Utility Undergrounding

History
Timeline
Map of 3 phases
Phase 1 Addresses
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Current News: Phase 1

At long last, construction for Phase 1 of our utility undergrounding got under way in October 2011. By year end, the electrical panels and the trench from the panel to the street were completed on the first 56 homes. This work will continue until the private property work is completed on all 260 properties in Phase 1. The route for this aspect of the project began at the bottom of the hill and will finish on the Burton, Wilton, Skyline loop.
The contract for the main line trenching is expected to be finalized by the end of the first quarter 2012. Once the contractor is selected, we’ll know more about the routing and the timeframe. During the summer of 2012, main line trenching crews will take advantage of the school break to complete the trenching from the Highway 13 ramps past the schools. As soon as the trenching is completed, the long-awaited paving of the “washboard” section of Mountain will be completed.

Brief History

In 1987, Piedmont Pines filed a petition with the City to have all utility lines within its boundaries undergrounded under the California Public Utilities Commission’s Rule 20A, which basically sets out a pot of money from the tax on utility bills to cover undergrounding of the phone, power and cable lines.

In 1999, Piedmont Pines rose to the top of the City’s waiting list. Just as we finished tabulating votes among residents to establish an assessment district to fund the homeowner’s portion of the project, everything came to a screeching halt, with a host of complex legal and regulatory issues affecting all Rule 20! undergrounding projects in the state.

From 2000 to 2003, The association spent time in front of the CPUC and the state legislature in hearings about what criteria should be considered in forming undergrounding districts. We were joined by the City in our argument that public safety and emergency access should be heavily weighted. We were denied, and a new provision restricting 20A undergrounding to arterial streets meant that over half our streets have been eliminated from the undergrounding project. The legal and regulatory proceedings forced us to step out of line and allow the undergrounding of MacArthur Blvd to proceed.

In 2004, we reluctantly accepted a compromise offered by PG&E, the lead utility in this project, that we break the project into three phases because of its complexity (hillsides, narrow streets) and the size of the project. This is the largest Rule 20A project in the state. The risk we wanted to avoid was having another Oakland area get preference between each of our phases. In the meantime, we’ve been assured this will not happen.

In 2008, Phase 1 residents voted to go forward with the project and establish an assessment district. While utilities pay 85% of the cost from fees on utility bills across the state, property owners in Oakland are charged the remaining 15% to cover the City’s administration expenses and installation of new street lights that are compatible with an undergrounding system. Property owners have the option of paying the assessment in a lump sum or paying with their property taxes over 30 years starting with the 2010-11 tax year.

From 2008 to 2011, the project went through the design phase, with lots of largely unexplained delays along the way. Placement of transformers was one issue, but did not explain the full delay.

In 2011, PPNA deployed a finely tuned strategy to force all parties to resolve all remaining roadblocks and get construction under way. We mediated meetings, and at long last, got all issues resolved.

In October 2011, PPNA hosted a long awaited groundbreaking celebration as the first houses in Phase 1 had their electrical panels and lateral trenching work completed.

What’s next

In the first part of 2012, main line trenching will begin along the Phase 1 Ascot corridor.
Discussions are under way to develop a timeline, boundaries and General Conditions for Phase 2, which is the Chelton to Skyline corridor.
When construction on Phase 2 begins, the process will start for Phase 3, the Castle to Skyline corridor.

Map of 3 Phases

2007 Undergrounding Map

Phase 1 Addresses

Ascot Ct	2, 5, 14, 17, 20, 25, 26, 32
Ascot Dr	5450, 5500, 5540, 5552, 5560, 5575, 5601, 5607, 5620, 5650, 5840, 5849, 5857, 5870, 5876, 5882, 5883, 5891, 5892, 5900, 5901, 5910, 5920, 5928, 5936, 5944, 5956, 5960, 5968, 5972, 5978, 5982, 6001, 6012, 6023, 6024, 6030, 6031, 6035, 6038, 6041, 6045, 6100, 6107, 6112, 6117, 6118, 6125, 6126, 6133, 6141, 6153, 6160, 6165, 6173, 6201, 6214, 6215, 6216, 6221, 6226, 6227, 6235, 6242, 6245, 6246, 6262, 6307, 6315, 6316, 6321, 6327, 6335, 6336, 6341, 6344, 6347, 6352, 6353, 6360, 6361, 6367, 6370, 6373, 6377, 6378, 6400, 6401, 6415, 6420, 6426, 6427, 6432, 6438, 6452, 6461, 6464, 6465, 6470, 6471, 6479, 6480, 6484, 6488, 6490, 6491, 6492, 6494, 6498, 6501, 6505, 6514, 6515, 6522, 6526, 6529, 6532, 6550, 6557, 6567, 6571, 6575, 6576, 6579, 6585, 6586, 6600, 6605, 6608, 6611, 6621, 6624, 6632, 6644
Ascot Lane	2, 18, 22, 31
Ascot Pl	2, 5, 11, 12, 20
Burton	2820, 2824, 2829, 2830, 2837, 2838, 2842, 2843, 2845, 2846, 2850, 2853, 2859, 2863, 2873
Camelford Ct	6
Camelford Pl	96
Camino Lenada	2600, 2601, 2606, 2614, 2615
Chelsea Dr	2885, 2893 and 2899
El Caminito	2550
El Patio	10, and 63
Holyrood Dr	2901 and 2911
La Cuesta Av	2600, 2601 and 2607
Larry Ln	10
Longcroft Dr	6301, 6309, 6501, 6511, 6521
Melville Dr	6501, 6505, 6507
Morley Dr	2815
Mountain Blvd	2554, 2560 and 2564
Mountaingate Way	2601,2614
Skyline Blvd	9014, 9018, 9100, 9110, 9120, 9130, 9140, 9148, 9154, 9155, 9163, 9169, 9175, 9198, 9200, 9212
Wilton Dr	6716, 6747, 6765, 6773, 6777, 6800, 6801, 6806, 6807, 6812, 6817, 6824, 6825, 6832, 6835, 6840, 6843, 6846, 6851, 6858, 6861, 6866, 6867, 6907, 6925, 6933

Undergrounding FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions About 20A Undergrounding
(All Cost Estimates are in 2010 Dollars)
Updated on Janurary 16, 2012

General Questions	*Answer*
What are the advantages of 20A undergrounding?	Aesthetics. Safety - reduce fire and seismic hazard. Safety - from falling object. Increase property values. Reduce outage frequency during storms.
What are the disadvantages of 20A undergrounding?	The property title holders incur expenses for undergrounding facilities on their properties as well as underground street lighting system through a special assessment district. Outages may be longer, because utilities are underground and cannot readily be seen.
What is 20A undergrounding of the utility lines and who pays for it?	20A Undergrounding replaces all overhead lines with an underground system. It is paid with funds collected for undergrounding by PG&E from ratepayers in the utility’s service area. Similarly, AT&T pays its cost out of funds it collected from ratepayers for undergrounding. The cable TV company (currently Comcast) pays its own costs as required by its Franchise Agreement with the City. Property title holders within the district pay the cost of the new or replacement streetlights via a special assessment district. Property title holders are responsible for all costs associated with service lateral trenches beyond 100 feet which Council authorized to be paid with PG&E Rule 20A funds.
How will the property title holders in the each phase be impacted?	The property title holders participate in the project by doing the following: Piedmont Pines voted yes to authorize the City Council to establish our Underground District. The resolution was passed in May, 2008. Residents within each phase will be balloted to vote to authorize creation of the Special Assessment District. Phase 1 residents authorized its district in 2009, with property tax bills reflecting the assessment starting in the 2010-2011 tax year. Coordinate cut-over with contractor and utilities—sign right to enter property form for conversion work. Phase 1 residents pay the permit and inspection fee for private property work—$162. It is not yet settled how this will be handled for future phases. Endure inconvenience of construction - noise, heavy equipment, dirt, dust, and traffic congestion. It is the contractor’s responsibility to mitigate these issues to the fullest extent possible.
What is the difference between an underground district and an assessment district?	An underground district establishes the legal boundary of the streets and properties where the aerial utility lines will be undergrounded. Establishment of an assessment district for undergrounding requires the City Council to pass a resolution that obligates every property title holder within the underground district to pay the City’s cost to install a compatible street light system and to cover administrative costs.
How do I pay?	There are two options : You can pay a lump sum during the open window provided You can finance the assessemtn over 30 years. If you choose to finance your assessment cost will increase to cover the costs of the bond. In fall 2010, payments were added to property tax bills in Phase 1. You can pay off the assessment at any time by contacting the Treasury Division of the Finance and Management Agency: 510-238-3830. However, you will have to pay financing costs.
What if I don't want to be part of the 20A undergrounding, but my neighbor does?	Because the Utility Underground District for Piedmont Pines has already been authorized by City Council (May 2000, following a Yes vote by the community), what follows is a phase-by-phase vote to establish a special assessment district to fund the project. Phase 1 passed the assessment district in 2009. Phases 2 and 3 will have the opportunity to vote on their assessment districts as their projects get closer. The vote is weighted by the assessment value. The vote is technically called a “Majority Protest.” If there is a majority protest – namely, the NO votes are greater than the YES votes, when weighted by the dollar value of the assessment - Council is not able to create an underground district. On the other hand, if there is not a majority protest, Council has the power to create the district, if it so chooses. A public hearing is required before Council establishes or creates a district. Citizens in the proposed district can attend the hearing and voice their opinions on the creation of the district. If the Council creates the special assessment district, all properties in the underground district are legally required to participate.
If my utility services are already underground, do I need to do anything?	Yes, you should still vote. If your street is in the underground district and has streetlights, you will be included in the assessment district.
If my utility services are already undergrounded, there are no streetlights on my block, and I don't want any, what do I need to do?	You need to submit a petition to the City, signed by the majority of property title holders on your street, requesting exclusion from the Underground District.
Will my street be completely resurfaced after undergrounding?	No, unless your street is scheduled for resurfacing in the City's work plan.
Will sidewalks be replaced after undergrounding?	If excavation is parallel with gutter, and the width of the sidewalk is 6 feet or less, the entire length of excavation within the sidewalk area (traveled way) would be replaced. If sidewalk is greater than 6 feet wide, then only the portion of sidewalk from score line to score line would be replaced.
How long does construction take?	Construction takes about one year for each mile of undergrounding. Because our project is trickier and larger than most, we won’t know this answer until the contracts have been signed, 1Q2012.
How long will the contractor be in front of my property?	Typically one day for major trenching. Otherwise, work is intermittent and access is provided for walkways and driveways.
Will trees be damaged by construction?	Contractors must comply with the City's Protected Tree Ordinance, and work with arborists to insure that trees and their roots are not damaged as a result of this project.
Do I need a permit for my electrical panel conversion work, and how much does it cost?	PG&E and the City worked together on Phase 1 to simplify the permitting process. PG&E’s contractor will pick up a check from each homeowner and pull the required permits. The permit fee is $162. Discussions about how this will be handled for Phases 2 and 3 are under way.
What is the 100-foot Rule, and how is it applied?	Typically the property title holders are required to install the service laterals (the underground conduits for electric, telephone, and cable TV, including trench excavation and backfill) on their properties at their expense. PG&E Rule 20A.3 permits the City to authorize that PG&E pay for the installation up to 100 feet of each customer’s underground electric service lateral. For service laterals exceeding 100 feet, the excess will be at property title holder’s expense. This is not expected to be an issue for any Phase 1 properties.
Who will construct the service lateral on my property?	PG&E’s contractor.
Where is the joint (main) trench placed?	The joint trench is installed in the public right of way, which includes the paved road surface and some property on either side of the road. Typically the trench is installed on one side of the road to minimize traffic disruption and minimize cost.
Where and when will construction start?	Phase 1 construction began in October 2011 with electrical panel conversion and private property trenching from the panel to the street, starting at the bottom of the hill and working up. Main line trenching will begin late first quarter 2012, most likely at the top of the hill. Main line trenching at the bottom near the schools will be completed during the summer school break in 2012. More details about routing, scheduling and duration will be available after the main line trenching contract is awarded 1Q2012.
What is installed in the service lateral trench on my property?	Three raceways (pipes), one for each utility: PG&E, AT&T, and Comcast.
What happens if two existing utility services are already underground, but one utility is overhead (typically cable TV)?	The project will install the service lateral to underground the remaining utility that still has an overhead line (cable TV in this example). All utility services (electric, telephone, and TV) must be underground.
Can my neighbor and I share the same joint trench for our service laterals?	Yes, but Public Works Agency recommends separate trenches. If a shared trench is necessary, adjacent property title holders should exchange easements to accommodate joint trench facility. These easements should be recorded. Such easements may be extinguished by foreclosures, but should assist in minimizing future disputes.
How will I know if my property is part of the project?	Addresses for Phase 1 are listed above. An overview map of all phases is also above. A more finite boundary map for Phase 2 is being developed 1Q2012. The boundary map for Phase 3 will be created after construction of Phase 2 begins.
When will construction of Phase 2 begin?	Discussions about design, scheduling, cost estimates and balloting for Phase 2 are under way.