HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010/05/11 Item 11~~'`
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OFFICE OFTHE CITY COUNCIL
May 11, 2010
Ms. Mary Turley, Project Manager
Bay Blvd Substation Relocation
San Diego Gas & Electric
8315 Century Park Ct., CP21 C
San Diego, CA 92123
mturleyCa~semprautilities.com
Dear Ms. Turley:
The Chula Vista City Council offers its strong support for the project
to develop a new state of the art substation on the Chula Vista
Bayfront to replace the fifty year old substation that constrains
development of public access, enhanced wildlife corridors, substantial
economic development and public serving infrastructure opportunities
for the region. The City is eager to have the new substation built and
the old substation removed immediately following the
decommissioning and dismantling of the South Bay Power Plant.
The decommissioning and removal of the South Bay Power Plant
(SBPP) and existing substation/switchyard were the primary
purposes behind the State's facilitation of the acquisition of the SBPP
by the Port of San Diego in 1997. Dismantling should have begun
between November 2009 and February 28, 2010. The removal of
infrastructure constraints: the existing substation, transmission and
distribution lattice towers and utility poles, are a primary component
of the 2004 Memorandum of Understanding between the City and
SDG&E. The removal of this infrastructure along with the remaining
transmission and distribution towers and utility poles are a critical
component of maximizing the opportunity for the Bay Front Master
Plan to realize its full potential and create the wildlife habitat
276 FOURTH AVENUE • CHULA VISTA • CALIFOp1~Jh4~1910 • (619) 691-5044 • FAX (619) 476-5379
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protection and quality public amenities that Chula Vista and the South
Bay community have been planning for over a decade.
With SDG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission
assistance we took the first major steps in restoring this invaluable
Bayfront site and returning it to the people of South Bay. The Otay
Metro Loop project undergrounded three miles of 230kv transmission
lines along the Bayfront in 2006 to 2008 and the City invested over
$20,000,000 in 20a funds to underground the existing 138kv
transmission lines to facilitate the removal of the lattice towers from
the Bay Front. The results of the first phase of the tower removal that
occurred north of J Street last December have amazed all project
participants.
The City appreciates SDG&E's and the San Diego Unified Port
District's cooperation in moving forward another component of the
SDG&E/City MOU, the development of a new, smaller and lower
profile substation at the southern edge of the existing South Bay
Power Plant (SBPP) site. The construction of a new substation with
adequate buffer and screening, including solid walls, the removal of
the remaining utility poles and enhanced landscaping softening, will
allow the proposed facility to co-exist in harmony with the adjacent
wildlife habitat and conforms with the high expectations established
by the Bay Front Master Plan that the community has invested so
much in bringing to fruition over this past decade. We strongly
encourage SDG&E to work with the City and Port to incorporate the
screening and removal of the remaining wooden utility and
transmission poles and undergrounding from J Street to the
Substation in its application to the CPUC.
The City asks that the CPUC staff and Commissioners recognize the
major financial commitment and investment that Chula Vista has
made in this project to date and urges the Commission to support this
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CITY OF CHULA VISTA
important next step in updating the regional transmission and
distribution system and improving local energy reliability through a
strong investment in the Bay Boulevard Substation project.
Thank you very much for your efforts and generous consideration.
The City of Chula Vista looks forward to working with SDG&E and the
CPUC on implementing a project in which we can all take great pride
for the next several decades.
Sincerely,
Mayor and Council
CC: David Geier, VP Distribution & Transmission Infrastructure
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CITY OF CHULA VISTA