TITLE
Recommendation to approve a discretionary permit for the Long Beach Gas and Oil Department to replace gas mains and service lines in various City streets, which have been reconstructed within the previous 60 months and are not to be disturbed in accordance with Section 14.08.060, Public Works Permit-Issuance, of the Long Beach Municipal Code. (Districts 1,5,7,9)
DISCUSSION
The Long Beach Gas & Oil Department (LBGO) has filed for an excavation permit to replace existing gas mains and service lines in various City streets under their Capital Improvement Project 2006. Some of these locations are within excavation moratorium areas and are shown on the attached vicinity maps.
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. It 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 including boring or excavation of the parkway, are not possible.
In response to the criteria above, LBGO states that because of their age, these gas mains and service lines are experiencing some leakage. Thus, their replacement 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 Department of Public Works has reviewed the application and found the proposed installations to be compatible with existing installations and not an obstacle to any st...
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