A southbound Amtrak train passes through San Luis Obispo in 2010. The the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency is proposing a major expansion in the railroad area in San Luis Obispo.
The Tribune
Part of San Luis Obispo’s Railroad District could undergo a major infrastructure project with a state agency vision to add a new rail yard, train tracks and more.
The San Luis Obispo Planning Commission will host a discussion of the proposed project at its virtual Wednesday meeting and gather public input for potential environmental impacts. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.
The Central Coast Layover Facility project, which falls under the jurisdiction of the state Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, envisions a relocation of the “the existing layover facility adjacent to the San Luis Obispo station at 1011 Railroad Avenue to an expanded facility to the south at the mostly vacant Union Pacific (UP) property” at 1320 Roundhouse St.
The roughly 8.3-acre site, located behind Miner’s Ace Hardware, borders streets including Santa Barbara, Bishop and Rachel
The proposed project features the construction of a new rail yard, storage and servicing tracks, operations and maintenance buildings, landscape improvements, pedestrian improvements, and safety and security features, according to a city Planning Commission staff report.
Once constructed, the Central Coast Layover Facility will provide for maintenance of equipment at the northern terminus of the corridor, allow for additional passenger trains to hold overnight and allow a second morning departure from San Luis Obispo, the staff report notes. “Additional storage and maintenance capacity will also allow for future further expansion of service.”
An artist’s rendering shows the proposed railroad yard project in San Luis Obispo. The project is under proposal with the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, a state organization. City of SLO staff report
The city doesn’t have any discretionary jurisdiction over the proposal, which will be decided by an 11-member governing board of directors representing rail owners, operators, and planning agencies along the rail corridor, under LOSSAN’s planning process.
The proposed project would construct a new rail yard with up to five new tracks, including a train wash track and service and inspection track. There would also be three storage tracks.
Buildings on site would include a 10,000-square-foot, one-story wash building to clean trains; a 2,200-square-foot maintenance building; a 3,000-square-feet administrative office. There would also be a a 1,900-square-foot wheel truing building and a 2,900-square-foot space with a welding/fabrication shop, brake and coupler shop and toolbox storage.
The proposed project would provide a total of 54 on-site parking spaces for employees and visitors.
The Central Coast Layover Facility project “is intended to increase overnight storage capacity to support the service goals and objectives for the Pacific Surfliner in the State Rail Plan and LOSSAN’s fiscal year Business Plan,” the report said.
A city staff report shows the area of a proposed railroad yard project in SLO. The project is under proposal with the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, a state organization. City of SLO
Neighbors concerned about proposed SLO rail yard project
A future environmental impact report will still need to be conducted, analyzing issues including air quality, biological resources, greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous materials, water and wildfire risk.
The purpose of Wednesday’s meeting is for “LOSSAN to receive public input regarding potentially significant impacts of the project, alternatives, and potential mitigation measures that should be addressed in more detail in the EIR,” the staff report notes. “The hearing is not a forum to discuss the merits of the proposed project itself, and the project will not return for any discretionary city review since LOSSAN is a state agency and not subject to local zoning regulations.”
The proposal figures to be a point of contention for neighbors and residents, who expressed their concerns on the social media site Nextdoor.
“It will impact every single resident in the area with noise, traffic, and potential higher crime,” one commenter wrote. “The building alone will mean trucks going in day in and day out with construction noise for over a year.”
“Wow what a nuisance it will be!! Clearly whoever planned it does not live in the area or care about the residents,” another critic wrote.
“With all the residential development that has occurred along the railroad corridor, it’s important that attention be paid to the peace, safety, and enjoyment of residents living in this area,” a separate Nextdoor user wrote. “Your voice could have an impact!”
But some Nextdoor commenters expressed support for the proposed project, with one writing that it “seems logical to me. Train lay over facility by the railroad tracks. It would be out of place at the airport or harbor. Roadhouse and the track area is infilling. Isn’t that considered good?”
Another person noted that “this facility will provide storage for the trains to park for the night, connecting them to ground power to allow for electric functions of the train to continue. I think that is fantastic! Also, this facility would provide more jobs in our city.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story listed the incorrect commission for this hearing. The city of San Luis Obispo’s Planning Commission will hear the discussion.
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 10:26 AM.
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