HomeMy WebLinkAboutD_Zayo_SE03XC382_MFP18005416_190201
February 1, 2019
Joe Morton, Zayo Group
c/o Fiber Solutions
604 W Meeker Street, Suite 103
Via Email: wwapermits@zayo.com
SUBJECT: Request for Undergrounding Exemption (SE03XC382, MFP18005416, 3410 NE 12th Street)
Dear Mr. Morton:
The City of Renton has reviewed your request to grant Zayo Group an exemption from Renton Municipal Code (RMC) 4-6-090(C) which states that all new electrical or communication facilities
shall be required to be installed underground, pursuant to the standards of the section of RMC.
Zayo proposes to have Fiber Solutions to install a new 144-count overlash fiber connection on existing Puget Sound Energy (PSE) power poles along NE 12th Street beginning approximately
150 feet east of Monroe Ave NE on the north side of NE 12th Street. The new fiber connection will extend east approximately 800 lineal feet to the southeast corner of 1204 Pierce Place
NE.
The City of Renton currently has a proposal to improve the City’s Water Reservoir (a Capital Improvement Project) located at Parcel 0423059186. These improvements will require frontage
improvements and may require undergrounding of the existing aboveground utilities including those with the Project Reach proposed by Zayo.
ANALYSIS: Ordinance 5497 grants Zayo Bandwidth Northwest, Inc., the right to construct, operate, maintain, repair, alter, remove and repair one or more fiber optics communications
facilities together with all equipment, support structures, conduit, cables and appurtenances of Zayo’s systems, under, along, over, below and through certain public right of ways and
other public lands within the City of Renton.
The City has considered the request for an exemption from RMC 4-6-090(D)(1)(g). Under RMC 4-6-090(D)(1)(g), the replacement line must be a distance of three(3) or fewer Spans (four
(4) poles or five hundred feet (500’)). Since the replacement is greater than three poles and five hundred feet, this exemption does not apply to this project and will require undergrounding.
However, since the Zayo’s Project Reach overlaps the City’s Reservoir Project that will likely require the relocation of any undergrounding fiber line placed by Zayo at this time,
staff recommends Zayo be allowed to temporarily overlash their fiber line until a conduit is available for the Zayo within the City’s Reservoir Project frontage. Therefore, staff recommends
that the City grant an exemption with conditions, per RMC 4-6-090(D)(1)(i)(i) which allows the Administrator to give a temporary overhead exemption because of difficulties associated
with a particular real property involved (i.e. City’s Water Reservoir on Parcel 0423059186).
The proposal would utilize existing poles and attach to the existing aerial path. A minimum vertical height clearance of 15’-6” would need to be provided for; therefore, staff recommends
this as a condition of approval.
DECISION: The requested exemption from underground utility installation requirements RMC4-6-090 (C) as requested by the applicant for the Project Reach is approved with conditions subject
to the conditions below as the request complies with exemption criteria of RMC 4-6-090(D)(1)(i)(i).
Conditions of Approval
Any existing height violations within the Project Reach must be resolved at the time of construction. New aerial lines within the Project Reach must have a minimum vertical clearance
of 15’-6”.
Any abandoned or unused lines within the Project Reach must be removed at the time that construction is taking place.
A traffic control plan must be separately submitted to the City, and no construction may take place until the City has approved a traffic control plan.
The new aerial fiber lines within the Project Reach must be converted to underground facilities in the future, at Zayo’s cost, when any one of the following events occurs: (1) any other
utilities are undergrounded within the Project Reach, (2) a joint use trench is proposed by a franchisee within the Project Reach, in which case Zayo shall participate in the joint
use trench installation for the purpose of undergrounding its aerial lines, (3) a conduit is made available within any part of the Project Reach that will accommodate the aerial lines,
or (4) the City’s Capital Improvement Project within Zayo’s Project Reach requires undergrounding of Zayo’s facility, in which case Zayo shall bear the cost to underground all of their
facilities within Zayo’s Project Reach.
The new aerial lines must be undergrounded within one year, or approved otherwise by the City’s Community and Economic Development Administrator or their designee, from the first event
triggering the requirement to underground the aerial lines.
This decision to approve the exemption with conditions is subject to a fourteen (14) day appeal period from the date of this letter per RMC 4-8-110. Any appeals of the administrative
decision must be filed with the City Clerk, along with the required appeal fee, by 5:00 pm, February 15, 2019.
Sincerely,
Brianne Bannwarth, PE
Development Engineering Manager
cc: C.E. “Chip” Vincent, CED Administrator
Gregg Zimmerman, PW Administrator
Jennifer Henning, Planning Director
Justin Johnson, Civil Engineer III
Scott Warlick, Engineering Specialist II
Holly Powers, Permit Technician
Pat Miller, Construction Inspection Supervisor
Ann Fowler, Civil Engineer III
Abdoul Gafour, Water Utility Engineering Manager
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