Item A - Res.on Enterprise Zone - Laserfiche WebLink

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ATTACHMENT E Questions Regarding the Railyards Property The Council considered issues related to making application for an enterprise zone designation at the March 7, 2005 work session. At that meeting, the Council directed that property contained within the railyards be excluded from the proposed enterprise zone boundary. Staff subsequently published an amended map that excluded the railyards property. In making these adjustments to the proposed enterprise zone boundaries, City staff relied on map information provided by the State Department of Environmental Quality to determine the location and dimensions of the railyards property. The DEQ map was drawn in the early 1990's as part of initial environmental investigations completed on the site. As was pointed out in public testimony at the April 11, 2005 Council meeting, there are seven parcels of property at the north end of the railyards property that are adjacent or proximate to the railroad right of way, and yet continue to be included within the proposed enterprise zone. It was suggested in public testimony that these properties were either part of the current railyards, or part of the historic railyards property; and, as such, should also be excluded from the proposed enterprise zone. Councilor Polling has asked several questions regarding these properties, as follows: 1. How or why did the seven tax lots identified by citizens get included in the proposed EZ boundary when the wording and intent of the motion was to remove railroad property? As stated above, the staff relied on railyards boundary information provided by the DEQ when amending the map as directed by Council to remove the railyards. The seven tax lots are not within the railyards as depicted in the map data provided by DEQ. However, the DEQ study area encompasses additional properties owned by various private parties, including industrial and residential properties outside of the railyards boundary, but within the area of environmental concern. The seven parcels in questions are part of the area outside of the railyards that was included in the DEQ study area. These parcels are different in character from the railyards in that they are parceled, zoned, and include a mix of ownership and uses. The area eliminated from the proposed boundary is un- parceled, un-zoned property in sole ownership of the railroad. 2. Is the railroad the sole owner of the seven tax lots? No. Southern Pacific Co. (the railroad) is listed as the owner of two of the parcels, which total 25.7 acres. Four of the parcels are owned by Santa Fe Pacific Pipeline Partner's, LP. These four parcels total 24.1 acres. Pick and Pull LLC owns one parcel totaling 49.3 acres.