The long-awaited plans to extend Lyons Avenue to Dockweiler Drive could finally be shifting out of neutral.
The city of Santa Clarita released its draft environmental impact report for a project that will eventually link the communities east of the railroad, Newhall Creek, including The Master’s University (TMU), Old Town Newhall and the Jan Heidt Newhall Metrolink Station.
In the conceptual planning stages for decades, the project would involve the construction of a bridge over the railroad right-of-way and Newhall Creek and connect TMU to Sierra Highway on the eastern end of Dockweiler Drive. (The extension of Dockweiler has already been approved.)
The Lyons extension is vital to TMU’s master plan, which is a guide to manage campus growth over the span of 10 years. Adopted in 2009, the plan took into consideration growth that includes “expansion and addition of educational facilities and dormitories, as well as construction of a new auditorium.”
The new environmental report states that in order to accommodate this type of growth, Dockweiler Drive needs to be extended from its current terminus near Valle Del Oro through TMU’s property south of the main campus, to the western boundary of the campus property.
“The extension of Dockweiler Drive is a critical east-west link that would provide a through connection from Sierra Highway to Lyons Avenue,” the report states. “The extension would also relocate the main entry to The Master’s University from Placerita Canyon Road and redirect traffic from Placerita Canyon Road onto Dockweiler Drive.”
The proposed Lyons extension would include the closure of the at-grade railroad crossing at 13th Street and Railroad Avenue, while adding a new at-grade railroad crossing at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and the newly adjusted Lyons Avenue.
Previously, the city of Santa Clarita had included the Lyons extension as a “major highway” in its general plan. But it has been re-designated as a secondary, four-lane road.
The road extension would require raised, landscaped medians and a bike lane. Yet it would yield anticipated benefits such as improved traffic flow and safety at the railroad crossings.
According to the draft report, the scope of the proposed extension would have “less than significant environmental impacts and less than significant impacts with the incorporation of mitigation measures – with the exception of air quality and noise.” These impacts, according to the report, were “significant and unavoidable.”
A number of agencies responsible for reviewing the project were invited in August to submit comments. Those agencies include the California Public Utilities Commission, California Department of Fish and Game, Army Corps of Engineers, County of Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Public comment on the draft environmental report will be taken through Oct. 16, 2017. The documents are available for viewing [HERE] and at the Old Town Newhall Library, Valencia Library, and the city clerk’s office at Santa Clarita City Hall.
An additional public outreach meeting is scheduled for Sept. 28. (One was already held Sept. 14). The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at The Master’s University, 24728 Quigley Canyon Road, Building #35, English and History Center, Room 100, Santa Clarita.
Comments for the outreach meeting must be submitted in writing.
Ultimately approval of the Lyons extension project will be up to the City Council.
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48 Comments
Anything to help out traffic. Plus the 13th St. crossing is dangerous, so it’s elimination is good.
Andrew Roche
Why don’t you guys create more parking as well at the top of dockweiler ?
Holy crap Meg
Why!this is the stupidest plan ever! It makes no sense whatsoever!! So we want to connect one ove the highest crime areas to a peaceful community like Placerita Canyon!!!! Makes no sense!
Relax- I’m sure the fine folks living in Newhall will welcome everyone including those from Placerita Cyn.
You’re right, the Placerita community wants to get the traffic from the Master’s University expansion off of Placerita Canyon Road and onto the new road.
And you think this is going to be any better
And does anyone know who owns that land??????
Isn’t it all owned by city council members past or present? Thought I recall a decade or two ago they were buying it up.
Mike Christianson I believe buy one person. But I don’t really have all the info. But I believe your 1/2 right, City Council
Laurene Weste. Marsha Marsha Marsha’s BFF.
Great question! Some are private owners who have not been notified.
Great question! Some are private owners that have not received any notification at all.
Ethan Jewell I believe your correct
Council member Laurene Weste
Heath Holt
If the Masters College wants to expand they need to build a damn sidewalk for their students first. I live in Placerita Canyon near the school and they take up the whole street walking to class! Wtf
Can we get the Via Princessa extension done as well?
Stephanie Hovsepian cool!
Put a railroad crossing at Lyons Avenue? That’s a sure way to cause more traffic congestion, not less. It should stay the way it is. The powers that be are going to go ahead with their silly nonsense no matter what we, the people, who are most affected by their stupidity, say. I’ve said before and I’ll say again: the inmates are running the asylum.
Well, it has been in the works for 30 years. As an example, here it is on a City Council agenda — in 1992. https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/cc102792minutes.pdf
Mellie-
Installing a railroad crossing at Lyons and Railroad is an excellent idea since that’s where trains travel. They have tracks and everything!
They (we) are also installing one at 13th. St. to cut down on civilian slaughter. It’s all good.
Correction: The 13th. St. crossing is being closed making the Lyons crossing even more important.
Nooooooooooooolooooooo
Vicky Ridgway Satalino
Gersom Carrera
It’s about time. Now let’s work on the Via Princessa extension.
Roger Wagner
Anyone have a link to the full map showing the top part?
So this is so The Masters College can expand? So then let the Masters College pay for it.
Not clear how this is going to work and still maintain the Lyons/Railroad intersection. Not enough distance to the tracks to get the elevation to go over or drop to go under. Are they lowering the grade of the rail bed?
Let mess up another neighborhood, let the mess come down to our quite street
Can we just have a couple more freeways please.
Or widening of alternate roads. Additional lanes would help.
Debbie Hanna
Saw that ?
I’d still like to see the 13th street crossing remain there to help with traffic a little, and be an extra option. But I’m also still waiting for the true cross-valley connection of Via Princessa from Newhall to Canyon Country. We don’t have enough connections from the lower west side to the east of the valley. I’d love to see that street stay on the north side of Golden Valley High School, running right through Golden Valley Rd. And then another road connecting Robert C. Lee Parkway to Via Princessa.
I think someone is going to make a whole bunch of money. Just saying.
In reading the article, the heading says the extension is out but the article begins with plans are “shifting out of neutral”. Can anyone else see from the article why the extension is out?
I attended the meeting on the EIR last week in Placerita Canyon and got the distinct impression that a BRIDGE over the railroad tracks at Lyons Ave. was out, and it would need to be an at-grade crossing. I also got the impression that the EIR was leaning toward upgrading the crossing at 13th St. and NOT extending Lyons Avenue to Dockweiler. Do your reporters ever attend these EIR meetings?
Roxanne Chavez
Kimberly Jarquin
Gotta be the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard, dumb Santa Clarita how bout fix a road that will help with traffic not create more, more say like finishing the via princessa rd now that’s an idea right there Santa Clarita
Hi Pearl: Interview the residents of the Vistas condos on Dockweiler. This extension will eliminate their street parking. Also, the HOA hikes the monthly dues by 20% each year to pay for deck and stair structural damage they ignored for years. Email me for info.
The Dockweiler extension was approved long ago. This pertains only to the possible Lyons extension.
I’m all for the extension but it needs to be done right. There are TONS of cars parked on Dockweiler from the condos at the top of the hill where the street ends now. If they eliminate that street parking on Dockweiler, and I assume they would have to, all those cars are going to flood into the adjacent neighborhoods which is not cool. That issue need to be addressed for the benefit of everyone living off of Dockweiler.
As a resident of the Dockweiler area, I was at first hesitant about the proposed plan. However, after reading all the “Don’t bring those low class people into my high value neighborhood” responses from Placerita Canyon residents, I’d approve of this even if it went directly through my living room. Quite frankly, this should have gone straight through Placerita to the 14, WHERE THERE ARE FREEWAY ONRAMPS.