SR-512-001-01
EPWM:CP:AA:RS s:SP1821\cc1821.doc Santa Monica, California
Council Meeting: February 8, 2000
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Recommendation to Conceptually Approve a Proposed Ten-Year Plan to
Move Selected Electric Facilities Underground
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council conceptually approve a ten-year plan to
move selected electric facilities underground as described below. This plan is based on
the availability of Southern California Edisons annual allocation of funds and the eligibility
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requirements under the California Public Utilities Commission (Cal. PUC) Rule 20.
Background
In accordance with the 1972 State Public Utility Commission Rules 20-A and 20-B
(amended in 1989), Southern California Edison sets aside a portion of its annual
undergrounding budget to move Santa Monica electric utility lines underground. Santa
Monicas portion is determined by a formula based on the number of overhead meters and
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total meters in the City. The City has participated in the Cal. PUC program since 1976.
Over the past 23 years, the City has undergrounded electric utilities on the following
streets (see Exhibit A):
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Broadway from 26 Street to 20 Street
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Arizona from 20 Street to 6 Court
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Pacific Coast Highway from northern City limits to the Pier
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Colorado Avenue from Harvard to Lincoln Boulevard
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5 and 6 Courts between Wilshire and Colorado
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2 Street between Wilshire and Colorado
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Olympic Boulevard from 11 Street to 5 Street
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along the Santa Monica Freeway on and off ramps to Lincoln Blvd.
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14 Street from Ashland to Marine Streets
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Marine Street from Robson to Frederick Streets
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Main Street utilities from Pico Boulevard to Hollister are scheduled to be undergrounded
between March and December 2000.
Once utilities are undergrounded, the City is committed by Ordinance to prevent any
further above-ground utilities to exist in the area.
Discussion
In developing the ten-year undergrounding plan, all overhead utilities in the City were
evaluated against PUC?s ?general public interest? funding criteria?. Rule 20 states that
undergrounding serves the public interest when:
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Such undergrounding will eliminate an unusually heavy concentration of overhead
electric lines;
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The street carries a heavy volume of pedestrian or vehicular traffic; and
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The street passes by a civic, public recreation or scenic area.
Staff created a utility undergrounding point system based on these criteria, explained in
more detail below.
Undergrounding Point System
?General interest? criteria are broken into sub-categories based on typical scenarios within
the City. For example, in order to eliminate a ?heavy concentration of overhead electric
lines", staff would also need to evaluate high-voltage lines and building height (sub-
categories in the point system). Each of these sub-categories is assigned a point
designation, with higher points given to scenarios that are significantly detrimental to the
?general public interest?. A more detailed explanation of the point system is below.
1. Main Category:Heavy concentration of overhead lines
Transmission lines 15 points
Six or more wires on distribution 10 points
Distribution lines 5 points
Cal PUCs and Edisons primary criterion for evaluating eligibility of streets for
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undergrounding is a heavy concentration of overhead lines. Transmission poles carry the
greater number of electric lines, while distribution poles typically carry fewer.
1.a. Sub-Category: Double set of poles on street 13 points
Some streets have both transmission poles and distribution poles. The poles may be on
opposite sides of the street, or the lines may be attached to the same poles. For the total
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13 points, there must be two sets of poles and lines visible to residents and travelers.
1.b. Sub-Category: High voltage lines 10 points
Exposure to high voltage lines may pose a greater threat to a persons health and welfare
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than exposure to lower voltage lines. Transmission lines carry up to 66kV circuits;
distribution lines vary from 1-16kV circuits, significantly less than transmission lines. The
presence of transmission lines would result in 10 points awarded.
1.c. Sub-Category: Exceeds building heights in the area 5 points
Poles and wires that tower over the buildings and the trees next to them are visible to the
public from great distances, giving the impression that they are ?everywhere". Locations
with transmission poles 30 feet and greater in height would be awarded 5 points.
1.d. Sub-Category: Interferes with views 5 points
Some poles and lines are located in such a place that they become the primary focus of
attention. In particular, transmission poles located in a bank of residential units or along
the foothills become the prominent landscape feature to multi-story building and hillside
residents. These locations would be awarded 5 points.
2. Main Category:Heavy pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic
20,000 ADT or more 15 points
19,000 to 10,000 10 points
Less than 10,000 5 points
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Using the Master Environmental Assessment map of Average Daily Traffic to determine
traffic counts on the larger City streets on a daily basis, the greater the traffic, pedestrian
or vehicular, the greater the weight given in the undergrounding selection process. The
greater the number of people who see the lines, the more important that they be
undergrounded.
2.a. Sub-Category: Street Use Designation
Arterial Streets 15 points
Collector Streets 10 points
Local/Feeder Streets 5 points
Staff used the Santa Monica Land Use and Circulation Element (1998) to determine
designated street usage. Streets classified in the Element as ?arterial have been
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designated as primary thoroughfares through the City and therefore carry more traffic and
are visible to a greater number of people per day than local streets. ?Collector streets are
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intended to carry traffic between residential neighborhoods and commercial arterial
streets. ?Feeder streets are similar to collector streets except that they carry traffic
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between residential streets exclusively. ?Local streets primarily service residential
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neighborhoods.
3. Main Category: Near schools, community centers, playgrounds 17 points
Extra points were given to sites where people tend to congregate and can see the
overhead lines. Streets near schools, shopping centers, community centers, parks, etc.
garner extra points toward the total score.
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4. Difficult to maintain 5 points
Some poles are embedded in our community forest, particularly in the parkways. The
trees are so thick in some places that equipment maintenance is difficult. In addition,
Edison workers may cut away substantial portions of tree limbs to access the equipment,
jeopardizing tree vitality.
Selection Process
Areas recommended for undergrounding were chosen using the point system described
above. Of the 5,648 total poles in Santa Monica (Exhibits B and C), streets with
transmission lines have higher scores than those with distribution lines because of the
greater number of subcategories associated with transmission lines (see page 3). This
reduces the number of eligible poles to 193, all of which are transmission poles (Exhibit C)
on 11 streets. Given Southern California Edison's average annual allocation of $761,000,
undergrounding all transmission poles would take 36 years. At an average cost of $890
per lineal foot to underground, staff selected an estimated 9,000 lineal feet to complete
within the next 10 years (this is a rounded estimate given uncertainties about both the
continued allocation amount and actual construction costs). This translates into 5 street
sections. The proposed 10-year undergrounding schedule is outlined below (see Exhibit D
for map of proposed area).
The highest score obtainable is 100 points by any street. The high-scoring streets, and
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those recommended for inclusion in the 10-year plan, have a point total of 63 or greater
(see Exhibit E). The proposed plan would underground 48 of the 193 transmission poles.
The category "Years" in the schedule refers to the placement in the 10-year plan. For
example, years 1-2 for 20th Court means that this stretch of street will consume almost two
years of allocations. Construction is likely to begin in the first year and continue through
the second year, from 2000-2001. "Lineal Feet" refers to the approximate length of the
area to be undergrounded.
The proposed 10-year undergrounding schedule is as follows (see Exhibit D):
Undergrounding Schedule
Score Location Lineal Ft. Years*
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85 18 Court from Pico Boulevard to Pearl Street 1300 1-2
This road serves as a service and pedestrian thoroughfare for Santa Monica College.
Many classrooms and the registration office are only a few yards away from two sets of
power lines, transmission and distribution. By Cal. PUC Rule 20, both sets of lines should
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be undergrounded. Directly behind the row of houses on 18 Court is 20 Street, a
collector street in the City. Twentieth Street deposits the college commuters from the 10
Freeway, which has a westbound on-ramp and an eastbound off-ramp to and from the
Freeway.
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Score Location Lineal Ft. Years
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82 Olympic Blvd. from Stewart St. to 22 St. 3,200 2-6
This street carries the highest volume of traffic of all transmission line streets (26,000
ADT). This volume will increase when the Arboretum and Water Garden business parks
are fully occupied (almost 2 million square feet of office space). The Citys Land Use and
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Circulation Elements (1998) designates Olympic Boulevard as an arterial through Santa
Monica, capable of carrying 34,000 to 61,000 vehicles per day. In addition, this location
borders Bergamot Station, the Citys largest concentration of art galleries. Pedestrian
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traffic is, at times, heavy.
Score Location Lineal Ft. Years
80 Marine St. from Frederick Street to Lincoln Blvd. 1200 6-7
This location will complete the undergrounding of the transmission lines emanating from
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the transmission substation located at 16 and Marine. Marine Street carries pedestrian
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and vehicular traffic to and from Marine Park and the Day Care Center at 16 and Marine.
There have also been complaints about obstructed views from numerous residents on and
above Marine Street. The street is heavily wooded and utility poles line both sides of the
street.
Score Location Lineal Ft. Years
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72 20 St. from Pearl St. to Ocean Park Blvd. 1500 8-9
This street picks up the commuter traffic for Santa Monica College from the north and the
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south. 20 Street traverses the City from San Vicente Boulevard to Ocean Park Boulevard
and connects to the Santa Monica freeway north of Pico Boulevard.
Score Location Lineal Ft. Years
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63 18 St. from Ocean Park Blvd. to Ashland Place 1800 9-10
North and to 16th St.
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20 Street traffic merges into 18 Street when the street ceases to exist south of Ocean
Park Boulevard. This street and alley are flanked by two rows of power lines, transmission
and distribution. By Cal. PUC and Edison rules, both sets of power lines should be
undergrounded. The distribution lines run through the dense trees while the transmission
lines tower above the street, clearly visible to all the hillside residents.
Budget/Financial Impact
There is no budget or financial impact to the City by approving this 10-year plan to move
electric facilities underground. All costs are borne by Southern California Edison
Company. If and when revenues increase from Edison, the City may select additional
locations to underground utilities.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that City Council conceptually approve the 10-year plan to move electric
facilities underground in the City as described in this report. Staff will return to City
Council with specific resolutions to form assessment districts and set public hearings.
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Attachments: Exhibit A - Previously Completed Undergrounding
Exhibit B - Distribution Poles
Exhibit C - Transmission Poles
Exhibit D ? 10-Year Plan for Undergrounding
Exhibit E ? Point Spread Table
Prepared by: Craig Perkins, Director, Environmental and Public Works Mgmt.
Anthony Antich, P.E., City Engineer
Bill Buol, Civil Engineer
Ruta Skirius, Senior Administrative Analyst
Exhibit E
POINT SPREAD TABLE
Streets CriteriaTotal
All transmission line streetsPoints
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20 Court 15 13 10 5 5 10 10 17 - 85
Olympic Blvd. 15 -10 5 5 15 15 17 - 82
Marine Street 15 13 10 5 5 5 5 17 5 80
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20 Street 15 - 10 5 - 10 10 17 5 72
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18 Street 15 13 10 5 5 5 5 - 5 63
Nebraska (Stewart to Centin.) 15 13 10 5 - 5 5 - - 53
22nd (Olympic to Delaware) 15 13 10 5 - 5 5 - - 53
Delaware (22nd to 20th) 15 13 10 5 - 5 5 - - 53
19th Court (Michigan to Pico) 15 13 10 5 - 5 5 - - 53
Pearl St. (18th Ct. toCentinela) 15 13 10 5 5 5 5 - - 58
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Michigan (19th Ct. to 11th St.) 15 13 10 5 - 5 5 - - 53
14th St. (Colorado to Pearl) 15 - 10 5 - 5 10 0 0 45
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