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
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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
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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