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Public Works
DATE: October 7, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Director of Public Works
Robert Armijo, PE, Deputy Director of Public Works/City Engineer
Hillal Hamdan, PE, Senior Civil Engineer
Subject:
Public Hearing to Amend the Boundaries of Underground
Utility District No. 2022-1 (Pierce Street / San Mateo
Street)
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The cost of undergrounding the main utility lines will be funded through PG&E’s Rule 20A Replacement of
Overhead with Underground Electric Program.
Accordingly, there are no anticipated impacts to the City’s General Fund.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
July 5, 2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
In 2022, the City Council held a public hearing and
adopted Resolution 102-22 establishing Underground
Utility District No. 2022-1 along Pierce Street and San Mateo Street, facilitating the undergrounding of overhead utilities as part of Phase II of the I-80/Central Avenue Interchange Project. When the District was initially
formed, the boundary line was drawn at the Central
Avenue right-of-way, which unintentionally excluded eight adjacent parcels that are served by PG&E poles within
that right-of-way. To ensure these parcels are expressly included in the District and the undergrounding work can proceed without ambiguity, City staff recommends that
City Council conduct a public hearing and approve a
resolution amending Underground Utility District No.
2022-1 to incorporate the eight parcels. This represents a AGENDA
REPORT
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minor boundary amendment consistent with the original
intent of the District.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
HOLD a Public Hearing to ADOPT a Resolution
amending the boundaries of Underground Utility District No. 2022-1 on Pierce Street and San Mateo Street to
incorporate eight adjacent parcels, ensuring consistency with the original intent and supporting completion of the I- 80/Central Avenue Interchange Project – Public Works
(Hillal Hamdan 621-1612/Robert Armijo 620-5477).
DISCUSSION:
In 2022, City Council conducted a public hearing and approved a resolution to establish an Underground Utility District on Pierce Street and San Mateo Street (Attachment 1).
An Underground Utility District must be created in order to underground overhead utilities, which is a crucial component of the I-80/Central Avenue Interchange Project Phase II. This is a grant-funded project and the proposed undergrounding can be funded by the grant, but only within the project area. The I-80/Central Avenue Interchange Project Phase II will ease congestion at the I-580/I-80/Central Avenue area by increasing space between signalized intersections east of I-80. This will be done by building a new road to connect Pierce Street and San Mateo Street converting the Pierce Street access at Central Avenue to “right-in, right-out”, removing the traffic signal at the intersection, and installing a new traffic signal and westbound left-turn lane at the San Mateo Street intersection to provide full access to and from Central Avenue.
Undergrounding overhead utilities will complement the planned traffic improvements for the area.
When Council adopted Resolution 102-22 in 2022, creating Underground Utility District (UUD) No. 2022-1, the district boundary line was drawn at the Central Avenue right-of- way. While this was logical from a mapping standpoint, it had the effect of excluding eight adjacent parcels immediately north of Central Avenue, even though those parcels are served by PG&E poles within the Central Avenue right-of-way. The intent at the time was that undergrounding would occur at those poles; therefore, to ensure the affected parcels are explicitly included in the UUD, City staff recommend amending the boundary to incorporate them. This represents a minor boundary amendment rather than a substantive expansion of the district.
The proposed amendment will place these parcels under the same district as neighboring properties, ensuring consistency in how utility services are converted. It also ensures that undergrounding work can proceed without ambiguity, avoiding any risk of delay to the I-80/Central Avenue Interchange Project or jeopardy to associated grant funding.
In order to modify the boundaries of the undergrounding utility district, the City must update Resolution 102-22 which established the utility district, notify all property owners
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in the area, including utility companies who may be affected by the proposed underground work, and conduct a public hearing (Attachment 2). The public hearing will give property owners and other interested parties an opportunity to comment on the proposed amendment to the boundaries of the underground district along Pierce Street and San Mateo Street.
The following parcel numbers would be added to Underground Utility District No. 2022-1 (Attachment 3). A map of these parcels is included in Exhibit 1 of the resolution (Attachment 4):
1. 510044021
2. 510044022
3. 510044023
4. 510160001
5. 510160002
6. 510160003
7. 510160004
8. 510160005
The cost of undergrounding the main utility lines in the street will be funded principally by Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E’s) Rule 20A, Replacement of Overhead with Underground Electric Program. PG&E will conduct the undergrounding work, in coordination with the City of Richmond.
If this public hearing is delayed and the amendment to the underground utility district is not approved, it will delay construction on the I-80/Central Avenue Interchange Project, which could cause the City to miss existing grant funding deadlines (Attachment 5).
City staff recommends that City Council hold a public hearing and adopt the resolution to amend the underground utility district to support completion of the transportation congestion relief and safety improvements of the I-80 / Central Avenue Interchange Project Phase II.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution 102-22 Adopting the Pierce Street/San Mateo Street Underground Utility District.
Attachment 2 – RMC, Chapter 12.48 Underground Utilities Attachment 3 – Parcel List for Notification
Attachment 4 – Resolution (Proposed)
Attachment 5 – Notice of Public Hearing