TRAINS: David LassenTRAINS: David Lassen
WASHINGTON — The North County Transit District has asked the Surface Transportation Board to put its proceeding regarding maintenance and safety-fence issues in Del Mar, Calif., on hold.
In a Friday letter to the board, the district asked that its request for a declaratory order — protecting its right to perform stabilization work along the Del Mar Bluffs, and to erect a safety fence in the same area — be held in abeyance for 120 days, saying the three key parties in the dispute — the NCTD, City of Del Mar, and California Coastal Commision — have been engaged in discussions “and believe further talks are warranted at this time to explore a resolution of the issue.”
The NCTD says the coastal commission concurs with the request, and expected Del Mar to do so as well, although that remained unconfirmed at the time of Friday’s letter.
The transit district made its initial request to the board on Aug. 28, expressing concern that Del Mar and the Coastal Commission might attempt to prevent it from continuing to perform the stabilization work, and from putting up a fence. [See “Digest: San Diego transit agency seeks ruling …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 15, 2020]. As subsequently reported in News Wire, the Association of American Railroads and the environmental group Surfrider Foundation have also made filings in the case, while Del Mar has asked for alternatives to the safety fence and the Coastal Commission asked the NCTD to withdraw its request to the STB. The NCTD also make an additional filing with details of the bluff stabilization and fence projects, although Del Mar asks that information not be allowed.
