Familiar downtown sights could go underground with SCE project
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula City Council
Published: February 09, 2005
Familiar sights in the downtown area could be going underground after the City Council asked that staff pursue a program for burying unsightly utility poles.
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula Times
Familiar sights in the downtown area could be going underground after the City Council asked that staff pursue a program for burying unsightly utility poles. The council discussed the issue at the January 12 meeting.
Public Works Director/City Engineer Cliff Finley told the council that the city is allocated approximately $106,000 a year from Southern California Edison, funds generated by utility customers. Although the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has set policies and procedures for conversion of overhead electrical equipment to underground facilities, local government agencies choose the projects.
To qualify for full funding, the government agency must ensure that such a project either has an unusually heavy concentration of overhead facilities and/or that the location is heavily traveled and/or qualifies as an arterial or major collector road in a General Plan. Overhead equipment that is located within – or passes through – a civic, recreational or scenic area also qualifies for the program.
The city’s current balance with SCE is $961,000, and the city can borrow up to five years worth of allocations or $530,000 per current CPUC rules. Cliff told the council that the city has about $1,491,000 in funding that could be utilized for an undergrounding project.
The city has “not done a local project for about nine years,” he added, and it’s a “pretty major job when you underground, you do all the utilities, remove all the poles and probably go as far as changing light standards.”
Staff received preliminary estimates from SCE for three areas where an undergrounding project could be tackled: Harvard Boulevard from Sheppard Road to Laurie Lane (estimated cost $414,036), on Main Street from Peck Road to 7th Street ($916,756), and in the Downtown area from Yale Street to Santa Barbara Street to 8th Street to 10th Street (estimated cost $1,345,000). SCE requires an official request from the city and a council resolution to proceed with any project, Finley noted.
Once council prioritizes project areas, staff will work with SCE to refine the limits of costs as well as projects. “It comes down to how much you can spread out the money,” said Finley.
Vice Mayor Cook said he would like to wait on actual costs before making a decision: “I was under the impression that it [undergrounding] cost $1 million for less than a 1,000 feet of street…it’s ungodly, the money here is chump change.”
Councilman Gabino Aguirre asked what other improvements could be made concurrent to an undergrounding project.
SCE will “only put the utilities underground,” said Finley, and although any sidewalk or street improvements would be a separate cost, project areas could be studied and then other resources applied to the area.
Telephone fiber optic capability would be a nice addition, said Councilman John Procter.
Mayor Mary Ann Krause said that undergrounding would benefit the downtown area, especially the railroad corridor, as “people do walk right along there….”
Procter suggested that shared costs could be available from the Ventura County Transportation Commission if the railroad corridor was targeted.
“Anything to make the downtown more appealing and safer” would be of benefit, said Krause. “It’s not just curb appeal when we’re asking them [shoppers] to park” behind businesses.
“Whatever a million can do, I want to see it,” said Cook.
The council decided that further study should focus on Main Street and the downtown area. City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz noted that staff would also work with SCE to see if other partners can be found for the projects before returning the item to the council.
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