City halts plan to put canyon utility wires underground
The Laguna Beach City Council on Tuesday scrapped a plan to underground the wires of 16 of 34 utility poles along Laguna Canyon Road, saying it doesn’t go far enough.
City staff and Southern California Edison officials have spent about five years investigating how to remove the poles along the highway for safety and aesthetic reasons.
But council members balked at some aspects of their proposed project. They don’t like the idea that only every other pole would be removed, leaving many still standing, and also expressed concern that during construction, a 200-foot section of the road would be limited to one lane for three weeks.
The 18 transmission poles that carry electricity from surrounding areas needed to power homes and businesses in Laguna would remain because of the higher undergrounding costs associated with these larger structures, according to a city staff report. The smaller poles are mostly for telephone cables.
“Fewer than half the poles would be removed, and I’m concerned the public will be disappointed,” Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow said.
The project was scheduled to cost the city $1 million and Edison $1.8 million. To upgrade by placing the transmission lines from the taller poles underground would cost about $6 million, according to a city staff report.
The council unanimously voted to have city and Edison staff return in a month with cost estimates for undergrounding nine consecutive poles out of 34 in the Big Bend area beginning north of Laguna College of Art + Design and weaving through curved portions of Laguna Canyon Road.
Council members said they eventually want all utility lines below ground from El Toro Road south to an area near the Sawdust Art Festival grounds.
Former Laguna Councilwoman Verna Rollinger agreed with the council decision.
“The public needs a bigger bang for their buck and probably a few more bucks.,” Rollinger said. “This isn’t the entire canyon ... and barely touches either of the safety concerns or the visual impact.”
Mayor Bob Whalen and Councilwoman Toni Iseman lead a task force that is working to identify ways to reduce congestion and improve safety along the canyon for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Whalen said in order to make the desired improvements, the poles must first go.
“There are a lot of visual benefits to getting rid of [the nine consecutive poles],” he said. “I’d be interested in knowing how much of the budget would be consumed on that [portion].”
Rollinger suggested that undergrounding the wires of all 34 poles should be a priority.
“I’m aware the estimated cost is $6 million,” Rollinger said, “but I’ve watched this city for over 40 years. When we get committed to something, there is nothing we can’t achieve.”