Fire chief raises emergency-access concerns for proposed Cesar Chavez Walkway arches

The Railroad Fire Department asked the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1 board on June 10 for time to review proposed arches for the Cesar Chavez Walkway, saying current designs could impede emergency response.

"The arches are too low and too narrow," Chief Ruben Lominguez said. "You would basically, in essence, be cutting off all emergency vehicles access to that block. So it's 300 feet with multiple businesses there where you would not be able to bring an emergency vehicle up to them." He added the design could "delay firefighting operations" and emergency evacuation.

Lominguez told the board the fire department has advised engineering and asked for more review time to assess impacts to emergency access and aerial-truck operations. "We're asking for a little bit more time to review it," he said.

Board members noted they were not leading the project but had been asked to assist and be informed. The presiding officer said Assistant City Manager Chavez is now working with the Cesar Chavez march group and that the board had been invited to participate in future meetings; no board vote was taken.

Members discussed design options and potential mitigations, including a swing-open arch design that would allow emergency access; staff said engineering and the project group will explore solutions to meet public-safety requirements while advancing the walkway project.

The discussion was framed as coordination among city engineering, the fire department and the walkway organizers; no formal changes or approvals were recorded at the meeting.