ITEM TITLE:
#22-44 - Granting a 2610 Foot Long and 20 Foot Wide Utility Easement to Copper Valley Telecom on City of Valdez Owned Tract A-2 of ASLS 2004-6, Within Sections 23 and 24 T9S R5W C.R.M.
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nylund - Senior Planner/ GIS Technician
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Resolution #22-44 granting a 2610 foot long and 20 foot wide utility easement to Copper Valley Telecom on City of Valdez owned Tract A-2 of ASLS 2004-6, within Sections 23 and 24 T9S R5W C.R.M.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The City of Valdez Planning Department received an application for a utility easement across land owned by the City of Valdez, from Copper Valley Telecom (CVTC).
A recommendation in favor of granting this easement was approved by the City of Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission on June 22nd, 2022.
The requested easement is 20 feet wide and runs 2610 feet along the route shown in the attached Exhibit 1. The location of the proposed easement is north of the Richardson Highway, between mile markers 8 and 9, on undeveloped City of Valdez owned land that is zoned P, or Public Lands District.
This easement will establish an easement for fiber optic lines. The conduit is 1¼” in diameter, and will be buried 42” deep.
This authorization is consistent with VMC Section 13.5. Public Utility Franchises. “The city may grant a franchise to any person for the use of the streets, alleys, bridges, easements and other public places of the city for the furnishing of any public utility service to the city and its inhabitants.”
The City has the authority to establish an easement as stated by VMC 16.24.070 Dedication-Utility Easements which states: “The platting authority may require the dedication of utility easements when a utility company or the city demonstrates a specific need for them.”
The land on which this proposed easement would be located is classified as “Future
Residential/Recreational” in the 2021 Valdez Comprehensive Plan revision. The establishment of this easement, and the resulting installation of a fibre optic line could have impacts of the future development of this property.
If the City Council approves this resolution, the utility easement will be granted and the easement document will be recorded to plat #2020-4. CVEA will cover all the costs.