Agenda Item #13.8
For Council Meeting of: November 4, 2025
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JASON NUTT, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER,
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF GRANT OF EASEMENT TO PG&E OVER A PORTION OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED AT 700 5TH STREET, APN 009-012-025 AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
The Finance Department and Real Estate Services recommend that the Council, by resolution, supersede Resolution No. RES-2025-076, approve a grant of easement to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (“PG&E”) over a portion of City owned property located at 700 5th Street, Santa Rosa, APN 009-012-025, commonly known as Lot 10, and authorize the Assistant City Manager to make non-substantive changes to the Easement Deed, subject to approval by the City Attorney, and execute the Easement Deed. This item has no impact on current fiscal year budget.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In May 2025, the Council approved the grant of an easement to PG&E over a portion of the Property for the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in connection with PG&E’s EV Charging Program, but it was later determined that the original location of the easement was going to negatively impact the redwood trees on the Property. A new location has been selected for the easement, and a new resolution is required to supersede the previous resolution and to revise the selected easement area.
GOAL
This item relates to Council Goal #2 - Invest in the Development and Maintenance of the City's Infrastructure and will allow for the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure within the easement area of the City parking lot.
BACKGROUND/PRIOR COUNCIL REVIEW
PG&E's EV Charging program is accelerating California's transition to a clean transportation future. It is an incentive-backed program to install electric vehicle chargers in parking lots.
PG&E’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Rule 29 will pay for and coordinate the design and deployment of service extensions from PG&E’s electrical distribution line facilities to the service delivery point on the Property for separately metered electric vehicle (“EV”) charging stations.
On May 13, 2025, pursuant to Resolution No. RES-2025-076, Council approved the grant of an easement to PG&E for the purposes of providing electrical connection to EV charging stations to be installed on the Property.
It was later determined that installation of the utilities in the original location of the easement would be damaging to, and/or require the removal of, the existing redwood trees on the Property.
To avoid this, Staff has worked with PG&E to define a new proposed easement area of approximately 730 square feet in a portion of the Property identified in Exhibit A to the Resolution and the next step is for Council review to supersede and replace the prior resolution and to approve the grant of, and access rights to, an easement in this new location.
ANALYSIS
As part of the City’s participation in PG&E’s EV Charging Program, a new utility easement will need to be granted to PG&E over a portion of the Property. The City has previously approved the grant of an easement over the Property and it was only recently discovered, while construction plans moved forward, that installation of the utilities in the originally defined easement area would be negatively impacted by, and have a negative impact upon, two redwood trees located in the northeastern segment of the Property. Staff worked together with PG&E to identify a revised proposed location for the utility easement as shown in Exhibit A to the Resolution attached which, if granted, will allow construction of the EV charging infrastructure to move forward as planned for this Fall.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of this action does not have a fiscal impact on the General Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The recommended action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 because the project consists of the minor alteration of an existing public facility. None of the exceptions to the exemption under CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply because there is no substantial evidence of a significant environmental impact, no cumulative impacts from successive projects, no unusual circumstances that could lead to significant effects, no damage to scenic resources on a state scenic highway, no hazardous waste site location, and no potential for substantial adverse changes to historical resources.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Climate Action Subcommittee reviewed the action on February 7, 2024.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution/Exhibit A (Easement Deed)
PRESENTER(S)
Chad Hedge, Parking Manager
Jill Scott, Real Estate Manager
APPROVAL OF GRANT OF EASEMENT TO PG&E OVER A PORTION OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED AT 700 5TH STREET, APN 009-012-025 PAGE 3 OF 3