AGENDA ITEM REPORT
TITLE:
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A RESOLUTION GRANTING A WAIVER FROM THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UNDERGROUND PLACEMENT OF UTILITIES FOR THE PROJECT KNOWN AS AMERICAN TOP TEAM LOCATED AT 5750 STATE ROAD 7.
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BACKGROUND:
In 2005, the City Commission adopted Ordinance 2005-032 requiring the underground placement of all utilities for any new commercial, industrial, or retail development seeking site plan approval or for new residential development of 5 acres or more seeking site plan approval. All utilities, including existing overhead utilities, located within or in public right-of-way adjacent to the site must be installed underground, unless an underground utility waiver is granted by the City Commission.
DISCUSSION:
On July 9, 2014, the Planning and Zoning Board approved the site plan application for the proposed American Top Team (ATT) mixed martial arts fitness facility, within the Grove Parc PCD. At that time, the applicant intended on burying the utility lines in accordance with Ordinance 2005-032. As the detailed design plans progressed, the applicant realized the technical difficulties associated with undergrounding the utility lines. The ATT site has approximately 323 feet of existing overhead lines running along the western boundary, within the State Road 7 right-of-way. The subject property immediately abuts an existing FPL substation. Existing FPL facilities from the substation and along State Road 7 include high voltage transmission lines which are currently mounted on tall poles along the right-of-way. Pursuant to Ordinance 2005-032, electrical lines with a rate load of 23k or higher shall be exempt from the undergrounding requirement. Although lower voltage FPL lines, AT&T and cable TV also exist overhead, removal of these utilities would necessitate the installation of large ground mounted cabinets which would impact ATT’s approved landscape buffer, while still leaving high voltage lines and utility poles intact. Further, due to the proximity of the existing FPL sub-station, underground conversion will require greater challenges, increased coordination, additional equipment, and therefore greater expenses.
Due to these conditions, the applicant is seeking relief from this requirement in the form of a waiver as provided for in Ordinance 2005-032. This agenda item was originally placed on the February 11, 2015 Planning and Zoning Board agenda. The applicant requested that the item be tabled until such time as they could verify cost estimates related to the overhead utilities. As originally presented to staff in the initial application, the cost estimate was $174,655. With their resubmittal of supporting documentation and analysis, the applicant has demonstrated that this amount reflects an unusually high per linear foot cost ($541.00) that far exceeds other projects in the area. The applicant asserts that a more reasonable approach to determine a payment in lieu of burying the overhead lines would be to take an average of the per linear foot costs for similar projects in the City. Utilizing this methodology, the applicant has calculated a $361.00 per linear foot cost, resulting in a revised estimate of $116,603. Staff reviewed and verified the applicants analysis, as described above, and supports the revised cost estimate.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning and Zoning Board, at its August 12, 2015 meeting, recommended approval of the underground utility waiver application with a payment to the City’s Underground Utility Fund in the amount of $116,603.
FISCAL IMPACT:
REVENUES: $ 116,603
EXPENDITURES: $ 0
BUDGETED?
NOTES Any revenue received from this will be credited to the Utility Underground Fund, Account 35-V36620.