN IS NOT ALONE IN HISCONCERN OVER THE HIGH SPEEDRAIL.

THE CITY OF WASCO THISWEEK RELEASING AN EXTENSIVESTATEMENT,CITING A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES,PERHAPS ONE OF THE LARGESTHAVING TO DO WITH A LOCAL LABORHOUSING COMPLEX THATHAD TO BE ABANDONED DUE TO NOISECONCERNS FROMTHE RAIL.

THE COMPLEX MUST NOWBE DEMOLISHEDBECAUSE OF ASBESTOS CONCERNS.ACCORDING TOWASCO CITY OFFICIALS THAT WILLCOST ABOUT 5-6 MILLIONDOLLARS."WE, AS A SMALL CITY, SIMPLYCAN'T AFFORDTHAT COST."AND WHILE THE RAIL AUTHORITYPROVIDED 10 MILLION DOLLARSIN FUNDING TO CREATE A NEWHOUSING DEVELOPMENTFOR WASCO, THE CITY ALSO WANTSTHEM TO PAY FOR THE DEMOLITIONOF THE OLD COMPLEX AS WELL.

THEAUTHORITYREJECTED IT."PART OF OUR AGREEMENT WAS TOGIVE THAT FUNDING TO THE CITY OFWASCO FOR THE PLANNING FOR THERELOCATIONAND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION.

ITDID NOT INVOLVE THE ACTUALDEMOLITIONAND DISPOSITION OF THE OLDHOUSING DEVELOPMENT."OFFICIALS WITH THE RAILAUTHORITY SAY TO THEIRKNOWLEDGE, THE RESPONSIBILITYFELL ON THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OFHOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENTAND DEPARTMENTOF AGRICULTURE TO PAY FOR THEDEMOLITION.ANOTHER PROBLEM ARISING FROM THEABANDONEDFORMER HOUSING COMPLEX, ON JSTREET.

AS YOU CAN SEE FROMTHIS FOOTAGE TAKEN BY THE CITYOF WASCO HOMELESS PEOPLE AREREPORTEDLY STAYING IN THE UNITS,CAUSINGPROBLEMS."YOU GO TO START UP A TRUCK ANDTHERE'SNO BATTERIES IN IT, THAT REALLYPUTS A DAMPER ON THINGS AT 4 INTHE MORNING."MARTIN SAYS ITEMS ARE REGULARLYSTOLEN FROM HISBUSINESS, WITH HIM AND HIS CREWOFTEN HAVE TO GO TO THEABANDONED UNITS FOR RETRIEVAL.COUNCIL MEMBER ALEX GARCIA SAYSHE HOPES THE CITY AND THE RAILAUTHORITY CAN SOON COME TO TERMSWITH HOW TO MOVEFORWARD WITH THE RAIL WHILEHAVING AS SMALL OF AN IMPACT ONTHE COMMUNITY AS POSSIBLE."WE TRIED TO WORK WITH THEM SOTHATWE COULD MAKE THE BEST OUT OFTHE INEVITABLE BUT IT JUST SEEMSLIKE THEYWANT TO RAILROAD US."AND ONE LAST THING THAT THE CITYOF WASCO TAKES ISSUEWITH, IS THE THAT WHEN THE HIGHSPEED RAIL COMES, IT MIGHTDISCONTINUE THE AMTRAK SERVICERUNNING THROUGH THECITY.

THE RAIL AUTHORITY SAIDTHERE HAVE BEEN TALKS WITHAMTRAK, BUT THAT DECISION WOULDULTIMATELY AMTRAK'S.AMTRAK DID NOT CHOOSE TO COMMENTFOR THIS STORY.

JESS.AUSTIN, DOES THE RAIL AUTHORITYHAVE ANY SORT OFAUSTIN, DOES THE RAIL AUTHORITYHAVE ANY SORT OF TIMELINE OFWHEN HIGH SPEED TRAINS WILL BEUP AND RUNNINGTHROUGH THE CENTRAL VALLEY?AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE TARGET IS2029.

THE CENTRAL VALLEYPORTION IS THE FIRST PORTION OFTHE RAIL BEING BUILT, AND ITWILL RUN FROM BAKERSFIELD TOMERCED.

THERE WILL NOT BE A STOPIN WASCO.THANKS AUSTIN.

FOR MOREINFORMATION FROM THE CITY OFTHANKS AUSTIN.

FOR MOREINFORMATION FROM THE CITY OFWASCO AND THE CALIFORNIA HIGHSPEED RAIL AUTHORITY, HEADTO OUR WEBSITE, TURNTO23.COM.