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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-03-23 City Council (16)City City of Palo Alto Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM :CITY MANAGER AGENDA DATE: MARCH 23, 1998 SUBJECT:APPROVAL OF STAFF’S ASSESSMENT PADMOUNTED EQUIPMENT POLICY DEPARTMENT: UTILITIES CMR:171:~ OF THE REPORT IN BRIEF On April 22, 1996, the City Council adopted a resolution revising Rule and Regulation No. 1-3, (B), (3) & (4) to incorporate a padmounted equipment policy. As part of its approval to the policy, Council requested that Staff sponsor a design competition for padmounted equipment and prepare an assessment of the Southgate Underground District prior to including padmount equipment in the design of future underground districts. This report presents the results of the Utilities-sponsored transformer design workshop and the results of an assessment prepared by the Capital Improvement Program design Consultant of the Southgate Underground District. CMR: 171:98 Page 1 of 5 RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that City Council: []Approve staff’s padmounted equipment assessment for Underground District No. 35 (Southgate District ) and approve the use of padmounted equipment in the design of future residential underground districts. ¯Approve an assessment of existing padmount transformers throughout the City. BACKGROUND On April 22, 1996, the City Council adopted a resolution revising Rule and Regulation No.l-3, (B), (3) & (4) to incorporate a padmounted equipment policy. As part of its approval Council requested that staffretum at a later date with (Exhibit E) on an assessment of the Southgate Underground District which utilized padmounted equipment, and requested that staff sponsor a design competition for padmounted equipment. DISCUSSION This report provides the following: Recommended landscaping improvements in the S0uthgate Underground District for padmount equipment. Recommended landscaping improvements for existing padmount transformer throughout the City. []Update on the Padmount Design Workshop. ¯Design of future residential underground districts. Landsca~rovement Recommendations for the Southgate Under_ground District On April 30, 1997, staff utilized the services of the City’s CIP design consultant to assess the landscaping around the ten padmounted equipment locations included in the design of the Southgate Underground District. In her analysis of the ten locations, she made recommendations regarding the need for additional landscaping around some of the transformers installed, the replacement of some of the plants that had died due to lack of watering, and painting existing metallic protective posts (bollards) to match the color of the padmount equipment. The recommendatirns made by the City’s CIP Design Consultant are attached as Exhibit A. Color photographs of some of the locations where additional landscaping is recommended are also attached as Exhibit B. CMR: 171:98 Page 2 of 5 At staff’s request a second assessment was conducted by Marge Abel, the landscape architect who had designed the original landscaping around the padmounted equipment in the Southgate District. In her assessment, Marge Abel provided justification for the type of plants that she had recommended for screening the padmount equipment. Her assessment is attached as Exhibit C. Staff has reviewed both assessments and will implement the landscaping improvements around transformers in the public view. Landscaping for existing padmount equipment throughout the Ci_ty In addition to reviewing the landscaping requirements for the ten locations in the Southgate Underground District, staff performed an inspection of all padmounted equipment connected to the City’s electric distribution system. Out of the 545 existing padmounted equipment locations inspected, staff prepared a list of 13 additional locations to be assessed by the CIP Design Consultant for additional landscaping. Out of the 13 additional padmount equipment locations, the CIP Design Consultant recommended that four locations be screened using additional landscaping (Reference Exhibit A). Staff will implement the landscaping improvements for the four padmount equipment locations. The cost for landscaping at each of the nine locations (5 in Southgate and 4 other locations) is approximately $2,000, for a total cost of $18,000. ¯ Update on the Padmount Design Workshop As part of its approval of the Padmount Equipment Policy, the Planning Commission recommended that the Utilities Department sponsor a design competition for padmounted equipment. The Padmount Transformer Design Workshop was held on March 17, 1997 at the Palo Alto Cultural Center. The workshop was attended by 41 people. Attendees included staff from the Utilities and Planning Departments, local industrial designers and artists, transformer manufacturers and their representatives, members of the Public Arts Commission, Planning Commission, and Architectural Review Board. The workshop generated a number of innovative ideas concerning the design of padmounted transformers. Staff from the Utilities and the Planning Departments, along with the City’s CIP Design Consultant, reviewed the submitted proposals and chose 14 concept designs for further investigation. The concept designs chosen are attached as Exhibit D. These designs were-chosen because they added to the aesthetic quality of the transformer without compromising safety. In addition, some of the ideas submitted can be implemented by the City independent of the transformer manufacturers. CMR: 171:98 Page 3 of 5 Staff will be working closely with the City’s CIP Design Consultant in selecting locations for new padmounted equipment in the design of future underground districts, using similar design considerations as used in the Southgate Underground District. In addition, staff will work with the padmounted equipment manufacturers and other utilities to incorporate selected design concepts into actual transformers that can be used in the City of Palo Alto. On January 29~ 1998, staff made a presentation on the subject of redesigning padmounted equipment at the Western Underground Meeting in Burbank, California. The meeting was well attended and several utilities showed interest in supporting the efforts towards improving the aesthetics of padmount equipment. RESOURCE IMPACT Utilizing padmounted equipment will reduce equipment installation cost, since excavation and the use of large vaults will .be minimized. The lower cost will be offset slightly by the higher cost of the equipment itself. The current funding for underground facilities is sufficient to cover the change to utilizing padmounted equipment. Maintenance and repair/replacement costs will be significantly decreased due to the extended life of equipment. The cost estimate of $18,000 for the additional landscaping at the nine identified locations is being funded from the Fiscal Year 1997/98 Capital Improvement Project 9803, System Reconstruction and Improvements. POLICY IMPLICATIONS These recommendations are consistent with the Council-adopted Padmounted Equipment Policy. TIMELINE Staff will incorporate the use of padmounted equipment in the design of the next underground district, Underground District #37, Embarcadero Road and Middlefield Road, which is scheduled to be released for competitive bidding in the Spring 1998. In addition, staff will continue to work with the padmounted equipment manufacturers to develop selected design concepts into transformers installations in the City of Palo Alto. Staff will also continue to work with the CIP Design Consultant to improve the landscaping around transformers in the public view during the current fiscal year. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CMR: 171:98 Page 4 of 5 ATTACHMENTS EXHIBIT "A" EXHIBIT "B" EXHIBIT "C" EXHIBIT "D" EXHIBIT "E" Assessment of the landscaping in the Southgate Underground District and other areas in the City where padmounted equipment exist Photographs of some padmounted equipment locations in the Southgate Area and other areas in the City Assessment by the Landscape Architect Concerning the Choice of landscaping around padmounted equipment ,in the Southgate area Results of the transformer workshop - Conceptual designs of possible future transformers used in the City of Palo Alto Visual mitigation guidelines for padmounted equipment PREPARED BY: Taha Fattah, Sager Farraj, Tomm Marshall DEPARTMENT HEAD APPROVAL: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: Director of Utilities EM~VL-’~ HkRRI~0N Assistant City Manager CMR: 171:98 Page 5 of 5 Exhibit "A" Assessment of the landscaping in the Southgate Underground District and in areas where other padmount equipment exist on the electrical distribution system Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abey Landscape Archilects & Planners 225 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley. CA 94941 415 ?83-79O0 Fax: 415 383-1433 E-Mail’ 75570..3126@Compusetw¢.¢om RHAA1 @AOL.com RHAA@ix.Netcom,corn MEMORANDUM May 14, 1997 TO:Taha Fattah Utilities Department Engineering, City of Pale Alto FR.:Cordelia Hill, C.I.P. Design Consultant RE:Transformer Landscaping Per our field review of April 1, landscaping recommendations for transformers on the April 30 list are as foll.ows: Xfmr#Address Recommendation 4406 1085 E, Meadow Circle No room for landscaping, paint only 4674 5445 4158 925 Commercial Rd. 855 California Ave. 27.80 El Camino Real 3118 3200 El Camino Real 3120 Mitchell Park 4004 6492 1515 EI Camino Real 225 Manzanita 6525 25 Churchill Ave. 6378 25 Churchill Ave. 6496 251 Miramonte Back parking lot, no landscaping required Hidden by existing landscaping, no further landscaping needed New landscaping recommended- (5) Rhaphiolepis ’Enchantress’ Behind building, nolandscaping necessary New landscaping recommended-(7) Cistus ladanifera- Crimson Spot Rockrose In back parking lot- no screening necessary, New landscaping has been installed as part of Southgate project. New landscaping has been installed as part of Southgate project. Replace dead plants if neighbors agree to water. New landscaping has been installed as part of Southgate project. New landscaping has been installed as part of Southgate project. B--14-1997 ll=33PM FROM ROYSTON HANAMOTO A*A 41B 383 1433 P. 2 Palo Alto Transformer Review May 14, 1997 5351 1215 Alma St, 3562 El Camino Ball Park 6546 330 Emerson St.. 5190 1 ! 01 Colorado @ W. Bayshore New Landscaping installed. Adjacent to fence and pumping station, landscaping not necessary, New, Landscapin~l installed. Screen entire grouping of equipment with informal mass of drought tolerant large shrubs such as Rhamnus ’Eve Caset, Coffeeberry, and Fremontodendron californicum, Flannel Bush. 3977 3941 E. Bayshore Back parking lot, no landscaping necessary Welch Rd. and Pasteur Dr. Screen with informal mass of native drought tolerant shrubs such as Ceanothus ’Joyce Coulter’, Wild Lilac or Cistus ladanifer, Crimson Spot Eockrose Recommendations for additional transformers reviewed in Southgate are: 333 Miramonte Piers Park at Sequoia 551 Miramonte 1511 Mariposa Remove trash. Paint bollards. Water shrubs Consider installing enclosure around equipment. Screen area with loose mass of (12) shrubs such as Plttosporum tobira~ Mock Orange or Prunus carolinia, Laurel Cherry. Existing junipers will not grow tall enough to screen equipment. Add (t) additional Abelia 8randiflora, Glossy Abelia, on left side. Add (2) additional Grevillea noellii, no common name, one on each side of transformer. Paint bollards. Marlposa/Churchill at Palo Alto High Churchill/El Camino at Palo Alto High Replace (3) existing Nerium oleander, Oleander. Install (3) Rhamnus californica ’Eve Case’, Coffeeberry.. Exhibit "B" Photographs of padmount equipment locations in the Southgate area and other areas in the City Padmount Equipment Location on Churchill Avenue Padmount Equipment Location on Churchill Avenue Padmount Equipment Location at 1511 Mariposa Avenue Padmount Equipment Location at 551 Miramonte Avenue Padmount equipment at 225 Manzanita Avenue !’ Padmount equipment at 251 Miramonte Avenue Exhibit "C" Assessment by the Landscape Architect Concerning the Choice of Landscaping Around Padmount Equipment in the Southgate District Abel Designs Marge Abel 1601 Castilleja Ave. Palo Alto. CA 94306 Phone: (’415) 325-6347 Fax: (415) 323-2459 12-13-96 Transformer Screening Rational for Planting Designs Adjacent to Transformers in Southgate and Old Adobe Areas Welcome to the .world of horticulture! When you install transformer hardware it ar- rives at its full size and stays at that size--just the opposite of plants. To purchase plants that would instantly screen the transformers would require two things: 1) avail- ability of large plants and 2) an exponentially larger budget. Shrubs are typically avail- able in 1 and 5 gallon sizes, a few are available in the 15 gallon size. Even then, in the 15 gallon size, they are typically kept pruned back in the nursery and still would not provide instant screening. The criteria for the plant selection and design included: --Survival. The plants have to be suitable for their environment, especially in the Old Adobe area where they are unlikely to receive summer watering. --Blending. The plants need to blend in with their environment, not call attention to themselves and the transformer. Plants were specifically selected to match or blend in with adjacent existing plantings. --Minimum maintenance. The plants are spaced to give them room to grow to their. normal size in a few years. More plants could have been planted closer together to give a stronger sense of screening instantly. However, as the plants grow, this type of design would have required constant ongoing pruning in order to maintain access to the transformer and to keep the plants from reaching out into the sidewalk area. If a resident wants more screening now, I suggest planting a perennial plant on each side of the transformer to fill in temporarily (specifically Perovskia atriplicifolia). Congratulations for having already started to use the darker green color on-the trans- formers-they blend in much better than the old light green color. And thank-you for changing the number labels from large glaring yellow to smaller white. Every little bit really helps. Sincerely yours, Marge Abel Exhibit "D" Results of the Transformer Design Workshop - Conceptual Designs for Possible Future Transformers Used in Palo Alto 1. Modified forms with corrigated sides Fabrication by manufacturer Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 2. Modified doors and hinged top Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 Fabrication by manufacturer 4. Modified door - Architectural Motif Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of PaloAlto March 17, 1997 Fabrication by manufacturer 5. Modified door Fabrication by manufacturer Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 7. Simplified form Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 Fabrication by manufacturer 8. "Exoskeleton Design" Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 Fabrication by manufacturer or modification by City 9. Base for Sculpture Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 Fabrication by manufacturer or modification by City 10. Circular Design Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 Fabrication by manufacturer 11. Neighborhood Bulletin Board Fabrication by City Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 12. Appliqu6 Design - Metal, Wood, or Composite Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Worksh.op City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 Fabrication by City 13. Screen Enclosure - Wood or Metal Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Workshop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 Fabrication by City Existing Residential Transformer Design Concept Designs Electrical Transformer Design Worl~shop City of Palo Alto March 17, 1997 Fabrication by manufacturer Exhibit "E" Visual Mitigation Guidelines for Padmounted Equipment VISUAL MITIC, A TION C..UIDELINES FOR PADMOUNTED EQUIPMENT ELECTRIC, UTILITIES WILL INSTALL THE SMALLEST PAD-MOUNTED EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE FROM ESTABLISHED MANUFACTURERS THAT MEET REQUIRED ELECTRICAL AND SAFETY SPECIFICATIONS. UTILITIES WILL WORK WITH APPLICANT8 AND CUSTOMER8 TO LOCATE PADMOONTED EQUIPMENT IN AREAS THAT MEET BOTH PARTIES REQUIREMENTS.ANY LOCATION ON THE PROPERTY WILL BE ACCEPTABLE AS LONG AS ACCESS AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS ARE MET. LOCATION OF THE EQUIPMENT WILL NOT BE LIMITED BY THE REACHOF EXISTING UTILITY INSTALLATION EQUIPMENT.WHERE NECESSARY, CONTRACT SERVICE8WILL BE USED TO PLACE THE EQUIPMENT AT THE 81TE. THE TOWN ARCHITECT WILL BE CONSULTED ON LANDSCAPING AND LOCATION OPTION8 WHENEVER A PADMOUNTED DEVICE IS INSTALLED.AT LOCATIONS WHERE LANDSCAPING 18 RECOMMENDED, ELECTRIC UTILITIES WILL INSTALL LANDSCAPING. STANDARD PAINT COLORFOR PADMOUNTED EQUIPMENT WILL BE THE GREEN COLOR APPROVED BY THE ARB.IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE CUSTOMER REQUIRE8 A PAINTCOLOR DIFFERENT FROM THE STANDARD, UTILITIES ~WlLLCHANGE THE PAINT COLOR AFTERTHE CUSTOMER OBTAIN8 ANY REQUIRED APPROVAL8FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. WHEN PADMOUNTED EQUIPMENT 15 INSTALLED WITHIN A COMMERCIAL FACILITY, THE 8PACE OCCUPIED BY THE TRANSFORMER WILL NOT BE COUNTED AGAINST Tile FAR. IN EXISTING UNDERGROUND DIBTRICT~ THAT REQUIRE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT, ELECTRIC UTILITIES. WILL TRY TO LOCATE THE REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT ABOVE GROUND IF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET: IT IS ECONOMIC TO REPLACE THE FACILITIES ABOVE GROUND, THE 81TE 18 ACCEPTABLE TO THE CUSTOMER8 IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA, AND THE LANDSCAPING AND LOCATION RECOMMENDATION8 OF THE TOWN ARCHITECT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED. IN SITUATION8 WHERE THESE CRITERIA CANNOT BE MET, ELECTRIC UTILITIES WILL REPLACE THE FACILITIES WITH UNDERGROUND EQUIPMENT AFTER AUTHORIZATION OF THE THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF UTILITE8 OR HI8 DESIGNEE. WHEN DESIGNING NEW OR REPLACING EXISTING UNDERGROUND SYSTEMS, STAFF WILL IMPLEMENT DESIGN PRACTICE8 THAT MEETSYSTEM SAFETY AND OPERATING REQUIREMENT8 AND MINIMIZE THE USE OFPADMOUNTED EQUIPMENT. APPROVED ?¥ M.,IY 1996 ENGR. MANAGER ENGR DRAWN PD CHECKED TM ENGINEERING STANDARD VISUAL MITIGATION GUIDELINES FOR PADMOUNTED EQUIPMENT CITY OF PALO ALTO CALIFOP NIA REV DATE SCALE DES’CRIPTION APPR SHEET NO.STANDARD NO. DT-EQ-G- 102.8