Story adds information regarding the city’s recommended option for City Council; City Council is set to make a decision regarding the routes Tuesday night (2/27)
Santa Clarita is hosting a hearing about a new traffic route in Newhall for Dockweiler Drive, according to the City Council’s agenda.
There are several different routes being looked at; however, the route with the least environmental impact according to study authorized by the city, would connect Dockweiler Drive to 13th Street. Another option is the Market Street connection; however, that route would impact a number of significant structures, such as the Veterans Historical Plaza, according to city of Santa Clarita officials.
Another option would connect Lyons Avenue to Dockweiler Drive with a new crossing at the railroad tracks. This would have allowed eastbound through traffic to go from Lyons to Highway 14 freeway, and also create another way into residential area of Dockweiler.
The proposed road at 13th Street would be almost .67-miles long and designated as a four-lane secondary highway per the city’s Joint Highway Plan. The project would also upgrade the railroad crossing on 13th Street with required street improvements.
Councilmembers will be taking public comments, as well as listening to staff reports and presentations on the final EIR for the project.
Part of the city’s current General Plan, the extension was identified as one of the key transportation projects in the Newhall Specific plan.
Two impacts highlighted by the EIR as hard to mitigate were air quality and noise issues. Both of these impacts would require a Statement of Overriding Considerations, or SOC, to move forward.
During construction, the proposed air emissions would exceed the South Coast Air Quality Management districts threshold of significance. Noise caused from the construction would be considered potentially significant. Mitigation methods were included in the EIR though temporary construction-related noise impacts are considered unavoidable.
Once the EIR is approved by City Council, the next step will be to submit and application to the California Public Utilities Commision for possible improvements the the 13th Street rail crossing.
