Title
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation, recommending the Board consider the formation of a new Underground Utility District in the area of Shingle Springs as part of the U.S. 50/Ponderosa Road/South Shingle Road Interchange Improvements Project, CIP 71333, and direct Transportation staff to begin the preliminary work and public outreach necessary for its establishment. (Est. Time: 30 Min.)
FUNDING: Highway 50 Traffic Impact Mitigation Fees (99.88%) and Road Fund (<1%). (Local Funds)
Body
DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation (Transportation), recommending the Board consider the formation of a new Underground Utility District (UUD) in the area of Shingle Springs as part of the U.S. 50/Ponderosa Road/South Shingle Road Interchange Improvements Project (Project), CIP 71333, and direct Transportation staff to begin the preliminary work and public outreach necessary for its establishment.
Overhead utility poles and guy wires can be considered roadside hazards; a UUD can help eliminate these risks. Due to the considerable community input and the benefit to this rural community area, Transportation staff recommend the Board consider the formation of a new UUD along South Shingle Road, Ponderosa Road, North Shingle Road, Wild Chaparral Drive, and Sunset Lane to further improve the aesthetics and safety of the Shingle Springs community by eliminating the existing heavy concentration of utility poles and overhead lines along primary transportation routes.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On January 9, 2018 (Item 43), the Board directed Transportation staff to work towards creation of an extension of the existing UUD in the Diamond Springs and El Dorado communities. The Board also directed staff to look into the formation of a UUD in the Shingle Springs community as part of the Project. Transportation staff has attended site visit meetings with Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) to propose feasible and logical boundaries of this new Shingle Springs UUD. The proposed new UUD would extend slightly beyond the limits of the proposed Project as described in its current draft environmental documents, as shown in Attachment A. The proposed boundaries of the UUD are laid out to encompass the community’s main business area and include additional roads, such as Sunset Lane, which could be included in a potential future Capital Improvement Program (CIP) improvement or maintenance project.
The proposed new UUD would require planning and coordination with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), PG&E, AT&T California (AT&T), and Comcast. Caltrans Utility Encroachment Policy has specific restrictions on locations of utilities within their right of way to protect the public and highway workers.
Currently there are no active Transportation construction projects within the limits of this proposed new UUD. Future Transportation, development and utility improvement projects that trigger the relocation or replacement of utility poles would be conditioned to follow the UUD requirements of undergrounding utilities. Future projects would be required to coordinate with utility companies to provide any additional utility easements for conduits and equipment. Utility companies would be responsible for constructing new underground facilities and removing the existing overhead facilities. Utilities annually allocate funds under Rule 20 to community areas, cities and counties, to cover the cost of converting their utility overhead facilities to underground facilities.
The preliminary steps for initial coordination and planning for the formation of a UUD include public outreach to affected property owners and coordination with the utility companies. After these steps, a public hearing to approve the UUD boundaries by the Board of Supervisors would be necessary.
ALTERNATIVES
1) The Board could decide against the Project’s UUD and this type of future utility relocation would be optional.
2) The UUD could be formed under a separate independent project.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Transportation staff has communicated with Caltrans and the various utilities regarding potential formation of this UUD. Caltrans and the various utilities were receptive to the initial communication about this potential UUD.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The Project is included in Transportation’s 2017 CIP, which was adopted by the Board on June 27, 2017 (Item 25), and is funded by local transportation funds. There is no net County cost associated with this item.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation