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EIR Comment on CAHSR, from the desk of Keith Pelczarski

I have a request for California High Speed Rail: Please do a good job on the new train.

My house is adjacent to the track in Palo Alto close to Peers Park and I'm concerned about how California High Speed Rail (CAHSR) will change things here in my backyard.

One big concern is the sense of the unknown about the whole thing. How will the neighborhood change? How much construction noise will there be? How much noise will the trains really make? What about privacy? Will these changes hurt my property value? What about eminent domain, would that come into play on my property? If so, would I get fair value for property lost? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I can certainly imagine some worrisome possibilities.

Please do a good job on the new train.

I would like to ask that whoever is designing/approving the solution consider how they would want it to be if they were the ones living right next to it. As one of those folks living right next to it, I have a few thoughts on the concept video that shows the alternatives (http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/gallery.asp?s=alma-street):

Tunneling
The most appealing option, especially if the right of way above it were developed into a nice bike/pedestrian path, with art and landscaping and whatnot. If the trains could be out-of-sight/out-of-mind, that would be excellent.

Open trench
Seems better than having something looming over my house, but not quite as appealing as the tunnel. Some concern about sound, but imagine that it could be mitigated with trees or a wall or something. I'm not clear on exactly how wide the trench would be, but if it were too wide I'd have the question about eminent domain and what would happen to my property line/garage/etc.

Structure
This is worrisome, with the train going by at the height of my bedroom. Feels like a huge blow to privacy. I'd wonder about what might become of the space underneath. Will it be haven for troublemakers/transients/etc.? If this option did come to pass, would there really be the bike path, art, landscaping, and whatnot that are shown on the concept video. Would they really have as many lights as the video shows? Still hard for me to get over having the train run at the height of my bedroom window. That's a HUGE potential impact that I don't think could be fixed with a screen of trees (not enough space), and a wall in the space at that height would be a towering monolith no better than the undesirable retained fill option. On this one I also have the question about eminent domain and what would happen to my property line/garage/etc.

Retained fill
As I understand it, this is no longer under consideration in Palo Alto, which makes me relieved. Didn't like the thought of a big wall going through the middle of the city, especially not when it brings the train up to my bedroom window. My concerns expressed in my comment on structure would also apply here, except for the one about what would go on underneath it, obviously.

I am supportive of the work that CARRD (http://www.calhsr.com/) has been doing to engage and educate people. Please work with them to make sure that concerned citizens continue to have a voice in the development of this project and that things are done in an intelligent, respectful way.

Please do a good job on the new train.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Keith Pelczarski
Palo Alto, CA

cc: CAHSR
City of Palo Alto Planning Division
CARRD
Joe Simitian
Anna Eshoo

:: Keith 23:51 [link] :: ::

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