HomeMy WebLinkAbout18 - Undergrounding of Overhead Utilities CitywideJune 28, 1999
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
ITEM NO. 18
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Public Works Department
SUBJECT: UNDERGROUNDING OF OVERHEAD UTILITIES CITY WIDE
RECOMMENDATION:
Continue to process underground assessment districts on an as requested basis.
DISCUSSION:
At the March 8, 1999, City Council meeting, staff was directed to investigate the cost of
undergrounding all remaining overhead utilities in Newport Beach.
It is estimated that there is approximately 264,000 lineal feet of existing overhead lines
in the City that still need to be undergrounded (see attached Exhibit). The cost to
• underground these overhead facilities will cost approximately $112 million dollars.
Presently overhead utilities are undergrounded with the use of assessment districts
using the 1913 Act when requested by the property owners. The estimated
assessment per property is $9,000.00 to $12,000.00 for the typical 30 foot wide lot or
approximately $300.00 to $400.00 per foot of property frontage. The City presently has
23 assessment districts in various stages of completion with several additional requests
each year.
In order for the City to underground the remaining overhead utilities, the City would
have to advance approximately $10 million dollars to pay for the Edison and Pacific Bell
undergrounding design and for the assessment engineers to prepare the required
Engineers Reports. At the present time the City has advanced over $800,000.00 for
the processing of existing districts. The money the City advances will be recovered, if
districts are formed, or will be lost if the districts fail.
If the City directed Edison and Pacific Bell to start their design work, it would still take
quite a few years to complete a City -wide undergrounding program because Edison and
Pacific Bell are not staffed to handle the work load. At present time Edison and Pacific
Bell are having a difficult time keeping up with the City's current active projects.
SUBJECT: Undergrounding of Overhead Utilities City Wide
June 28, 1999
Page 2
It is recommended that the undergrounding program continue as it is presently
structured. Interest in the program has increased with time and as owners see the
improvement in areas that have already undergrounded their overhead facilities.
Res ectfully sub i d,
Don Webb
Public Works Director
By: //
Richard L.qoffstadt, P.E.
Development Engineer
Attachments: Exhibit
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