Resolution 01629RESOLUTION NO. 1629
REQUESTING GOVERNMENT OF3ICIALS TO CONNECT ITS
TRACK WITH THE ALAMEDA BELT LINE RAILROAD TRACKS
AT THE WESTERN TERMINUS OF INDUSTRIAL HIGHWAY AS
ORIGINALLY PLANNED
WHEREAS, the people of the City of Alameda have donated to the Unite&
States Government eleven hundred (1100) acres of lane, more or less, to be
used for the Purpose of the establishment of an army air base; and
WHEREAS, the Alameda Belt Lin e was built by the people of the City of
Alameda to serve industries during the World War period; and
WHEREAS, the Oity of Alameda has sold to the Atohison, Topeka & Santa
Fe Railway Company and the Western Pacific Railroad Company the said Alameda Belt
Line, with the provision that it may be recaptured whenever the Oity so desires;
and
WHEREAS, the Alameda Belt Line has made extensive preparations and
purohased the neceseary right-of-way, and expended thousands of dollars in
preparing the right-of-way for access to the Army air base site; and
WHEREAS, to the early part of this year the Government layout Plan "A"
Was presented, showing the proposed tracks to be installed by the Government
on the eastern boundary of rte reservation to a connection with the Alameda Belt
Line's extension; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda and the Alameda Belt Line, feeling assured
that the plan of traokage as Shown would be carried out, seoured the neeeesary
legislation to instil the extension above mentioned; end
wHr.17 , the Gouneil of the Oity of Alameda has recently examined e
revised plan, whih ahows a conftection to the propsed warehouses and other
buildinee of tho air base with the tracks of the Southern Pacific Qompany only,
entirely eliminating the originally proposed oonnection with the Alameda Belt
Line; and
WHEREAS, the location of the buildings on the later plan are so plotted
as to forever preclude a track connection with the Alameda Belt Line to serve the
depot; and
WHEREAS, officials of the War Department have advised the Oity of Alamda
that a connection as originally proposed would not be made, claiming that the
location of the Government owned tracks that would oonneet with the Almada Belt
Line would create a hazard to flying operations, and have suggested thst the
Alameda Belt Line build its track over privately owned property to a point in
the vicinity of the northwest oornar of the air baee; and
WHEREAS, the Oity of Alameda, after a careful etudy, cannot see where
a hazard would exist, for the reason that the originally proposed layout of the
Government owned tracks is located close to the eastern boundary of the reserva-
tion and only a few feet from the suggested track layout as set forth by Honorable
F. Trubee Davison, Assistant Seoretary of War; and
WHEREAS, it is reasonable to assume that the reservation will be fenced,
and that e traok properly constructed :on the eastern boundary line of the reserva-
tion would in no wise create a hazard any more so than the proposed track adjacent
to the eastern boundary line of the reservation on privately awned property; and
WHEREAS, the Alameda Belt Line has, for many years, operated at a loss
and has looked forward to the time when activities would start at the base, and the
Alameda Belt Line given the opportunity to serve the same; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, by the Counoil of the City of Alameda, that mild Connoil
does most strenuously take exception to the position of the Government War Officiels
in so changing the plans as to create additional expenditure in securing, if at
all possible, rights-of=way over privately owned property.
RESOLVED further that inasmuch as the City ofAlameda has donated to the
United States Government this large acreage, it feels it is only right end proper
that the officials of the War Department should recognize the spirit in which the
transfer of this land was made and set aside the small strip of land, not exceeding
seventeen (17) feet in width, for the purpose of installing Government
owned tracks on its own property on the extreme eastern boundary of
the reservation.
RESOLVED further that Flan "A" be adopted, insofar as a con-
nection with the Alameda Belt Line is concerned.
SO]VD further that a copy of this resolution be forwarded
to Honorable Patriok J. Hurley, Secretary of War, Honorable F. Trubee
Davison,, Assistant Secretary of War, Brigadier General L. H. Bash, Hon-
orable Albert B. Carter, Honorable Florence S. Kahn, Honorable Hirem W.
Johnson, Honorable Samuel M. Shortridge, Honorable Riohard J. Welch
and Honorable Arthur M. Free.
* * *
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution
was duly and regularly introduced and adopted by the Council of the
City of Alameda in regular meeting assembled on the 15th day of September,
1931, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Councilmen Brodereen, Leydecker, Murray, Scheer and
Freeident Henning, C5).
NOES: None.
ABSENT: None.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed
the official seal of said city this 16th day of September, 1931.
(Seal of the Oity of Alameda)
W. E. V4RCOE,
Oity Clerk of the City ol'Alamida
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a fUll, true and correct
copy of "RESOLUTION NO. 1629 -; REQUESTING GOVERNMENT OFeICIALS TO CONNECT
ITS TRACK WITH TEE ALAMEDA BELT LINE RAILROAD TRACES AT THE WESTERN
TERMINUS OF INDUSTRIAL HIGHWAY AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED", pawed by the
Council of the Pity of"Alamede in reguler meeting assembled on the 15th
day of September, 1931.