www.citymb.info • (310) 802-5350
UTILITY UNDERGROUNDING IN THE CITY OF MANHATTAN BEACH
PREPARED BY
THE MANHATTAN BEACH
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
ENGINEERING DIVISION
FACT BOOKLET
UPDATED MARCH 2021
2 Utility undergrounding
is the process of placing
all overhead utilities
(electric, telephone, and
cable TV wires) and
electrical facilities, such as
transformers, underground.
Street lights are also
replaced with standard
marbelite poles. The new
street light arm heights
and lengths should be
unchanged, while the poles
themselves will typically
be narrower and shorter
than the wood utility poles
removed.
What is...
Utility Undergrounding?
Dear Neighbors,
The City of Manhattan Beach has prepared this Utility Undergrounding Fact Booklet as part of our ongoing effort to keep you informed. Our purpose is to make sure that you have accurate and updated information about residential undergrounding proposals in our City.
For those homeowners in proposed underground utility districts, the City has created an Assessment Deferment Program to address the concerns of our senior homeowners who do not have the present financial resources to pay for undergrounding. The program is described in detail in this booklet. Other residents may also qualify for financial assistance under the hardship exception program. For more information on current and /or future Assessment Deferment Program guidelines, we encourage you to contact the City’s Finance Department at (310) 802-5550.
We recognize that undergrounding utility wires is a complex and challenging issue. We are committed to remaining neutral and assure you that we will not become advocates for any position. We will, however, proactively meet with homeowners to provide and discuss accurate information, while dispelling any rumors and misinformation circulating throughout our community. We also commit to you that we will advocate on your behalf with the utility companies to ensure accurate pricing and increase their accountability and transparency. Our aim is to partner with the utility companies and work together to make undergrounding more affordable and efficient for those neighborhoods that support it, regardless of the size of the districts ultimately formed.
This Fact Booklet brings undergrounding to the forefront so that you can make informed decisions should a district be created in your neighborhood. Each and every homeowner within a district has the opportunity to cast a vote and be heard prior to district formation, while final approval of an underground district rests with City Council.
With previous proposed districts, the Council has demonstrated that undergrounding should only proceed in those districts where a clear majority of homeowners support it. For those of you throughout the City who are not in proposed undergrounding districts, we provide you with this information as concerned neighbors.
Sincerely,
Underground Utility Assessment District (UUAD) Project Manager City of Manhattan Beach Public Works Department, Engineering Division
PREFACE
3 UTILITY UNDERGROUNDING IN
MANHATTAN BEACH
How many utility underground districts are there in Manhattan Beach? Between 2000-2007, 15 districts were proposed by residents in Manhattan Beach. Of these:
• Five were approved by property owners and are now complete (Districts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6).
• Three were approved by property owners and construction began in the Fall of 2020 (Districts 4, 12, and 14).
• Six proposed districts were ultimately dissolved (Districts 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13).
How do I know if I’m in a district?
If you’re not sure if you’re in a district, you can contact the City’s Underground Utility Assessment District (UUAD) Project Manager at (310) 802-5358 to inquire about whether your property lies inside or immediately adjacent to any proposed district boundaries. Please note that about 3% of properties in any given district originally lie outside the proposed boundaries, but are brought in if the home or building is connected to poles located inside the district AND the service wires cannot be relocated to other poles. Inclusion or exclusion of these homes is determined during the design planning stage by the utility companies.
Is undergrounding safe?
YES. In fact, undergrounding may be safer than overhead wires. In the event of an earthquake, the likelihood of someone being hurt from utility poles and wires is significantly reduced. The risk of utility wires coming into contact with water or other substances is also reduced because the wires are placed in underground conduit. Additional benefits include improved reliability, neighborhood aesthetics and a reduction in fire hazards.
Will my electricity be out during construction?
NO. During construction there will be some disruption because the streets in the area will be dug up. However your electricity, cable TV, and telephone services should not be affected. You will experience a brief power outage when your house is converted to the new underground system, but you will be notified prior to the cut over and the outage typically does not last longer than 8 hours.
Here Are Some...
Frequently Asked
Questions
If You Have...
More Questions After
Reading This Brochure
Contact the Underground
Utility Assessment District
(UUAD) Project Manager at
(310) 802-5358.
4 Underground utility districts are initially proposed by one or more homeowners in a particular area who favor undergrounding. Simply speaking, it is a homeowner driven process rather than a City-wide directive. For a district to be initiated, a homeowner must follow a series of steps, which, broadly include:
• Canvassing the neighborhood to gauge support for undergrounding. • Proposing district boundaries to the City. Ideally, a proposed district should include no more than 300 homes but must be at least one block long (or 600 linear feet). Additionally, the boundaries proposed must be compatible with the utilities’ networks (to be determined when boundaries are proposed).
• Obtaining and submitting petition signatures from at least 66% of homeowners within the defined area who are in support of undergrounding. The City will notify all property owners within the proposed boundary that such an effort is underway at the time a petition drive commences.
• Achieving a 66% Survey Validation rate based on the number of surveys returned to the City.
Once the district passes the survey validation period, design plans will be requested from all participating utilities (Southern California Edison, Frontier and Spectrum). These design plans will become the basis for pricing a project, which in turn allows homeowners to vote for or against undergrounding knowing the exact cost of undergrounding utilities in the public right-of-way. This cost DOES NOT include the additional private property expenses a homeowner may incur. See “What’s Included in the Cost to Underground Utilities” on page 6 for a full description of the costs associated with undergrounding.
What if I want to opt-out of the district?
Opting out of a district may only occur during the district petition phase, when district proponents try to achieve the required 66% homeowner showing of support. It may or may not be possible for some homes to be excluded from a proposed district (i.e., opt out), and depends on: 1) where the home is located relative to the district’s proposed boundaries, and 2) the level of support for or against undergrounding of nearby homeowners. A district’s boundaries may morph during the petition drive to include those homeowners most favoring undergrounding and exclude those most opposed, provided the boundaries are compatible with both the utilities’ networks and the City’s district boundary guidelines.
However, once final boundaries are set, petitions have been submitted and a Validation Survey has been mailed by the City to affected homeowners, the boundaries may not change (i.e., no opting out at this stage). Because the City notifies all potentially affected homeowners during the survey validation process, homeowners will have plenty of opportunity to campaign for or against undergrounding during that time.
FORMING A PROPOSED DISTRICTHow Is A...
Utility Underground
District Initially
Formed?
You must first contact the
City to obtain the “Steps for
Forming a Private Residential
Underground Utility
Assessment District” packet,
or download the information
from the City’s website at
www.citymb.info. The packet
outlines the steps that must be
taken to start a project in your
neighborhood.
After receiving the packet,
take some time to review all
of its contents. You should
then contact the UUAD Project
Manager by calling (310) 802-
5358. From there, we’ll discuss
your project and what will be
required from you and your
neighbors to form a proposed
District.
How Do I...
Get an Underground
Program Started in
My Neighborhood?
55 Once a proposed district has been validated and design plans finalized, the project will be bid for construction and the following steps will then occur:
1. Each property owner in a proposed district will receive a ballot in the mail identifying his/her share of the project cost and will have a minimum of 45 days to consider support for, or opposition to, the proposed assessment. Under California State law, you CANNOT be assessed until you are informed of what the exact assessment will be and provided the opportunity to cast your vote either for or against that assessment. Please note that the assessments presented on the ballot do not include the additional private property expenses that may be incurred to complete the undergrounding project. See “What’s Included in the Cost to Underground Utilities” on page 6 for more information.
2. Each ballot must be returned to the City by a specified deadline; those returned are counted during a City Council public hearing.
3. Under Council policy, the project area or underground utility assessment district is formed only if: a) the weighted returns are greater than 50%, and b) a resolution is passed by a majority vote of City Council following the combined procedures of CA Proposition 218 and the Municipal Improvement Act of 1913.
Once approved, the assessments presented cannot be increased without implementing new balloting and voting procedures.
What Does “Weighted Return” Mean?
CA Proposition 218 mandates that the value of each vote be weighted according to the proposed assessment presented to each parcel. This means that parcels with higher proposed underground assessments will have a stronger vote. For example, a vote given to a parcel receiving a $60,000 proposed assessment would count for twice as much as a vote given to a parcel receiving a proposed $30,000 assessment. A proposed assessment for utility undergrounding is not the same as, and is not based on the, Assessed Tax Value of your home.
APPROVING A PROPOSED DISTRICT
Based on the size of the
project, it will typically take
3-5 years to complete once
funds are authorized by the
City to initiate design plans.
While this may seem like a
long time, several steps must
be accomplished. These
include:
• Creation of Utility Design
Plans (up to 2 years)
• Review, Pricing and Voting
Procedures (6-9 months)
• Construction (6- 9 months,
typically)
• Cabling and Residential
Connections (9-18 months)
• Pole Removal (3 months)
How Long...
Does It Take An
Undergrounding
Project to Finish?
How is A...
Proposed District
Approved by Voters
and City Council?
6 In residential neighborhoods, utility undergrounding is paid for by property owners. The cost includes: 1) the proposed assessment for undergrounding utilities in the PUBLIC RIGHT-of-WAY, and 2) PRIVATE PROPERTY EXPENSES associated with installing underground service connections from the property line to the house.
The proposed assessment represents a collection of variables such as design, assessment engineering and financing fees, public right-of-way construction labor and materials costs, staff time, and the Assessment Engineer used to allocate project cost among all parcels in the proposed district (see sidebar, “What is An Assessment Methodology and How is it Derived?” ). Private property expenses are further described on page
7. Please note that because the utility companies own and maintain the wires placed underground, both in the street and on your property up to the meter, maintenance of these wires is paid for by them. However, if the conduit installed on your property fails, you will be responsible for the cost of repairing it.
1. Public Right-of-Way Expenses
(The Proposed Assessment)
Individual assessments are calculated based on the variables listed above as well as several other factors, including the district’s housing density, the total trenching distance needed to underground utilities in the public right-of-way, and the difficulty of construction (e.g., digging in sand or through narrow streets). Please note that the ULTIMATE COST of undergrounding will depend on bids received and the financing option chosen by each homeowner once assessments are calculated. For example, homeowners who elect to pay their assessment in full can expect to pay 9-12% less than the fully burdened assessment presented due to the elimination of bond fees and capitalized interest. Conversely, homeowners who elect to add their assessment to their annual property tax bills will pay the annual installment PLUS interest for up to 20 years (much like a simple interest loan). The actual interest rate applied will depend on market conditions at the time bonds financing is secured.
Until a thorough design is completed and the project bid for construction, an accurate estimate cannot be provided. However, the range of assessments presented to homeowners of recently approved districts may help you estimate what your future assessment might be.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE COST TO
UNDERGROUND UTILITIES?
California State Proposition
218 requires that an
Assessment Methodology be
developed by a professional
Assessment Engineer when
allocating the cost of a
project among parcels within
a defined area. It is based
on a particular formula that
first evaluates the direct
benefit(s) that each parcel
will receive as a result of the
project, and then allocates
a proportionate share of
the total project cost to
each parcel based on those
benefit(s).
In developing an Assessment
Methodology (i.e., a formula),
the benefits considered by the
Assessment Engineer must
be appropriate for both the
district and the proposed
project, as well as be legally
defensible and supported by
City Council. Please note that:
• Ocean views are not
considered because they
are not a protected right
in the City of Manhattan
Beach and are subject
to change at any time
based on surrounding
development.
• The value of your home
and property cannot be
used in deriving individual
assessments, nor is an
assessment formula based
on your property tax
amount.
What is...
An Assessment
Methodology and
How is it Derived?
7 2. Private Property Expenses (Not Part of the Proposed Assessment)
In addition to the proposed assessment described on page 6, each homeowner may or may not incur additional private property expenses. It depends on when the house was built, the location of the utility wires serving the house, and whether underground conduit already exists from the house to the property line. See sidebar, “Will I Incur Additional Out-of-Pocket Private Property Expenses if...” If installation of conduit is needed for a service conversion, homeowners will need to hire a licensed electrical contractor to perform the work. Expenses incurred to make a home ready for underground service typically range from $1,500 - $6,000, OR MORE depending on parcel and house characteristics. The ACTUAL COST will depend on property characteristics such as the trenching distance needed from the street property line to the house connection point, the type and quality of the surface material(s) that will be disrupted (e.g., cutting concrete, removing brick or flagstone, digging in dirt) and whether the electrical panel box must be upgraded. Since every house is unique, the City is not able to accurately estimate what this additional cost will be for individual homes. Past estimates for some neighborhoods have been:
Sand Section (2005-2007)
$1,500 - $5,000,
with the average being $3,000
Hill Section (2006-2008)
$3,000 - $12,000,
with the average being $6,000
Please note that if your electrical service panel and phone box are located on opposite sides of your house, you may need two trenches, thereby effectively increasing your out-of-pocket expenses.
The City encourages homeowners to consider additional private property expenses and to obtain multiple quotes for such work prior to making any decision about undergrounding. Please note that private property expenses cannot be financed in conjunction with the proposed assessment unless the homeowner qualifies for the City-sponsored deferment program (see “Financing a Utility Underground Project” on page 8). Rather, they are direct “out-of- pocket” expenses.
Will I Incur...
Additional Out-
of-Pocket, Private
Property Expenses if...
1. My utility wires are already located
underground to the nearest
telephone pole and there are no
overhead wires to my house?
Typically, No. Your home
will be connected to the new
underground system and your
wires “picked up” by the utilities
when cabling begins. However,
if your underground connection is
to a back yard pole with no street
access, you will need to provide
conduit to the new street point if it
was not already installed by your
home’s builder.
2. My house has overhead wires,
but was built or significantly
remodeled (+50%) after 1977?
Possibly. Expenses might be
minimal as the City required that
conduit be installed when your
house was built or remodeled
unless an exemption was granted.
Exemptions may have been
granted to homes with utility
poles located in the back yard
between two property lines
where there is no street access.
If you do have conduit, you will
incur the cost associated with
connecting the new underground
wires to your house connection
points (i.e., cabling and
energizing).
3. My house has overhead wires and
was built prior to 1977?
Yes, if conduit was never installed.
The cost depends on several
factors as described under Private
Property Expenses (to the left).
8 The sidebar, “What Are My Options for Paying the Assessment” explains the three payment options currently available. If financing an assessment for utility undergrounding over 20 years (Option 2), the total cost of the project will include the base value of the assessment (the principal) plus simple interest paid during that time. The following table provides examples of the total cost homeowners will have paid either in full within 30 days or as a lien over 20 years using three different simple interest rates.
If the
Proposed
Assessment
Is...
Then the Actual
Assessment
if Paid In Full
Within 30 Days is
Estimated to be...+
Or the Estimated Total Amount Paid
Over 20 Years if Financed at the
Following Simple Interest Rates is...*
5% 6% 7%
$30,000 $26,400 $ 47, 516 $51,582 $55,820
$40,000 $35,200 $63,356 $68,777 $74,428
$50,000 $44,000 $79,194 $85,970 $93,035
+ This is only an estimate of the cash value of an assessment paid within 30 days.
The actual cash value will be based on the fees and projected capitalized interest subtracted at the time the district is approved.
* The yearly assessment payment due can be determined by dividing the total by 20.
The City’s Assessment Deferment Program
The City has created a tiered financial assistance (loan) program to help home-owners 62 years of age or older with an annual household income of less than $127,300 defer all or part of the cost of undergrounding utilities until the sale or transfer of their homes. The amount loaned by the City will accrue interest until it is repaid, with a fixed interest rate determined at the time the project commences.
Qualifying for the program requires filling out an application form and providing certain information about your age, income and assets so that the City may determine your eligibility. The table on the next page illustrates the various levels of assistance available to homeowners.
Other qualifying factors include:
• Applicant must be 62 years of age or older, or blind or disabled as defined by the IRS.
• The applicant must apply for funds within a specified period after the assessment is approved and may remain in the program until the sale or transfer of the property qualifying for assistance.
• Hardship exceptions may be considered for those who do not meet the established deferment criteria, although funding is not guaranteed.
• This program applies to the principal residence only. Eligibility requirements and amount of financial assistance available are subject to change.
What Are My...
Options For Paying
An Assessment?
When a proposed district
is approved by voters and
City Council, three options
become available to
homeowners to pay the
assessment. These include:
1. Pay the full amount within
30 days of receiving a
“Notice to Pay Assessment”
from the City. You can
expect to pay about 9-12%
less than the assessment
presented due to the
elimination of financing
fees.
2. Pay Yearly. You can spread
all or a portion of the
assessment PLUS INTEREST
over 20 years as a lien on
your property tax bill. The
interest rate is determined
when bonds are sold to
finance the total project and
will be current market rate
at that time.
3. Defer your assessment
partially or completely.
If you are 62 years of
age or older and have a
household income below
thresholds established by
the City, you may be able to
defer a portion or all of your
assessment until the sale
or transfer of your home, at
which time the assessment
PLUS INTEREST ACCRUED
will be due and payable.
See “The City’s Assessment
Deferment Program” to the
right.
FINANCING A UTILITY
UNDERGROUNDING PROJECT
9 Defined Taxable
Income (DTI)*
Homeowner Pays.... City Loans...
$35,500 or less Homeowner directly qualifies for CA State Property Tax Postponement Program**
$35,501 - $50,900 First 1% of Defined Taxable Income
towards annual assessment
Balance
of Annual
Assessment
$50,901 - $89,000 First 2% of Defined Taxable Income
towards annual assessment
$89,901 - $101,800 First 3% of Defined Taxable Income
towards annual assessment
$101,801 - $114,600 First 4% of Defined Taxable Income
towards annual assessment
$114,601 - $127,300 First 5% of Defined Taxable Income
towards annual assessment
* The Defined Taxable Income (DTI) is determined by the inclusion and exclusion of certain income and expenses, as specified on the application for assistance. ** For more information about the State’s Property Tax Postponement Program, please visit the State Controller’s Office website at www.sco.ca.gov or call (800) 952-5661.
Homeowners with a household income of less than $35,500 qualify for the CA State Controller’s Office (SCO) Property Tax Postponement Program and thus are not eligible for assistance through the City’s program. More information about the State program can be obtained by contacting SCO directly. Please note that homeowners need only qualify for the City’s loan program during the initial application period (i.e., one time). The level of assistance available would remain the same over the duration of the deferment due to the program’s funding pool constraints. For full program details, please contact the City’s Finance Department at 310-802-5550.
Help Me Calculate How Much Assistance I Can Receive
Let’s assume you are 66 years old, have a Defined Taxable Income (DTI) of $55,000, meet other program guidelines, and your annual assessment is $2,400. Under the City’s program, you would qualify for partial assessment deferment under the income bracket $50,901 - $89,000 and thus be expected to contribute the first 2% of your DTI toward your assessment. The City would loan you the remaining balance due. The calculated amounts are as follows:
$2,400 Total Annual Assessment Due
- $1,100 Your Annual Contribution ($55,000 x 2%)
-------------------------------------------------------------------- = $1,300 City loans you this amount annually
If you qualify for the City’s
Assessment Deferment
Program, the additional
cost to connect your
private property to the new
underground utility system
may also be included. This
one-time hook up expense
would simply be added to
your annual assessment
in the year the expense
occurred, and the qualifying
balance would still be paid
by the City according to the
criteria established in the
table to the right.
For example, let’s again
assume your annual
assessment is $2,400 and
your annual defined taxable
income is $55,000. Under
the City’s loan program, you
would pay the first $1,100
of your annual assessment
(2% x $55,000), and
the City would loan you
the remaining balance
of $1,300. If your private
property expense to connect
to the new system was
$3000, then in that year, the
City would loan you $1,300 +
$3,000 (or $4,300).
If grant funds or donations
become available to pay
for private property hook up
costs, the city will allocate
them according to the
greatest need until such
funds are expended.
Can I Also..
Defer the Private
Property Expenses I
Will Incur to Connect
to the New System?
ASSESSMENT DEFERMENT PROGRAM
LEVELS OF ASSISTANCE
10 PAST ASSESSMENTS
Why Can’t the
City Pay
For A Part of
A Residential
Undergrounding
Project?
The City of Manhattan
Beach is receptive to
homeowners desire to
pursue neighborhood
undergrounding projects,
and the City Council will
allocate seed money to
initiate those that qualify.
However, there are many
competing infrastructure
needs that must be met,
such as repaving roads,
repairing public buildings,
sewer lines and water lines,
and maintaining our parks. If
your neighborhood qualifies,
City Council will fund the
initial engineering studies
to determine the cost of the
project. The seed money
provided by the City will be
added to the total cost of
the project and recovered
if the district is approved by
property owners. The City
has also created a financial
assistance program to help
qualifying homeowners
defer all or a portion of the
assessment until the sale
or transfer of their homes.
For more information
about this program and
for all costs associated
with undergrounding,
see “Financing A Utility
Underground Project ” on
page 8.
In the City of Manhattan Beach, eight proposed assessment districts have been approved by homeowners, and their public right-of-way assessment ranges are provided in the two tables below (Phase 1 and Phase 2). Each district’s assessment range reflects the unique dynamics of the area, i.e., timing in moving forward, housing density, size of the district, etc. Future district assessments will be based on construction pricing and financing costs at the time the district moves forward with construction bidding.
It is worth noting that neighborhoods with higher housing densities will be, on average, less expensive per parcel to construct due to the greater number of homes sharing the total cost of construction. For example, in the mid-2000’s, the four sand section districts witnessed significantly lower assessments than the hill section district because the lot sizes, and thus trenching distance per house, were much smaller.
Assessment Ranges for Approved Districts
The ranges provided below do not include the private property connection expenses discussed under “What’s Included in the Cost to Underground Utilities?” on page 6.
Mid 2000’s
District
No.
Formation
Date
No. of
Parcels
Per-Parcel
Assessment Range
Total
District Cost
District 1 March 2004 186 $8,103 - $13,087 $2,075,434
District 2 November
2005
194 $33,482 - $57,963 $8,103,771
District 3
March 2004
219 $4,978 - $8,036 $1,478,538
District 5 173 $6,393 - $10,591 $1,447,500
District 6 November
2005
304 $17,100 - $29,087 $6,652,236
Districts 1, 3, 5, and 6 are located in the Sand Section.
Districts 2 is located in the Hill Section
2019-2020
District No. Formation
Date
No. of
Parcels
Per-Parcel
Assessment Range
Total
District Cost
District 12
October 2019
228 $19,754 - $43,583 $6,735,000
District 14 244 $23,421 - $56,185 $6,810,000
District 4 January 2020 167 $14,651 - $128,323 $7,255,000 District 12 and 14 is located in the Sand Section
District 4 is located in the Hill Section
11 FUTURE ESTIMATES
At the time petitions are circulated and signatures collected, the City will ESTIMATE future assessment ranges in today’s dollars for a proposed district based on its housing density and known open- market construction prices. However, the City cannot forecast the ACTUAL assessments that will be presented because: 1) the project is typically priced 2-3 years after signatures are submitted to the City and 2) the construction market is volatile. Therefore, actual cost may be higher than that estimated. The lag in pricing is due to the time needed by the utilities to design construction plans for the district and put those plans out to bid.
However, homeowners will know the exact cost they will incur before deciding whether to formally support utility undergrounding. See “Approving A Proposed District” on page 5.
There is no legal requirement
for utility companies to
underground their existing
overhead facilities. However,
Edison is mandated by the
California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) to
set aside funds to pay for
undergrounding projects in
high traffic or public use areas
such as Manhattan Beach
Blvd., Sepulveda Blvd. and
other locations throughout the
City.
Edison does bear some
costs associated with
undergrounding, such as
pole/wire removal and
continued maintenance of
the new system. Edison also
credits each district the value
of an equivalent overhead
system if a new underground
system is constructed. This
credit results in a reduction
of the total assessment costs
presented to homeowners.
Why Can’t the
Utilities Pay...
For Part of a
Residential
Undergrounding
Project? They Own
The Wires, Right?
12TH ST
2 5
3 1
14 12
6 85
4 35TH ST
34TH ST
OCEAN DR
9TH ST
8TH ST
11TH STTHE STRAND
VALLEY DR
10TH ST
HIGHLAND AVE
ROSECRANS AVE
SEPULVEDA BLVD
PACIFIC AVE
27TH ST
ARDMORE AVE
19TH ST
MARINE AVE
ELM
AVE
POINSETTIA AVE
VISTA DR
ALMA AVE
18TH ST
MANHATTAN BEACH BLVD
17TH ST
36TH ST
DIANTHUS ST
24TH ST
BLANCHE RD
W
ALNUT AVE
M
APLE AVE
PINE AVE
MANHATTAN
AVE
LAUREL AVE
28TH ST
32ND ST
PACIFIC AVE
DUNCAN PL
13TH ST
PALM
AVE
JOHN ST
DUNCAN AVE
16TH ST
BELL AVE
25TH ST
15TH ST
BOUNDARY PL
LARSSON ST
41ST ST
45TH ST
ANDERSON ST
23RD PL
AGNES RD
FLOURNOY RD
GRANDVIEW
AVE
LAUREL AVE
20TH ST
30TH ST
14TH ST
1ST ST
MANHATTAN AVE
ELM AVE
21ST ST
30TH ST
17TH ST
BELLAVE
2ND ST
AGNES RD
W
ALNUT AVE OAK AVE
5TH ST
33RD ST
MORNINGSIDE
DR
JOHN ST
36TH PL
5TH ST
12TH ST
28T H ST
14TH ST
6TH ST
25TH ST
1ST ST
10TH ST
23RD ST
31ST ST
23RD ST
CREST DR
MARINE AVE
3RD ST
26TH ST
POINSETTIA AVE
11TH ST
29TH ST
36TH ST
PINE AVE
0 0.5 10.25 Miles
UUAD 85 (Completed 1990)
(Completed 2007)UUAD 1
UUAD 2 (Completed 2009)
UUAD 3 (Completed 2007)
UUAD 5 (Completed 2007)
UUAD 6 (Completed 2011)
UUAD 4 (In Design)
(Approved 10/01/19)UUAD 12
(Approved 10/01/19)UUAD 14
12 ACTIVE UNDERGROUND UTILITY ASSESSMENT DISTRICTS
District 1* The Strand to
Manhattan Ave.,
from 26th St. to
Rosecrans
District 2* Ardmore to Poinsettia,
from 2nd St. to 8th St.
District 3* Manhattan Ave. to Highland,
from 26th St. to Rosecrans
District 4^ 1st St. to Boundry Place
from Ardmore to Sepulveda
District 5* The Strand to Highland, from
Marine to 26th St.
District 6* The Strand to Marine, from
15th St. to Marine
District 12^ The Strand to Highland, from
41st St. to 45th St.
District 14^ The Strand to Highland, from
Rosecrans to 41st St.
General District
Boundaries as
Described:
* These districts have been approved and constructed
^ These districts began construction in 2020
UUAD 85 (Completed 1990)
UUAD 1 (Completed 2007)
UUAD 2 (Completed 2009)
UUAD 3 (Completed 2007)
UUAD 4 (Approved 1/7/20)
UUAD 5 (Completed 2007)
UUAD 6 (Completed 2011)
UUAD 12 (Approved 10/01/19)
UUAD 14 (Approved 10/01/19)
13 (1)
Property Owner
Obtains Neighborhood Packet
and
Proposes District Boundaries
(2)
City and Utility
Companies Approve District
Boundaries; Property Owner(s)
implement petition drive
(66% support needed)
DISTRICT FORMATION FLOW CHART
(3)
City Confirms
Support For
Undergrounding by Mailing
Out Validation Survey; 66%
of Surveys Returned Must
Indicate Support For
Undergrounding
If District Passes
Survey Validation
• City Allocates Funds for
Design Plans
• Utilities Start and
Complete Design Plans
• Plans Reviewed, Project is
bid
• Engineer’s Report is
Prepared
• Property Owners Vote on
Proposed Assessments
and District Formation
• District May be Formed if
at Least 50% of Weighted
Returns Are In Favor of
Undergrounding AND
City Council Approves its
Formation.
• Assessments Are Levied
• Construction Begins/
Ends
• Property Owners
Connect to New System
• Wires and Poles Are
Removed
(4)
(5)
(6) (7)
Prepared by the
City of Manhattan Beach
Public Works Department
Engineering Division
(310) 802-5350