The Claremont City Council approved a plan to accommodate the Gold Line when it makes its way east as part of the Foothill extension. Giving the thumbs up on September 14, the city was the last one along the Phase 2B extension to approve plans for the light-rail; now the final environmental impact report can commence in advance of a request for federal funds, reports the Pomona College-based Student Life newspaper. Apparently, there was a little finger-pointing going on within the council. Councilman Corey Calaycay voted against the plan--which determined the station will be at Claremont's train depot rather than a parking lot--saying he supported the Gold Line but was concerned about the station property eating up some land from a nearby business park, as well as the city not doing enough pre-planning for the train. Calaycay's planning concerns stemmed from fellow councilmember Peter Yao, the city's liaison to the Gold Line Phase II authority. "City staff dropped the ball by not staying on top of the Gold Line decision schedule," Yao wrote to The Student Life. "Claremont was clearly at fault, not the Construction Authority."
Calaycay claims he was not even aware Claremont was the last city to approve a plan for the Gold Line until the Sept. 14 meeting, saying "We have a responsibility to make sure that our plans are represented accurately to property owners before they're taken out of our hands." Regardless, the council passed the plan 4-1. There was also some grumbling from local college students who argued that the train would take money away from buses. Claremont is the penultimate stop on phase 2B; the preliminary phase 2C would bring the light-rail to Ontario airport.
· City Council Approves Gold Line Plan [The Student Life]
· Basket-Weaving 101: Get Ready for Bridge Work [Curbed LA]
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