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Lagunitas Spur (Petaluma) - July 4, 2014 NWP letter about spur
Author: Merc
Date: 05-16-2017 - 13:16
NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY
Mr. Steve Heminger Executive Director Metropolitan Transportation Commission Joseph P. Bort Metro Center 101 8th Street Oakland, CA 94607-4700
Re: 1. Damaging Effects of SMART on Freight Rail Service and Local Businesses 2. Freight Rail Benefit to the Local Economy and Environment
1. SMART’S ACTIONS ARE HURTING LOCAL BUSINESSES
SMART has (a) removed customer turnouts, (b) removed passing sidings and yard tracks, and (c) built 15-mph gauntlet track, all of which obstruct and hinder NWP’s obligation to provide common carrier freight service, thus eliminating businesses option to ship by rail.
(a) Customer turnouts are not only vital, but they are the rightful property of each industry and property owner and were in place prior to SMART’s construction. SMART is ripping out the turnouts and subsequently requiring each property or the NWP to pay $400,000 to replace the turnouts. This is equivalent to a city repaving a major road while removing all the driveways, then requiring payment from each homeowner to re-install the driveway.
A few specific examples of local businesses negatively impacted by SMART’s infrastructural changes include:
Lagunitas Brewing Company is one of the largest businesses in Petaluma and the North Bay, as well as one of the fastest growing breweries in the country. High volume utilization of their turnout through inbound rail shipments would include malted barley, wheat, and bottles. Outbound shipments would include bottled beer and kegs. Additionally, this busy turnout would be shared by another industry, Adobe Creek Wine and Storage, which offers shipping and storing of wine and other alcohol products. Adobe Creek’s customers include a number of local wine makers, who requested access to the freight spur located on Adobe Creek’s property. This request was impossible, however, due to the fact that the rail turnout serving both Lagunitas and Adobe Creek was removed by SMART, and subsequently not replaced. SMART informed the industries that the cost to rebuild the turnout would be the industries’ responsibility.
Mr. Steve Heminger Executive Director Metropolitan Transportation Commission Joseph P. Bort Metro Center 101 8th Street Oakland, CA 94607-4700
Re: 1. Damaging Effects of SMART on Freight Rail Service and Local Businesses 2. Freight Rail Benefit to the Local Economy and Environment
1. SMART’S ACTIONS ARE HURTING LOCAL BUSINESSES
SMART has (a) removed customer turnouts, (b) removed passing sidings and yard tracks, and (c) built 15-mph gauntlet track, all of which obstruct and hinder NWP’s obligation to provide common carrier freight service, thus eliminating businesses option to ship by rail.
(a) Customer turnouts are not only vital, but they are the rightful property of each industry and property owner and were in place prior to SMART’s construction. SMART is ripping out the turnouts and subsequently requiring each property or the NWP to pay $400,000 to replace the turnouts. This is equivalent to a city repaving a major road while removing all the driveways, then requiring payment from each homeowner to re-install the driveway.
A few specific examples of local businesses negatively impacted by SMART’s infrastructural changes include:
Lagunitas Brewing Company is one of the largest businesses in Petaluma and the North Bay, as well as one of the fastest growing breweries in the country. High volume utilization of their turnout through inbound rail shipments would include malted barley, wheat, and bottles. Outbound shipments would include bottled beer and kegs. Additionally, this busy turnout would be shared by another industry, Adobe Creek Wine and Storage, which offers shipping and storing of wine and other alcohol products. Adobe Creek’s customers include a number of local wine makers, who requested access to the freight spur located on Adobe Creek’s property. This request was impossible, however, due to the fact that the rail turnout serving both Lagunitas and Adobe Creek was removed by SMART, and subsequently not replaced. SMART informed the industries that the cost to rebuild the turnout would be the industries’ responsibility.
