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; and approve a discretionary permit to excavate Webster Avenue west of 25th Street, that has been repaved within the previous 60 months, in accordance with Section 14.08.060 of the Long Beach Municipal Code. (District 7)
DISCUSSION
Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company, LLC (Tesoro), has filed for a discretionary permit to install new 10”, 12”, and 14” pipes on Webster Avenue, west of 25th Street. The new piping will connect Tesoro’s Lines 64/E-33 and Lines 69/E-31 to two new vaults. The work proved to be necessary due to test results from a Close Interval Potential Survey performed in 2015.
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 slurry sealing within the previous 24 months or 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 location of Tesoro’s work is on Webster Avenue west of 25th Street and south of Willow Street, which was repaved August 15, 2013, and is under an excavation moratorium until August 15, 2018 (Exhibit A).
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; and,
• 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.
Tesoro states that the proposed excavation and installation of new pipes and equipment is necessary for the general health, safety, and welfare of the City and cannot be delayed until after the moratorium has expired because the pipelines must be replaced in aacordance to current standards administered by the California State Fire Marshal, and to be in compliance with the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.
Alternatives to excavating street, such as excavating in the parkway, have been considered and rejected because the pipelines requiring replacement are in the street. However, to minimize the scope of work, the new vaults will be installed in the sidewalk. After the completion of the permitted work, as a permit requirement, Tesoro will slurry seal the full width of Webster Avenue from curb to curb, beyond the north and south limits of the excavations and restripe to restore Webster Avenue back to its original condition. Tesoro has agreed to repair any street degradation caused by, or related to, the excavation during the remaining period of the street moratorium to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.
The Public Works Department has reviewed the application and found the proposed excavation to be compatible with existing installations and not an obstacle to any street use or any known proposed developments. Traffic control requirements, stipulated by Traffic Engineering Division, will be made a part of the special conditions for the discretionary excavation permit. City-approved liability insurance for the discretionary permit is on file.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda T. Vu on June 7, 2017 and by Budget Analysis Officer Julissa José-Murray on June 12, 2017.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on July 11, 2017, to allow commencement of this work.
FISCAL IMPACT
If the discretionary permit is approved, a permit fee of approximately $3,492 will be deposited in the General Fund (GF) in the Public Works Department (PW). There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
CRAIG A. BECK
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER