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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 10c - Grant Easment to Southern California Edison Company DATE: September 17, 2024 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director Kevin Merrill, City Engineer SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7592 APPROVING THE GRANT OF AN EASEMENT TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES ON THE CITY-OWNED PARKING LOT BETWEEN SANTA ANITA AVENUE AND FIRST AVENUE CEQA: Exempt Recommendation: Adopt SUMMARY Recently, the Alexan Azalea apartment building project started construction in Downtown Arcadia. During the design phase, it was determined that the large City-owned public parking lot, located on the south side of Wheeler Avenue between Santa Anita Avenue and First Avenue, was providing electrical power to the landscape irrigation controller from overhead power poles located in the north-south alley west of the Post Office. These power poles are no longer needed to serve the new development, and therefore, Southern California Edison Company (“SCE”) approved relocation of the service line to the east-west alley, south of the public parking lot. This relocation of power to feed the power pedestal of the public parking lot requires an easement granted to SCE. The conduit 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. 7592, granting an easement to Southern California Edison Company for public utilities on the City-owned parking lot between Santa Anita Avenue and First Avenue. BACKGROUND In 2023, representatives of the Alexan Azalea project met with City staff and explained the need to underground overhead utility lines serving the properties of 33 Wheeler Avenue and 30 E. Santa Clara Street. The existing overhead lines were connected to three power poles located on the east side of a public alley that runs north and south between Wheeler Avenue and Santa Clara Street, adjacent to the Post Office property. It Resolution 7592 Grant of an SCE Easement City Parking Lot September 17, 2024 Page 2 of 3 was further communicated to the City that there was a single service line from the southmost power pole that went underground towards the City-owned public parking lot, located south of the alley and Wheeler Avenue. The undergrounding of these power poles is a requirement of the Alexan Azalea Developer, as they are conditioned to upgrade the alley with new decorative pavement and bike and pedestrian enhancements. The Alexan Azalea project is now under construction and the need to underground all of the remaining power poles and overhead lines in the north-south alley is forthcoming. On August 15, 2023, the City Council approved the Downtown Alley Improvements project with Gentry Brothers Inc. to reconstruct two east-west alleys in Downtown Arcadia. During construction, it was determined that for the Alexan Azalea developer to have SCE remove the existing power poles in the north-south alley, a new underground connection to the power pedestal within the public parking lot needed to be installed. The City discussed with SCE and determined that a viable alternative was to place new conduit from an existing vault located in the east-west alley between Santa Anita Avenue and First Avenue, just north of Huntington Drive. The conduit will be added to a pull-box located in a drive aisle of the City’s parking lot that connects to the power pedestal and ultimately, the landscape irrigation controller, both of which are within Wheeler Avenue right-of-way. SCE and the City agree that the processing of an easement document is required after the conduit is installed, but before the new service line can be placed, connected and energized. DISCUSSION The Downtown Alley Improvements Project includes the installation of all concrete, conduit, vaults, and pull-boxes for the installation of new decorative pedestrian lighting in the east-west alley and City public parking lot. During construction, MSL Electric (Gentry Brothers sub-contractor) worked with the City and SCE to install a new conduit for the purpose of rerouting power. The power has been rerouted from the poles in the north- south alley, to an existing vault located in the east-west alley between Santa Anita Avenue and First Avenue, just north of Huntington Drive. The conduit is now in place, and the easement has been prepared to reflect the exact location. The easement document includes the legal description of the impacted area. The document was prepared by SCE, reviewed by the City and is attached as an exhibit to Resolution 7592. The result of the encroachment on the City’s property is the restriction of a six-foot wide asphalt pavement drive aisle on the entire length of the property. The City, as the property owner, retains the right to use any surface areas of the easement unused by SCE, but no structures can be built in the easement. Currently, only the conduit for the future SCE service lines occupy the underground portion of the easement area. SCE will energize the existing power pedestal by way of Resolution 7592 Grant of an SCE Easement City Parking Lot September 17, 2024 Page 3 of 3 this new alignment 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 few months. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS There is no environmental impact of this action because it is part of the Downtown Alley Improvement 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 August 15, 2023. FISCAL IMPACT There is no significant fiscal impact to the City as a result of this action. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council determine this action is Categorically Exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and adopt Resolution No. 7592 approving the grant of an easement to Southern California Edison Company for public utilities on the City-owned parking lot between Santa Anita Avenue and First Avenue. Attachment: Resolution No. 7592