Sorry Bob, this is not really a knee-jerk Evil Thomas situation. Yes, the no-trains people are out there yelling, but the paperwork was done and the City Council IMO is looking for a way to approve the project without tying everything up in the CEQA courts for another couple of years. The Planning Commission could have done a better job balancing things, but they chose (as is their right) to deny the project and punt an appeal to the Council which is the final decisionmaker. The Council (through its staff and hired lawyers) is trying to figure out a way to make a decision. The STB has a chance to help, allowing some kind of compromise. The easy way out would be for the Council to just deny it like that P.C. did - but Valero preempted that by going to the STB, and Councils in general are more business-oriented than Planning Commissions (in my experience; maybe it has something to do with being elected instead of appointed). We'll see what happens...