Utility Waiver - 2005June 7, 2005
Glen and Annemarie Lynch
761 N. Central Avenue
Campbell, CA 95008
Re: File No. PLN200S-63
Underground Utilities Waiver
761 N. Central Avenue
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lynch:
Please be advised that the Community Development Director has reviewed yom request to permit
overhead services in lieu of the requirement to underground the utilities in conjunction with the
addition and remodel of yom residence and the upgrade of utility services on the above-referenced
property.
Ptrrsuant to Campbell Municipal Code section 21.18.140, this request has been granted for the
following reasons:
1. The new utility location is closer to the existing utility pole situated at the corner of yom
property than the current location;
2. The significant cost of installing utilities underground relative to the project cost; and
3. The likelihood that other overhead utility lines in the surrounding neighborhood will be
placed underground
cc: GeoffBradley, Senior Planner
Bill Bruckart, Building Official
H:\PLN2005-63, 761 N. Central Ave.doc
70 North First Street . Campbell, California 95008-1436 . TEL 408.866.2140 FAX 408.871.5140 . TDD 408.866.2790
,-.
-.
761 N Central Avenue
Campbell, CA 95008
Ph: 408-374-8443
Fx: 408-973-0366
Glen Lynch
Fax
To:
Sean Galtegos
From: Glen Lynch
-Fax: 408-871-5140
Pages: 2
Phone:
Date: 5/27/2005
Re:
R~t for Waiver of UG utilities
CC:
o Urgent 0 For Review 0 Please Comment 0 Please Reply 0 Please Recycle
Sean,
Following is the quote fr{)m my electncal contractor for an underground connection to a new panel.
As we discussed, PG&Ehas not yet returned my ca" for a quote for their portion of the job. I will
fOlWard this to you as soon as possible.
Glen lynch
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Re.CE"N~n and Annemarie Lynch
LGGS 761 N Central Avenue
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c~M?~~~L Campbell, CA 95008
C\t.WN\NGGCPL (408) 374-8443
Request for Waiver of Underground Utilities
Permit: BLD2005-00559
Project Description
Our 12,141 square foot lot lies at the comer of North Central Avenue and David Avenue.
At this time, it contains an 1,821 square foot home with a detached 2-car garage. The
home has 3 bedrooms and one-and-a-ha1fbathrooms.
Our project will expand our home in the following ways:
1) Addition of a 525 square foot master bedroom including a bathroom and walk-in
closet.
2) Enclosure of the breezeway between the house and the garage, adding 136 square
feet of space for a future laundry room.
3) Addition of a 675 square foot workshop adjacent to the existing garage.
It is the third element of our project, the workshop, which will require relocation of the
PG&E utility connection to our property. At this time, the connection is located at the
southwest comer of the garage. When the workshop is added to the west side of the
existing garage, the PG&E connection will be relocated to the southwest comer of the
new workshop.
Discussion
This Request for Waiver of Underground Utilities will focus on Paragraph D in Section
21.18.140 ofthe Campbell Municipal Code- Title 21, Zoning Code.
Part 1. Para2raoh D. Section 21.18.140
"The estimated cost of underground utilities as compared to overhead installation"
The existing PG&E connection to our home runs from the utility pole at the southwest
comer of the lot to the main electrical panel at the southwest comer of the existing
garage. The distance from the pole to the existing garage is 50 feet. (See Picture 1)
The new main electrical panel will be installed in the southwest comer of the new
workshop. This will place the PG&E connection in the same direction r~rei:IVED
MAY 1 9 2005
CITY OF CAMPBELL
BUILDING DIVISION
pole, but it will be only 25 feet from the pole. As a result, if the new connection is made
above ground, no changes of any kind will be required at the utility pole. The existing
wires can simply be cut to the new required length and connected to the new main panel
on the workshop.
However, ifthe service connection is required to be underground, extensive work will be
needed. The connection at the pole will have to be removed and replaced with lines
running down the pole. A junction box will be needed in the sidewalk requiring the
breaking-up and replacement of concrete. In addition, trenching will be required under
the sidewalk and through the yard 25 feet to the new workshop. All of this will cost
thousands of dollars in charges from both PG&E and the electrical contractor making the
connection to the new junction box in the sidewalk.
This expense is simply not justified in light of the arguments presented in parts three and
four of this document.
Part 2. Para2raoh D. Section 21.18.140
"The location of the nearest above ground utility service"
Not a factor in this request.
Part 3. Para2raob D. Section 21.18.140
"The likelihood that other overhead utility lines in the surrounding neighborhood
will be placed underground"
Our lot contains a 10-foot Public Utilities Easement along its west property line. This
easement contains all of the power, telephone and cable TV /broadband Internet
distribution to the homes on North Central Avenue and Monica Lane.
There are two utility poles in the immediate vicinity of our home. The first (referred to as
Pole No.1) is actually located on our lot at the southwest comer. This pole is the
junction for high-voltage distribution lines to the east and north from our lot. It also
carries numerous telephone and cable TV lines. (See Picture 2)
The second (Pole No.2) is located in our neighbor's yard immediately adjacent to the
northwest comer of our lot. This pole also contains numerous power, telephone and
cable TV distribution lines, as well as connections to surrounding homes. (See Picture 3)
At this time, the number of lines connected to each of these poles is as follows:
Pole No.1 distribution lines: 15
Pole No. 1 connections to homes: 3
Pole No.2 distribution lines: 20
Pole No.2 connections to homes: 16
Total number oflines: 54
There are 54 lines connecting to the two poles that are on, or immediately adjacent to, our
property. Extrapolated to the entire surrounding neighborhood, there are many
distribution lines, and literally hundreds of connections from the distribution lines to the
neighborhood homes. (See Picture 4)
Based on these facts, we can conclusively say that there is virtually zero likelihood that
all, many, or even most of the existing overhead lines in our neighborhood will ever be
placed underground.
Part 4. Para2raDh D. Section 21.18.140
"Other pertinent environmental features"
As stated in the previous section, the utility pole on the southwest comer of our lot is
actually part of the high-voltage distribution to the surrounding neighborhoods. Because
the high-voltage lines make a 90-degree turn at this pole, it is provided with guy wires
extending to the north and east onto our lot. The existing electrical connection from the
pole to the garage, as well as the connection to the new workshop, runs in between the
guy wires supporting the utility pole. As a result, even if the PG&E connection was
placed underground, there would still be two guy wires running from the pole to the
ground on our lot. Aesthetically, the purpose of putting the lines underground would be
defeated by the existing guy wires. (See Pictures 2 and 5)