Plano ROW-CS010404 Ken Griffin -Right-of-way rules'OK delay-4. Utility box provision concerns two ... Page 1
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Date: Wed, Apr 4, 2001 11:51 AM
Subject: Right-of-way rules' OK delayed: Utility box provision concerns two ...
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Source: Dallas Morning News (TX), March 16, 2001 p1P.
Title: Right-of-way rules' OK delayed: Utility box provision concerns two
companies.(PLANO MORNING NEWS)(PLANO)
Author: Wendy Hundley
Electronic Collection: CJ71810419
RN: CJ71810419
Full Text COPYRIGHT 2001 The Dallas Morning News, L.P.
The Plano City Council has delayed approval of a new right-of-way ordinance
designed primarily to manage the influx of companies installing fiber-optic
cables throughout the city.
The revised ordinance was pulled from Wednesday's council agenda after
officials from Southwestern Bell and Verizon raised concerns about one
provision aimed at regulating the size of above-ground utility boxes.
Plano is one of a number of area cities rewriting its right-of-way ordinance
because of recurring problems with water and sewer line breaks caused by the
installation of fiber-optic lines.
Over the last two years, contractors have drilled into more than 60 Plano
water and sewer lines, spilling millions of gallons and causing more than
$146,000 in damages, city officials say.
Last year, downtown Dallas was deluged with 20 million gallons of water after
a water main was hit by a company installing fiber-optic cable.
This is the first time Plano's right-of-way ordinance has been revised since
1987. When the existing ordinance was drafted"we didn't anticipate all the
telecommunications and fiber optics," Plano City Engineer Alan Upchurch said.
The major provisions of the new ordinance would:
*Prohibit the use of directional boring equipment close to large water and
sewer lines. City officials say this type of equipment, which can bore
1,000-foot trenches, was responsible for drilling into a 33-inch sewer main in
October, spilling more than 4 million gallons of sewage. If not properly
calibrated, this equipment can easily stray from its route.
*Encourage companies to cooperate with each other and lay their lines in a
single trench at the same time. This"joint trenching"is being implemented in
other cities as a way to minimize traffic disruption and damage to the city
infrastructure. Because the city's rights of way are getting so crowded, "we
will try to force companies to do joint trenching," Mr. Upchurch said.
Ken Griffin-Right-of-way rules' OK delay-4' Utility box provision concerns two ... Page 2
Require companies to file master plans so city officials can better track the
location of cables and lines.
Strengthen regulations requiring companies to restore landscaping, keep
streets and sidewalks clean and protect plants and property.
Provide for notifying homeowner associations when work would be done near
residential areas.
Prohibit closing traffic lanes on major thoroughfares during rush hours; at
all other times, lane closures would be limited to two hours.
The proposed ordinance would also limit above-ground switching boxes in the
public rights of way to 6 feet wide and 2 feet high. Otherwise, they would be
considered buildings and must be placed on private property.
That provision could prove to be prohibitively expensive, said Dalene Buhl,
director of external affairs for Southwestern Bell. She said some of the
company's above-ground equipment is larger than the ordinance would allow in
city rights of way.
Verizon representative Don Williams asked the council to allow 6-foot-tall
structures in rights of way.
Mr. Williams said only one provision is under dispute and complimented the
city staff on the proposed right-of-way ordinance. "They took the best of the
best of other city ordinances," he said.
In other business, the council approved an amendment to the eastern Plano tax
increment financing (TIF) district that increases the base cost to construct
the Courtyard Theatre in the old Cox gymnasium. On Thursday, the council
celebrated the start of that project with a kickoff and reception at the
downtown construction site.
The base costs have increased from $4 million to$4.6 million based on
construction bids received by the city.
This was the second cost increase for the project, which is being financed
with TIF loans. In August, the City Council amended the plan by increasing the
cost from $2.5 million to$4 million.
Staff writer Wendy Hundley can be reached at 214-977-6980 and at
whundley @dallasnews.com.
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