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Post by bzcat on Oct 31, 2011 13:56:45 GMT -8
Good! I hope the courts steamroll these nonsense lawsuits like a freight light rail train.
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Post by jdrcrasher on Oct 31, 2011 17:25:23 GMT -8
^ Actually the first suggestion was better.
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Post by bobdavis on Nov 1, 2011 18:44:11 GMT -8
One more victory for the forces of progress over the obstructionists.
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Post by rubbertoe on Dec 29, 2011 8:04:34 GMT -8
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Post by rajacobs on Dec 29, 2011 9:52:15 GMT -8
So, the judge found that the Gold Line Construction Authority considered only one alternative site for the Maintenance yard (in Irwindale) and deemed that it was not a reasonable and realistic alternative to the Monrovia site, with the implication that the environmental review may need to be redone. I wonder if there is some way to avoid this drastic action--like redo only a small part of the EIR. That determination apparently will come down in the next few weeks.
Whew! The project has been moving along well; it'll be a shame if this delays it. On the other hand, the property owner is having his day in court. Can't help but wonder if the real question is the owner's perception of what his land is worth and how much Metro intends to pay him for it. If this is the real issue, then I wonder if it's too late to just pay the guy off.
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Post by James Fujita on Dec 29, 2011 12:59:01 GMT -8
IF they could have paid the guy off.
People tend to think that property is worth more than it actually is, or at least more than government has funds to pay. And we're in a down economy to boot. Sorry, let me find my world's smallest violin.
A maintenance yard isn't the sort of thing which can be plopped down anywhere, so if it is just money/ greed fueling the lawsuit, this judge has just done a great deal of harm to the project.
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Post by rajacobs on Dec 29, 2011 16:03:47 GMT -8
Although I'm frequently in the Monrovia to Azusa area, I can't claim knowledge of ALL the areas adjacent to the ROW. I would think that a sizable area would have been removed from consideration due to the flood plain. But at this point I'd love to read the relevant EIR sections to determine what alternative site was considered. Back in the Spring and early-Summer, the Authority tried to get the City of Monrovia's partnership to share the cost of settling with the private property owner and resolve the City's lawsuit regarding its 2004 covenant with the same property owner. But the City did not believe it had any responsibility in the litigation or the cloud over its property. At the time, Doug Tessitor, Chairman of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority believed that giving into the demands of a few property owners would possibly bankrupt, shorten and/or significantly delay the project. ...And he apparently did not, allowing the litigation to run its course. www.foothillextension.org/news/headlines/op-ed-chairman-tessitor-letter-to-star-news-article-monrovia-in-face-off-wi/It'll be interesting to watch what comes next in this developing situation... I will hope that the judge gives such consideration to the "public good" that the line represents that she does not ham-string the Authority in the interest of private greed.
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Post by bobdavis on Jan 25, 2012 22:51:13 GMT -8
From tonights GLFE board meeting: We're still waiting for some "other shoes to drop" regarding property acquisition for the the maintenance yard. Meanwhile, the contractor for the "alignment" (actual railway and support structures) is doing utility surveys, presumably to locate potential "gotchas"/sources of delay and account for them before the big yellow machines start rearranging the landscape. Another item was adding two more Traction Power Substations to the project; one of the stories we heard (but were unsure about the accuracy of) regarding the original line from LA to Pasadena was that the power system would be overloaded if too many three-car trains were run. This addition should eliminate any doubts about power supply. We also learned that all grade-crossing designs have been approved by the Calif. Public Utilities Commission, so that's one hurdle overcome.
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Post by bzcat on Jan 26, 2012 16:20:52 GMT -8
I wish Expo phase 2 construction was moving as swiftly. I'm really looking forward to taking a train from Santa Monica to Arcadia one day.
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Post by bobdavis on Jan 26, 2012 18:23:06 GMT -8
It will be interesting to see how things progress with both GLFE and Expo 2. By the time they are both on the "home stretch", the Crenshaw project should be well under way. Lots of work for the "sidewalk superintendants" to supervise. And the Perris Valley Metrolink should be running by then too.
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Post by rubbertoe on Feb 10, 2012 16:58:46 GMT -8
Breaking huge news! Metro is paying Brokate $24 million for the maintenance property and the lawsuits are all dropped... www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_19939589 Sent from my DROID RAZR using ProBoards
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Post by bobdavis on Feb 10, 2012 23:21:56 GMT -8
I received news of the settlement via e-mail from the GLFE office yesterday afternoon. Hallelujah! Now we just have to get things straightened out with the City of Monrovia.
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Post by joemagruder on Feb 11, 2012 5:58:50 GMT -8
What is the appraised value of the property?
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Post by matthewb on Feb 12, 2012 2:47:16 GMT -8
What is the appraised value of the property? Certainly not 5.33 million per undeveloped acre of industrial land. They guy definitely got paid off to drop the lawsuit. It's kind of like paying a bribe, it may make financial sense in the short run, but it will set a price that other property owners may demand in the future. Anyway, the whole thing is over with for better or worse.
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Post by metrocenter on Feb 13, 2012 10:27:19 GMT -8
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Post by bobdavis on Feb 23, 2012 16:20:31 GMT -8
I just received a e-mail from GLFE; they have closed the deal with Monrovia and the land that was part of the now-defunct Redevelopment Agency should be transferred to the authority without further legal tie-ups. There was a cartoon many years ago showing a academic fellow at a chalkboard. On the board is "T= (a whole board full of heavy duty mathematical notation) =$" The caption reads "Professor Quimby proves that Time is Money."
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Post by bobdavis on Mar 26, 2012 18:31:15 GMT -8
I was in my old homeland (Monrovia-Duarte area) and found a Kiewit crew checking out the Mountain Ave. grade crossing for underground utilities and structures. They had a test device called a "ground penetration radar" that looks rather like a rotary lawn mower but is a lot quieter. The foreman advised me that this rather awkward crossing and intersection would be completely reconfigured and the track level would be lowered. About a block west of here, there is a section of retaining wall built for evaluation--at this point the right of way will have to be widened for two tracks. Some of the buildings on the site of the future maintenance facility have been demolished. Later this year, things will really start happening!
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Post by metrocenter on Apr 3, 2012 13:52:49 GMT -8
Breaking News! Contractor cleared for construction!From I Will Ride: The Construction Authority has issued a Full Notice to Proceed (NTP) to Kiewit Parsons Joint Venture for the Pasadena to Azusa Alignment design-build project.
Over the last couple of months Kiewit Parsons has been working under an Interim NTP, limiting their work to design and pre-construction activities. During that time, the Authority has been able to meet the two conditions holding back full funding for the project by our funding agreement with Metro – (1) BNSF’s abandonment of the rail right-of-way west of Irwindale and (2) full control of more than 50% of the land needed for the project’s maintenance and operations facility. Both conditions were met in the first few months of 2012.
Now, with Full NTP in hand, Kiewit Parsons Joint Venture is authorized to work on all elements of the project, and anticipates an on-time construction completion in late 2015. Major construction is planned to begin this Fall.
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Post by bobdavis on Apr 3, 2012 20:42:12 GMT -8
I just found the same message in my "in-box"--Highball the Gold Line to Azusa!
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Post by roadtrainer on Apr 4, 2012 22:40:16 GMT -8
:)I took a drive along the 210 on Wednesday. I saw the forms going up on the bridge for the rebar, and it was 75 % done. ;)I would wager that the Gold Line will be built and running before Expoline phase II is done. Sincerely The Roadtrainer
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Post by rubbertoe on Apr 5, 2012 8:43:06 GMT -8
New photo gallery showing some good shots on the IBS: lang.pasadenastarnews.com/photos/photos.asp?a=1445601#id=1445601&num=1None of the prior renderings that I have seen, or even photos, have provided a view of how wide that IBS structure is that spans the freeway. In the first photo, it looks like it is 30' wide at the top. Makes sense when you realized there will be 2 tracks. RT
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Post by roadtrainer on Apr 26, 2012 10:38:24 GMT -8
Great time lapsed photography on the Building of the IBS, go to Facebook page of the GLFE.
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Post by rubbertoe on Apr 30, 2012 9:31:40 GMT -8
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Post by rubbertoe on May 4, 2012 7:09:01 GMT -8
They just put out a construction notice for Monday 5-7-12. They are going to take a look at the foundations of the current bridge over Huntington and 2nd... Not sure if they plan on re-using any of the foundation or not. The current bridge is only wide enough for a single track, and it really is shoe-horned into a very busy intersection. Not the most pedestrian friendly intersection. I tried looking through the old project documents but couldn't find out what the plan was for the new bridge. Here is the bridge in question:
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Post by bobdavis on May 4, 2012 18:25:00 GMT -8
This is going to be a major challenge for Kiewit Parsons. From what I've heard (and this was some time ago), the plan is to reuse the original (ca. 1940) bridge and built a replica for the second span. Not sure if this is still the case, but this part of the job will probably be something they want to get an early start on. I remember walking through the passageways under the bridge when I was a boy--I grew up a half mile away from here, on the north side of the Pacific Electric tracks (this should explain "where I'm coming from")
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Post by rubbertoe on May 4, 2012 19:23:33 GMT -8
Yes, I did a Web search and the Arcadia patch did a story back in late 2010 saying they would build a second bridge and reuse that one.
I was hoping for more of a green line bridge over Rosecrans. That would be something :-)
Sent from my DROID RAZR using ProBoards
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Post by rubbertoe on May 19, 2012 17:37:50 GMT -8
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Post by bobdavis on May 19, 2012 18:16:24 GMT -8
I can double check at the next GLFE board meeting, but as I recall, the first section of track to be removed will be the long-out-of service segment west of Santa Anita Ave. I've already volunteered to bring a "claw bar" (manual spike puller) if they want to have a "pulling the first spike" ceremony. Major construction is expected to start in the early fall, and will probably start at the eastern end (near Citrus College) and work westward. Also, the two overpasses in Arcadia (Huntington Dr. and Colorado Blvd.) will probably be candidates for early action.
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Post by bobdavis on May 25, 2012 20:52:35 GMT -8
Arcadia was the proverbial "beehive of activity" today: A Kiewit crew was busy dismantling the abandoned ex-Santa Fe track between 1st Ave. and Santa Anita Ave. The spur to the building materials warehouse (last used for a privately owned ex-SP business car) is gone and they were working on the main line today. West of Santa Anita, another crew was working on the steel bridge over Colorado Blvd., possibly doing lead paint remediation. Rebuilding the abutments to hold a double-track bridge will be a major project. The bridge appears to date back to about 1940; this is when the Huntington Dr. (historic Route 66) bridge was installed, and the "restrained Art Deco" styling of Colorado Blvd. concrete work points to that era.
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Post by rubbertoe on Jun 1, 2012 15:08:18 GMT -8
Visited Newcastle Park today to see what the views were like of the Colorado Bridge demolition effort. It looks like they are just eating away at both ends, with the major upcoming closure being the time when they remove the large steel bridge. There is also track still in place West of Santa Anita Av. Gallery here: picasaweb.google.com/116529236537027859377/June12012NewcastlePark#
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