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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 1a - Approving the Grant of Easement to Southern California Edison DATE: December 5, 2017 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director Philip A. Wray, Deputy Director of Development Services/City Engineer SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7189 APPROVING THE GRANT OF AN EASEMENT TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES ON CITY-OWNED PROPERTY AT 33 WEST HUNTINGTON DRIVE FOR THE MORLAN PLACE UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICT Recommendation: Adopt SUMMARY On December 15, 2015, the City Council formed the Morlan Place Underground Utility District. During the design phase, Southern California Edison Company (“SCE”) determined that a portion of the City-owned Self Storage Building property, located at 33 West Huntington Drive, was necessary to be used for electrical equipment and conduit. These needs were incorporated into the design, and the easements were deferred until the exact locations could be identified during construction. The work is now complete, and SCE has prepared an easement document with the legal description of the affected area for the City’s approval. It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7189 approving the grant of an easement to Southern California Edison Company for public utilities on City- owned property at 33 West Huntington Drive for the Morlan Place Underground Utility District. BACKGROUND In 2015, representatives of the Rusnak Mercedes-Benz Dealership approached the City with their interest in pursuing the undergrounding of the overhead utility lines on Morlan Place from Santa Anita Avenue to Huntington Drive. The overhead lines are on the north side of Morlan Place, and are directly in front of the newly-constructed Mercedes-Benz Dealership building. The undergrounding of these lines had been the focus of several City efforts over the years, including the planned vacation of Morlan Place at Resolution 7189 Grant of an Easement Morlan Place December 5, 2017 Page 2 of 3 one point, and earlier plans to redevelop this area. These projects never went forward. More recently, Rusnak considered funding the relocation of the overhead lines to the south side of the street, and SCE gave them an estimate of $250,000 for this work. Instead of paying for the relocation, Rusnak approached the City with a request for the City to pursue the undergrounding, and Rusnak would contribute their share, up to the cost of the relocation. Upon review, SCE indicated that the proposed Morlan Place project met the eligibility requirements of the Public Utilities Commission’s Rule 20B program for Underground Utility Districts. While the Rule 20B program requires funding from sources other than the utility companies, it also requires the effected utility companies to issue credits for certain elements. On December 15, 2015, the City Council adopted Resolution 7103 establishing the Morlan Place Underground Utility District. During the design phase, SCE identified the need for an area to install above-ground equipment. Several alternatives were considered, including unused portions of the Rusnak Property and the City-owned Self Storage Building property, located at 33 West Huntington Drive. Ultimately, SCE determined that the only viable alternative was the northerly portion of the City’s property. The area identified by SCE is occupied by a dirt planter, and a portion of a parking space at the northerly portion of the property. SCE prepared a preliminary plan for the equipment locations as part of the construction plans. SCE and the City agreed that the processing of an easement document should be deferred until the exact area was determined during construction. Also as part of the project, an underground conduit is required to replace the overhead lines on the City’s property from Morlan Place to the existing pole along the east property line, approximately 100-feet south of Morlan Place. Again, SCE and the City agreed to defer the easement document until the conduits were installed. DISCUSSION On July 18, 2017, the City Council entered into a contract with Hot Line Construction for the installation of all conduit, vaults, and pull-boxes for the Underground District. During construction, Hot Line Construction worked with SCE to install the foundations and conduit for the proposed equipment on City property as efficiently as possible to minimize the impact. The foundations and the conduit are now in place, and the easement has been prepared to reflect the exact locations. An easement document with the legal description of the impacted area was prepared by SCE, and reviewed by the City, and is attached as an exhibit to the Resolution. The result of the encroachment on the City’s property is the loss of the dirt planter and a portion of one parking space. The City, as the property owner, retains the right to use Resolution 7189 Grant of an Easement Morlan Place December 5, 2017 Page 3 of 3 any surface areas of the easement unused by SCE, but no structures can be built in the easement. Currently, only the concrete foundations for the SCE equipment occupy the surface of easement area. SCE will install the equipment at the time they install their new underground service lines. Now that the City’s work is complete, the SCE work should begin within a month. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS There is no environmental impact of this action because it is part of the Morlan Place Underground Utility District project, which was determined to be categorically exempt per Section 15301, Class 1(b) of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) as part of the award of the contract on July 18, 2017. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact of this action on the City. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7189 approving the grant of easement to Southern California Edison Company for public utilities on City-owned property at 33 West Huntington Drive, for the Morlan Place Underground Utility District. Attachment: Resolution No. 7189