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Council Meeting: f4ay 10, 1983 Santa Monica, Cali fornia
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MAY 1 0 1983
T0: Mayor and City Council i ~
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FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Establishment of an Un_dergrounding Utility
District in the Area Bounded by the Cen terlines
of Fourth Street, Wilshire Boulevard, Seventh
Street and Colorado Avenue
Introduction
This report is requesting the City Council to adopt a resolution
setting a public hearing for June 14, 1983, for the establishment
of an undergrounding utility district in the area bounded by
Fourth Street, Wilshire Boulevard, Seventh Street and Colorado
Avenue.
Background
The City of Santa Monica, the Southern California Edison Co., and
the General Telephone Company have been involved in undergrounding
the aerial facilities in the City for the past 15 years. Past
policy has been set both by the California PUC (which sets forth a
requirement that 2% of gross revenues collected within each City
or County area shall be set aside for work on arterial streets and
other areas of general public benefit - PUC Order 8209 Rule 20),
and by the City Council.
Areas which have been completed are the major portions of the
Central Business District and Arizona Avenue from 6th Court to
20th Street. Areas in the process of being completed are Pacific
Coast Highway from the northerly City limits to Seaside Terrace
(scheduled for completion 3J84) and Colorado Avenue from Lincoln
Boulevard to Yale Street (scheduled for completion in 1986).
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MAY 1 0 1983
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Council Meeting: May 10, 1983 Santa Monica, California
These funds are not available for use in residential areas unless
they are located on an arterial street.
Past policy has been for the staff to work with the staff of SCE
and GTE and determine in which eligible areas the facilities can
be placed underground in accordance with the following criteria:
1. Compatibility with other City improvements which require
pavement removal including waterlines and street
resurfacing.
2. Compatibility with utility company upgrading and
remodeling. If undergrounding is done with planned
upgrading, it can be done much more economically. Many
times upgrading of utilities is related to new private
development.
3. The amount of undergrounding which can be accomplished
compared to the cost. If the City chooses to do an area
for which the work is very expensive, it may several
years before another project can be done.
The considerable number of utility poles in the proposed section
of the City presents an unsightly appearance and a potential
hazard to traffic. Because of this condition it is desirable to
remove the poles and arterial services.
All costs of installing new underground facilities within the
street rights-of-way, and all costs of removing overhead
facilities within said rights-of-way will be borne by the Southern
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Council Meeting: May 10, 1983 Santa Monica, California
California Edison Company, General Telephone Company and Group 4J
Cable.
Property owners will be responsible for the costs involved in
undergrounding the services from the property line to their
building. This work has already been done on most of the
properties. For those which remain, owners are required to have
private contractors do the work. The cost varies with the size of
the building and the age of the building, but normally is between
$500 and $2,000.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached
Resolution setting a public hearing for June 14, 1983, to
establish an undergrounding utility district in the area bounded
by Fourth Street, Wilshire Boulevard, Seventh Street and Colorado
Avenue.
Prepared by: Stan Scholl, Director of General Services
h1arsha Eubanks, Administrative Analyst
Attachment; Resolution
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