Merced officials told the California High-Speed Rail Authority not to attempt its proposed station area change until it comes up with a full plan. In Shafter, a major developer has started planning more than 1,200 homes squarely in the bullet train’s approved path.
The latest conflicts between the rail authority and Central Valley cities follow complaints earlier this year from Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who strongly opposed the agency’s idea to capture local tax dollars around future stations to pay for infrastructure.
In Merced, an area that has supported the project, frustration has shown as officials suggest the rail authority’s proposal to relocate Merced’s station scraps years of local planning and is not yet fully thought out. Merced Mayor Matthew Serratto and other local leaders want a “binding” plan with the rail authority that mitigates the impacts of losing its downtown station…