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Salinas council approves vacation of New Street right‑of‑way to advance Monterey County rail extension package
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously to vacate the northern 124 feet of New Street right‑of‑way to enable Package 2 of the Monterey County rail extension project to move forward; residents raised concerns about notice, potential walls and traffic impacts.
The Salinas City Council on Oct. 14 voted to approve a resolution vacating approximately 6,200 square feet — described in staff documents as the northerly 124 feet — of New Street right‑of‑way to allow the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s (TAMC) Monterey County rail extension project to advance into Package 2.
City Engineer Adriana Robles said the vacation is required for Package 2 of the rail extension and that the city previously entered a memorandum of understanding with TAMC for the project. Robles told the council the Council approved Package 1 earlier in 2025 and amended the MOU in September.
Why this matters: The vacation removes a portion of public right‑of‑way and transfers control that TAMC needs for rail extension work. Residents who live on New Street spoke during the public hearing with concerns about notification, noise, traffic increases and a planned 12‑foot wall adjacent to private property.
Public concerns and staff response: Several neighbors said they learned about the change only from site notices and raised questions about timing, transparency and whether the project would materially affect property access and safety. One resident, Ahmed, said he had pieced together details from scattered information and asked the council to “put this backroom transfer on hold” and provide “100% transparency.” Councilmembers and the city engineer said state and municipal notification requirements had been met (site postings and newspaper publication) and that staff would follow up directly with concerned residents to provide additional details.
Council action: After public comment, a motion to approve the vacation moved forward, was seconded and passed unanimously. The clerk recorded the vote as yes from Councilmembers Barajas, Barrera, Dirigo, De La Rosa, Salazar, Sandoval and Mayor Dennis Donahue.
Implementation notes: Robles said the vacation will allow TAMC’s Package 2 activities to proceed and that more details about Package 2 would be presented to the council at the Oct. 28 meeting.
Ending: Councilmembers instructed staff to continue outreach with affected property owners and to have the city attorney and engineering staff meet with concerned residents to address outstanding questions.
