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 LEDER HILLSBORO LOCATED AT 4171 AND 4181 WEST HILLSBORO BOULEVARD.
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BACKGROUND:
In 2005, the City Commission adopted Ordinance 2005-032, codified as Section 13-142 of the Code of Ordinances, 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 five (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.
In accordance with the requirements of the Ordinance, the applicant must complete one of the following requirements: (1) provide a signed agreement between the applicant and each affected utility company demonstrating that the utility will be placed underground; (2) process an agreement with the City, indicating the property owners’ intent to comply with the undergrounding requirements for utilities; (3) process an Underground Utility Waiver Application, which must be processed for consideration by the Planning and Zoning Board and the City Commission; or (4) if electrical lines with a rate load of 23k volts or higher exist, provide a written detailed statement from a licensed professional engineer, qualified to verify such utility issues, and stating the rate load shall be provided.
DISCUSSION:
The property owner for the Leder Hillsboro development is requesting an Underground Utility Waiver. On October 11, 2017, the property owner received site plan approval by the Planning and Zoning Board for the construction of a self-storage facility and pet lodge with animal boarding. As approved, the self-storage facility is to be located on the north side of the property with the pet lodge to the south.
The subject property contains approximately 260 linear feet of frontage along Hillsboro Boulevard, which includes overhead utilities subject to the City’s undergrounding regulations. Based on an analysis by Florida Power and Light (FPL), conversion of the existing overhead utilities for such a short span would create an excessive amount of potential points of failure and severely impact the service reliability to the surrounding community. FPL further analyzed that it would be more practical to have these facilities converted to underground as part of a larger project for the Hillsboro Boulevard corridor. While not currently programmed in the City’s Capital Improvement Program, it is envisioned that the City would undertake such a project in the future.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of the underground utility waiver application with a payment of $67,600 in lieu of placing adjacent utilities underground at its January 10, 2018, meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT:
REVENUES: $ 67,600
EXPENDITURES: $ 0
BUDGETED? N/A
NOTES: Any revenue received from this waiver will be credited to the Utility Underground Fund, Account 35-V36620.