RESOLUTION NO. (N.C.S.)
A RESOLUTION APPROVING VACATION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY AND DEDICATION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY AT THE INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION CENTER (ITC) AND ACCEPTING THE COMPLETED SALINAS RAIL KICK-START PACKAGE 1 IMPROVEMENTS FOR MAINTENANCE AND RESPONSIBILITY WHEREAS, on October 2, 2007, the City Council approved Resolution No. 19336, supporting the Rail Service Extension Project from the Bay Area to Monterey County; and WHEREAS, on February 7, 2017, the City Council approved Resolution No. 21119, and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC) outlining the understanding of partner agencies 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”); and WHEREAS, 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; and WHEREAS, 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 improvements and adjacent buildings 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 zones; and installation of drought resistant landscaping, stormwater retention facilities, bicycle lanes, and bicycle parking; and WHEREAS, the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements required the abandonment of the former Station Place improvements, prompting the relocation of existing public utilities at the ITC site, and construction of the Lincoln Avenue extension; and WHEREAS, on March 19, 2019, City Council approved Resolution No. 21579 accepting a Public Utility Easement (PUE) for the relocation of the existing public utilities at the Intermodal Transportation Center; and WHEREAS, on April 30, 2019, City Council approved Resolution No. 21598 awarding a construction contract for the Salinas ITC Sewer and Storm Pipeline Relocation Project, which included the abandonment of existing sanitary sewer and storm drain pipelines, installation of new sanitary sewer and storm drain pipelines, and installation of manholes and catch basins; and WHEREAS, on June 23, 2020, City Council approved Resolution No. 21879 accepting the relocated ITC Sewer and Storm Drain Pipeline Improvements for maintenance and responsibility; and WHEREAS, the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements were completed in March 2021 and received construction completion approval by the TAMC Board on December 21, 2021; and WHEREAS, On August 9, 2022, City Council approved Resolution No. 22451 authorizing a Transfer Agreement accepting the ITC Property and Package 1 improvements on behalf of the City by way of nine (9) quitclaim deeds; and, WHEREAS, the City agreed to take ownership of the ITC property consistent with the terms of the MOU, and subject to the requirements of Caltrans Master Agreement No. 64A0078 A02, which governs the state funding sources used to acquire property and complete the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements; and WHEREAS, the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements have not been accepted for maintenance and responsibility by the City; and WHEREAS, the completed Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements included the abandonment of the former Station Place right-of-way, portions of 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 the Parcel Map, including the creation of new public utility easements throughout the ITC site; and WHEREAS, California Streets and Highways Code Sections 8300 – 8363 permit a local government to vacate existing rights-of-way and/or easements, subject to the requirements of those Sections; and WHEREAS, the City of Salinas has dedicated within its boundaries a right-of-way for a public street, known as Station Place, and Railroad Avenue; and WHEREAS, California Streets and Highways Code Section 8340 requires that an easement be reserved to maintain access to preexisting public utilities located within a right-of-way to be vacated; and WHEREAS, the reservation of those easements must be included in the Resolution vacating the right-of-way; and WHEREAS, the City of Salinas is the owner of all real property adjacent to Station Place, and Railroad Avenue, currently serving the First Mayor’s House, Railroad Museum, Amtrak, Greyhound, and the Salinas California Welcome Center, and a 287-stall public parking area; and WHEREAS, the City desires to vacate all abandoned former street and public rights-of-way involved in the development of the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements; and WHEREAS, the City desires to dedicate an approximately 93-foot-wide right-of-way for the extension of Lincoln Avenue into the City’s street system; and WHEREAS, the Parcel Map formalizes the renaming of the former Railroad Avenue right-of-way to Station Place in accordance with Chapter 30, Article VIII of the Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, the City desires to subdivide the ITC property combining the effected multiple lots of record and re-subdividing the area into Parcels 1, 2, and 3 to better represent the developed site; and WHEREAS, the Parcel Map also denotes the dedication of water line easements 1 through 5; and WHEREAS, Station Place and Railroad Avenue are not identified in the General Plan and do not provide network benefits to the City’s street network; and WHEREAS, an ad hoc Street Naming Committee met on March 10, 2025 and unanimously approved and recommends renaming Railroad Avenue to Station Place; and WHEREAS 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.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Salinas City Council finds that the rights-of-way for public streets and public easements listed and identified on sheets 1 and 2 of the Parcel Map are unnecessary for present or prospective use and hereby vacates the right-of-way identified; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Salinas, as the sole adjacent property owner, accepts ownership of the land vacated through this action, and authorizes the Mayor to sign the lot merger and re-subdivision Parcel Map; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council finds that the land to be vacated is Exempt Surplus Land as it consists of a former street, right-of-way, or easement, being conveyed to an owner of the adjacent property, as defined in Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(E), and Government Code Sections 54221(f)(1)(I) and 54221(f)(J) for surplus land that is subject to a valid legal restriction that is not imposed by the local agency and that makes housing prohibited, unless there is a feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the prohibition of the site due to Traffic Congestion Relief Fund (TCR) funding for the Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 improvements ; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council directs City Staff to take the necessary actions to consolidate the City-owned properties adjoining the vacated right-of-way to create three (3) separate lots of record for the site; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council vacates the 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 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council renames Railroad Avenue to Station Place and directs staff to remove “Railroad Avenue” from the City’s street network; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council dedicates right-of-way for Station Place and the Lincoln Avenue extension, as shown on sheet 3 of Exhibit B; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council dedicates water line easements 1 through 5, as shown on sheet 4 of Exhibit B; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council accepts the Monterey County Rail Extension Project Salinas Rail Kick-Start Package 1 completed improvements for maintenance and responsibility; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk shall cause a certified copy of this resolution, attested by her under seal, to be recorded without acknowledgment, or further proof in the office of the County Recorder.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 1st day of July 2025, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
APPROVED:
_______________________
Dennis Donohue, Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________
Patricia M. Barajas, City Clerk
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