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Del Mar sets utility undergrounding deadlines for Stratford Court South property owners

Del Mar City Council members voted March 3 to approve deadlines for Stratford Court South property owners to be prepared to receive utility undergrounding service.

The residents along Stratford Court South are part of utility undergrounding District 1A, which is the first full segment of the citywide project that will be completed. Undergrounding in a small pilot project located along Tewa Court and 10th Street was finished in February 2023. Properties that are subject to the deadlines approved by the council will be notified by mail.

District 1A involves 56 poles and about 7,500 linear feet to be converted to a little more than 11,000 linear feet of underground trench from Fourth to 12th streets west of Camino del Mar, according to a city staff report. It includes 227 properties and 464 residences. There are also 54 properties that need undergrounding of their private service laterals, which are key connectors of the electrical system, at their own expense.

According to a city staff report, many residents have started or completed their lateral conduits.

The council vote adopted an ordinance that sets deadlines of March 3 for properties on Stratford Court from Fourth to Sixth streets, and Fourth Street; March 28 for properties within a central portion of the district between Sixth to Ninth streets, but excluding residents who live next to Little Orphan Alley and 9th Street; April 10 for properties along Little Orphan Alley and a northern portion of the district; and May 14 for properties along Melanie Way.

Construction work by the city still remains on Melanie Way and the adjacent area on Stratford Court.

“So far some unforeseen field conditions encountered have been additional potholing for unmarked utilities, including abandoned utilities, removal of abandoned utilities in conflict with the joint trench, relocation of proposed equipment based on unforeseen conditions and then abandoned utility encasement,” Martin Boyd, a city engineer, told the council. “There’s a big abandoned main running down Stratford Court, and a portion of it had a large concrete encasement that had to be chipped away in order for us to install the joint trench.”

Construction work by San Diego Gas & Electric is scheduled to begin in April.

Properties that don’t comply with the city ordinance to comply with the undergrounding deadlines would be subject to enforcement by the city.

“I’ll note so far for District 1A everyone has been working with us and looking to install their laterals, so we haven’t had that issue,” Boyd said. “At this point it’s a matter of managing the project and ensuring everyone completes their work in a timely manner.”