DATE: JULY 1, 2025
DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS
FROM: DAVID JACOBS, DIRECTOR
BY: ADRIANA ROBLES, CITY ENGINEER
MARIA CONTRERAS, MANAGEMENT ANALYST
TITLE: VACATION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY AND DEDICATION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY AT THE INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION CENTER (ITC) AND ACCEPTANCE OF COMPLETED SALINAS RAIL KICK-START PACKAGE 1 IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE MONTEREY COUNTY RAIL EXTENSION PROJECT.
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to approve a Resolution:
Vacating former alignment of Station Place right-of-way, Railroad Avenue and related access easement, roadway and pedestrian access easement, access and utilities easement, and water line easement, and a 25-foot-wide alley, as shown on sheet 2 of Exhibit B; and Renaming Railroad Avenue to Station Place; and
Dedicating right-of-way for new “Station Place”, as shown on sheet 3 of Exhibit B; and Dedicating right-of-way for the extension of Lincoln Avenue, as shown on sheet 3 of Exhibit B; and Dedicating water line easements 1 through 5, as shown on sheet 4 of Exhibit B; and Accepting the Monterey County Rail Extension Project Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 completed improvements for maintenance and responsibility.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In August 2022, the City Council authorized a Transfer Agreement of the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) property and completed Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements between the City of Salinas and TAMC, and in December 2022, the City took ownership of said property by way of nine (9) quitclaim deeds. Staff proposes to merge and subdivide the multiple parcels of the ITC property via a Parcel Map, formalizing the developed site into Parcels 1, 2, and 3, and concurrently formalizing the street vacation of the former alignment of Station Place right-of-way, portions of Railroad Avenue right-of-way, a 25-foot-wide alley, related public access and utility easements, including the dedication of the extension of Lincoln Avenue and dedication of right-of-way for new Station Place, and dedication of water line easements 1 through 5. In addition, the completed Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements for the Monterey County Rail Extension Project need to be accepted for maintenance and responsibility by the City.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Salinas Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) is located northwest at the intersection of North Main Street and West Market Street (also designated State Route 183 on both streets). In 1998, the City of Salinas acquired the Salinas Amtrak Train Station and surrounding property through the former Redevelopment Agency. In February 2017, the City of Salinas and the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) regarding the redevelopment of the area surrounding the Salinas Train Station at the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) into a transit facility to accommodate new commuter passenger rail services outside the region in support of the Monterey County Rail Extension Project (the ”Project”), Resolution No. 21119 (Attachment 1).
The MOU outlined several capital improvement activities and responsibilities between the two agencies and identified TAMC as the leading agency for the development of the Project, including funding, planning, applicable state and federal environmental review, design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction of the Project. The Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements are the first phase of the Monterey County Rail Extension Project and included demolition of the former Station Place street, adjacent buildings, sidewalks and parking lots; construction of two parking lots to accommodate new commuter passenger rail services (totaling 287 parking stalls); construction of the extension of Lincoln Avenue across West Market Street (State Route 183) providing signalized access from West Market Street to the ITC; construction of a bus turnaround facility with 5 bus bays, passenger drop-off and loading zone; installation of drought resistant landscaping, stormwater retention facilities, bicycle lanes, and bicycle parking (EXHIBIT A). These improvements were completed on March 4, 2021, received construction completion approval by the TAMC Board on December 21, 2021, and were transferred to the City in August 2022 via a Transfer Agreement between the City of Salinas and TAMC by way of nine (9) quitclaim deeds, Resolution No. 22451 (Attachment 2).
Following the transfer of the ITC property and the completed Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements, the City took ownership of all ITC property in December 2022. As there are multiple lots of record involved with the ITC property, a lot merger and re-subdivision Parcel Map (the “Parcel Map”) has been prepared combining the effected multiple lots of record and re-subdividing the area into Parcels 1, 2, and 3 to better represent the developed site (Exhibit B). However, the City must vacate all abandoned rights-of-way as well as accept the dedicated rights-of-way for the proposed subdivision of land to be allowed.
Vacation of Rights-of-Way:
The rights-of-way to be vacated are as follows:
25-foot-wide alley (right-of-way to be vacated).
Railroad Avenue and related access easement, roadway and pedestrian access easement, access and utilities easement, and water line easement (right-of-way to be vacated).
Station Place (former right-of-way alignment) (right-of-way to be vacated).
Vacation and Dedication of Rights-of-Way:
The rights-of-way to be dedicated are as follows:
Lincoln Avenue (right-of-way to be dedicated).
Station Place (new right-of-way alignment to be dedicated).
The rights-of-way to be vacated and/or dedicated at the ITC are surrounded by the Union Pacific Railroad and Industrial-General Commercial (IGC) development to the north, West Market Street (a public street also designated as State Route 183), and Commercial and Residential / Mixed Use (MX) to the south, North Main Street (a public street also designated State Route 183) and Bataan Memorial Park (a public park) to the east, and Commercial/Commercial Retail to the west.
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 65402(a), the Community Development Department’s Current Planning Division has reviewed the proposed vacation of rights-of-way and dedication of rights-of-way at the ITC and determined that the proposed street vacation and dedication of rights-of-way conforms with the City’s 2002 General Plan Land Use and Circulation Map as the Circulation Master Plan (Figure C-5) as this does not show the affected streets to be vacated and dedicated. Additionally, access to the ITC was previously via West Market Street and Station Place. Following completion of the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements, the ITC is now accessed via West Market Street and the Lincoln Avenue extension, currently identified as a 93-foot-wide Public Utility Easement (PUE). Said PUE was accepted by the City Council through Resolution No. 21579 on March 19, 2019 (Attachment 3), pursuant to the MOU between the City of Salinas and TAMC.
Subsequently, the City relocated all existing public sanitary sewer and storm drain infrastructure within the new easement area which became the extension of Lincoln Avenue. On June 23, 2020, the relocated sanitary and storm drain improvements were accepted for maintenance and responsibility via Resolution No. 21879 (Attachment 4). All other public utility services were also relocated within the Lincoln Avenue extension and dedicated new Station Place rights-of-way. A public utility easement (PUE No. 2) has been created together with new water line easements no. 1 and no. 2 on the proposed Parcel 1 and new water line easements no. 3, no. 4, and no. 5 on Parcel 3. No action has been taken to vacate the previous street alignment of Station Place, Railroad Avenue and related access easement, roadway and pedestrian access easement, access and utilities easement, and water line easement, nor to accept the extension of Lincoln Avenue and the new Station Place rights-of-way into the City’s roadway system. Staff is requesting that City Council approve the right-of-way vacations and dedications as shown on the Parcel Map.
Staff has also examined the acceptance of the interest in the vacated land by the City of Salinas and has determined that the property meets the definition of Exempt Surplus Land in accordance with California Government Code Sections 54221(f)(1)(E), 54221(f)(1)(I), and 54221(f)(1)(J) as the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements required significant financial resources to construct and TAMC secured its funding through a Traffic Congestion Relief Fund (TCR) from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and other funding for the Monterey County Rail Extension Project. Hence, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) must approve any transfer of the subject property, and the City agreed to abide by the terms of the grant Master Agreement, provided as Exhibit D to the Transfer Agreement in Attachment 2. Under strict reading of the terms of the grant Master Agreement any development on the Property other than what was contemplated under the grant (i.e. commuter parking) would be prohibited unless the grant funds used to acquire and improve the Property are repaid to Caltrans.
Renaming Railroad Avenue to Station Place
On March 10, 2025, the street naming committee considered the renaming of a new right-of-way alignment (formerly Railroad Avenue) to Station Place. In accordance Chapter 30, Article VIII of the Municipal Code, and to avoid duplication or similar sound names and eliminating situations where there are several names for the same street, the abandonment of the former alignment of Station Place and new alignment over portions of the abandoned right-of-way, formerly Railroad Avenue, do not create a conflict with the proposed new right-of-way dedication of Station Place. Although an official street naming committee does not exist, an ad hoc committee meeting comprised of the Director of Community Development, the Director of Public Works, the Police Chief, the Fire Chief and City Engineer, was convened to review the request to rename the proposed dedicated right-of-way. The ad hoc committee, in consultation with the Postmaster and the Monterey County Emergency Dispatch, unanimously approved the naming of Station Place over the new dedicated right-of-way.
In summary, the proposed lot merger and subdivision Parcel Map would formalize the effect of previous actions taken by the City for the completion of the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements for the Monterey County Rail Extension Project at the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC). The vacation of rights-of-way, including dedication of Lincoln Avenue (extension) and new dedication of right-of-way for Station Place, will enable the creation of Parcel 1, Parcel 2, and Parcel 3 through the lot merger and re-subdivision parcel map.
The Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements at the ITC, including related property, were transferred to the City in August 2022 via a Transfer Agreement between the City of Salinas and TAMC, and the City has undertaken the maintenance responsibility of said completed improvements over the past +/-3 years. However, said improvements have not been accepted for maintenance and responsibility by the City Council.
Public Notices
Notices of the proposed vacation and dedication of right of way were posted in accordance with California Government Codes 8320 and 8323 at the site and in the Monterey County Weekly.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
Not a Project. The City of Salinas has determined that the proposed actions are not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378). In addition, CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 includes the general rule that CEQA applies only to activities which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activities in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activities are not subject to CEQA. Because the proposed actions and this matter have no potential to cause any effect on the environment, or because it falls within a category of activities excluded as projects pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378, this matter is not a project. Because the matter does not cause a direct or foreseeable indirect physical change on or in the environment, this matter is not a project. Any subsequent discretionary projects resulting from this action will be assessed for CEQA applicability.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES:
“No”.
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
Completion of the Salinas Rail Kick Start Package 1 improvements has furthered City Council’s 2022-2025 Strategic Goal of Economic Development promoting Salinas as a desired destination for business and the proposed actions formalize the effect of previous actions taken by the City.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
Public Works, together with Community Development, Administration, and Legal Department staff coordinated on this item, as well as included communication with TAMC.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
The proposed actions have no direct impact on the General Fund. The fiscal and sustainability impacts were covered with the acquisition of the ITC property in August 2022. Furthermore, the landscaping completed as part of the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements have been included as part of the Public Works Department’s ongoing maintenance operations over the past four years.
Landscape maintenance of the ITC was originally added to the Downtown Parking District Lot Maintenance agreement in 2022 via Agreement Amendment 1. In 2023, all landscape maintenance efforts of the Downtown Parking District have shifted to the Citywide Landscaping Services for Greenbelts, Medians and Roundabouts agreement via Contract Change Order 1.
Fund
Appropriation
Appropriation
Name
Total Appropriation
Amount for recommendation
FY 24-25 Operating Budget Page
Last Budget Action (Date, Resolution)
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Resolution
Exhibit A – Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 (ITC Improvements) Exhibit B – ITC Lot Merger and Re-subdivision Parcel Map Attachment 1 – Resolution 21119
Attachment 2 – Resolution 22451
Attachment 3 – Resolution 21579
Attachment 4 – Resolution 21879
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