1996 Local Street Tree Plan - Laserfiche WebLink

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. Utilities Applicable Planning Principles: * Local streets should be interconnected to provide for efficient provision of utility ser lices and to provide for more even dispersal of traffic.. * Large scale, high- canopy street trees should be planted on local streets to create attractive and healthy neighborhood environments. Damage to street trees resulting from utility line placement and repair, and from new home construction, should be minimized. Discussion: Utility lines are typically laid within the street right -of -way. The placement of utilities is determined in the subdivision or PUD approval process. Currently, utilities (other than sewer lines) are placed in the area behind the sidewalk, or, in areas with setback sidewalks, within the planting strip adjacent to the street. Generally, the electric, water, telephone and cable service are installed jointly in a common trench; natural gas lines are laid in their own trench. * *INSERT PHOTO ** The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) is the main provider of utilities in the city, but not the only provider. Telephone, natural gas, and cable television service are provided through franchise agreements with those service providers. Typically, EWEB or other utilities request a 7' public utilities easement (PUE) fronting all street rights -of -way within a development. Those easement is used primarily for placement of water meters, padmount transformers, secondary junction boxes, and gas meters. The typical transformer serves from four to six homes and is mounted on a 42" x 50" concrete pad. Repair and relocation of utility lines within the right -of -way can damage tree roots and kill street trees. EWEB is developing alternative standards for utility line placement under the sidewalk rather than within planting strips or behind the sidewalk (See Figure ). These standards would provide common trenches for gas, electric, water, telephone, and cable lines. Coordination with other utility providers is necessary if common trench installation is to be provided for. If all utilities are paced under sidewalks in a common trench, the need for utility easements could potentially be limited to areas needed for transformers, junction boxes, gas meters and water meters. The necessary easements could be reduced to specific areas where the facilities are to be located, once the utility design is completed. The City's franchise agreements with the various utilities allow the City to designate specific areas of the right -of -way for utility placement.