Late Tuesday, three justices with the Third District Court of Appeals denied the California High Speed Rail Authority’s (CHSRA) petition asking the court to overturn a decision by the Sacramento County Superior Court. The Superior court had ordered a trial on one part of an ongoing lawsuit between Kings County farmer John Tos, Hanford homeowner Aaron Fukuda and the Kings County Board of Supervisors and CHSRA.
One part of the lawsuit is still pending appeal; however, the Court of Appeals decision on the second part of the lawsuit has paved the way for a trial to take place between the Kings County opponents and CHSRA as to whether the High Speed Rail project complies with state law. The lawsuit was filed against CHSRA by the Kings County opponents alleging that the CHSRA is violating Proposition 1A for numerous reasons. Prop 1A was a $9.9 billion high-speed rail bond approved by California votes back in 2008. The Kings County opponents allege that CHRSA’s idea to share electrified tracks along the San Francisco Peninsula goes against Prop 1A by not complying with the promise that the high-speed rail would have a line of fully dedicated tracks. Also, sharing tracks would mean that the CHSRA’s assurance of a 2 hour and 40 minute trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles would be unachievable. Furthermore, a public subsidy would be needed for the blended system.
CHSRA made promises when rounding up California voters to okay the high-speed rail project and now the Kings County opponents assert that the shortcomings to their promises add up to illegal spending of public funds.
CHSRA’s business plan in late 2011 calculated that a fully dedicated track for the high-speed rail would cost $98 billion for only the first phase. In efforts to cut costs, CHSRA decided that a blended track system would save them $30 billion.
Whatever CHSRA’s reasons may be, the Court of Appeals of the State of California has decided that the high-speed rail’s next stop is trial. Whether CHRSA will seek review from California Supreme Court is unclear at this time. However, the Court of Appeals will be deciding on two other rulings made by Sacramento County Superior Court. The first being part of the Kings County opponents’ lawsuit on the 2011 financial plan and the second on the Superior Court’s refusal to validate the sale of the Prop 1A bonds for funding to pay for the first phase of construction.
For regular updates on California High Speed Rail Authority look for “California Eminent Domain Project News:Updates” on our blog at http://blog.eminentdomainlaw.net/