TITLE
Recommendation to find that excavations are immediately required for the general health, safety, and welfare of the City and cannot be delayed; that alternatives to excavating, such as alternative routing, or construction methods, such as boring or excavation of the parkway, are not possible; approve a discretionary permit to excavate certain areas on Harbor Avenue, 20th Street, 25th Street, and Easy Avenue, which have been reconstructed within the previous 60 months, in accordance with Section 14.08.060 of the Long Beach Municipal Code.
(Districts 1,7)
DISCUSSION
Arco Terminal Services Corporation (Arco) has filed for an excavation permit to perform a Close Interval Potential Survey (CIPS) for their pipelines in certain city streets that have been reconstructed within the previous 60 months (see attached vicinity map). A CIPS is a procedure that is used to monitor underground pipeline corrosion, which is done by drilling a 1/2-inch hole through the street pavement over the pipeline every 10 feet, and then inserting a probe to read and record the pipeline's electrical potential. Afterwards, the drill holes are patched.
Long Beach Municipal Code Section 14.08.060, Public Works permit-issuance, requires that a permit for an excavation in a City street that has undergone reconstruction within the previous 60 months and is not for an emergency repair or for a new utility service connection, be deemed discretionary and subject to the approval of the City Council. The route of Arco's proposed CIPS enters into four streets that have recently undergone reconstruction and are now under an excavation moratorium. The streets and the expiration of their 60 month moratoriums are: Harbor Avenue between Pacific Coast Highway and 20th Street, February 2015; 20th Street between Harbor Avenue and Easy Avenue, February 2015; 25th Street between Santa Fe Avenue and Adriatic Avenue, February 2015; 25th Street between Adriatic Avenue and Delta Avenue, November 2012; and Easy Avenue between 20th Street and 25th Street, March 2014 (vicinity map attached).
Section 14.08.060 further states that the City Council may authorize a discretionary permit if:
· The applicant can demonstrate that the permit for excavation is immediately required for the general health, safety, and welfare of the City and cannot be delayed until after the street's moratorium has expired.
· The applicant can demonstrate that alternatives to excavating, such as alternative routing; or construction methods, such as boring or excavation of the parkway, are not possible.
The proposed excavations of Harbor Avenue, 20th Street, Easy Avenue, and 25th Street are necessary for the general health, safety, and welfare of the City and cannot be delayed until after their moratoriums have expired because the integrity of the pipelines in these streets needs to be evaluated to determine if they meet the current standards administered by the California State Fire Marshal and to determine if they meet Federal DOT regulations.
Alternatives to excavating in the streets, such as slant drilling in the parkway toward the pipelines, have been considered and rejected because adjacent pipelines are blocking direct access. It has been found that to ensure accurate readings, the holes must be drilled directly over the pipeline in order to avoid reading other pipelines in the streets. Since the inspection holes are only 1/2 inch in diameter, the required work will not result in degradation of the new pavement surface and it will be restored to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.
The Department of Public Works has reviewed the application and found the proposed CIPS to be compatible with existing installations and not an obstacle to any street use or any known proposed developments. Traffic control requirements stipulated by the Traffic Engineering Division will be made a part of the special conditions for the excavation permit. City approved liability insurance for the discretionary permit is on file.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda Trang on June 10, 2010 and by Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on June 10, 2010.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this matter is requested on July 6, 2010 in order that Arco may complete the corrosion survey work expeditiously.
FISCAL IMPACT
If the discretionary permit is approved, a permit fee of approximately $1,300 will be deposited to the General Fund (GP) in the Department of Public Works (PW). There is no local job impact to the City.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
MICHAEL P. CONWAY
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER