Poles may be removed on Perkins Street by end of 2015

Ukiah Daily Journal

The city of Ukiah is moving forward with plans to underground the utility poles on the Perkins Street Corridor, an idea first approved by the Ukiah City Council 25 years ago.

At its last meeting March 5, Electric Utility Director Mel Grandi asked the council to approve an updated timeline for a project that will move the electric, cable and telephone lines on Perkins Street between State Street and Pomeroy Avenue into underground pipes and eventually remove the poles.

Grandi said that in 1989, the council began the project by creating the Underground District No. 2, but it was only partially completed.

“Currently, the Electric Utility has facilities both overhead and underground, and that creates problems,” he said, adding that both AT&T and the local cable companies have a duct, or pipe system installed, but that once the timeline on the project expired, “as near as I can tell, all utilities stopped activity.”

Grandi said he was recommending a revised set of boundaries and timeline for the project, which will “ensure lower costs and consistent undergrounding of overhead facilities … and help ensure a coordinated effort between the city and all utilities to remove the overhead wires.”

He said the new boundaries “will go from the right of way on State Street to Pomeroy Avenue (the street Denny”s restaurant is on), and include the first 40 feet of right of way. What we”re doing is reducing the cost to all utilities and the impact to property owners.”

His timeline has the project being designed and easements acquired this summer, underground facilities being constructed late this year, the power, cable and phone lines being installed in the summer, and the last utility removing the poles late next year.

“(The Electric Utility) will be the first ones off, then we will cut off a section of the pole,” Grandi said. “Then cable TV, then AT&T will remove its lines, remove the poles and repair the sidewalk.”

The council unanimously approved the new boundaries and timeline for the project.

Grandi said he planned to come back in the future with plans for undergrounding of utilities on Gobbi Street, as well as on State Street between Talmage Road and Clay Street.