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VIA forms streetcar commission


http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/loc...ommission.html

VIA Metropolitan Transit board Chairman Henry Muñoz will announce Wednesday the creation of a 20-member commission charged with evaluating the feasibility of a streetcar system in San Antonio and suggesting where it might go and which destinations it would connect.

The commission's prime task will be to recommend to VIA's board of trustees on whether to move forward with a streetcar project. It will also study how the project would impact the community, Muñoz said.

The group will examine potential funding sources look at potential funding sources and quality-of-life issues. Its work will also help finalize a streetcar feasibility study due out later this year that was jointed funded by VIA and the Downtown Alliance, a group of center-city property owners.

Appointing the commission is the right next step, Muñoz said, in determining the feasibility of rail in San Antonio because it will couple the technical expertise of engineering consultants with the viewpoints of stakeholders.

“I think it is an incredibly diverse group that represents the kinds of perspectives that a community like ours needs to look at on a project of this importance,” he said.

Muñoz tapped Westover Hills developer Marty Wender to chair the Commission on Intra-City Rail & Streetcar. Mike Novak, a former Bexar County commissioner, will be the vice chairman.

Wender said he hadn't thought about streetcars in San Antonio until a couple weeks ago and couldn't guarantee that the commission's recommendation would be in favor of a new system. Still, Wender said he was brought on because he's known for his ability to make things happen.

“If this commission believes that this will work, and we can show that it will work, then I and this group can make it work,” he said, adding that he owns no downtown property that could benefit from a streetcar line. “If there's an opportunity to make a (downtown) system that could be beneficial, I want to be a part of it and I want to make it happen.”

Wender, who plans to travel to cities across the country that have already developed successful streetcar systems, said he wants to learn more about what obstacles those lines faced in their development. The developer underscored the necessity of a strong first project, which would help garner overall support from the public.

Muñoz minimized any political connotations to the commission's membership. Rather, he said it represents a diverse cross-section of the community, and will seek the perspectives of others not on the commission.

The Downtown Alliance, which has been a strong streetcar supporter, will be represented by three members — including Darryl Byrd of Silver Ventures, the developer behind the Pearl Brewery. Also, Alamo Heights City Manager Rebecca Waldman, who will retire from her post at the end of the month, and Leon Valley Mayor Chris Riley will both sit on the commission, as will Richard Gambitta, a public affairs professor and commissioner on the San Antonio Housing Authority's board.

Former Councilwoman Debra Guerrero, who used to work for Muñoz, is now a developer and will offer a South Side perspective to the commission, Muñoz said. Guerrero, vice-president of development for the NRP Group, was chosen because of her background as a planner and developer, he added.“Putting this commission in place gives our board the opportunity to begin looking at how we maintain and grow our existing system and how we might pay for any future enhancements to that system,” he said.