Executive Summary
5.0 Design Criteria And Conceptual Design Description
Through a series of meetings with the Town, FPL, AT&T,
Comcast, and other stakeholder utilities, Kimley-Horn has
assembled general guidelines for design criteria to be used
throughout the implementation of the undergrounding
program. These guidelines are not intended to be all inclusive,
or the only criteria to be followed during the design and
construction of the overhead to underground conversion
improvements. They are intended as guidance only for the
design of the physical location and placement of conduit
and equipment and do not govern the detailed electrical
or communications network design that will be performed
by FPL, AT&T, and Comcast. This criteria is intended to
be used as guidelines during the implementation of the
program so that consistency in design and construction can
be realized over the life of the program. The criteria is based
on the assumption that all of the overhead utilities in the
Town will be converted to an underground location. They
do not contain any criteria for a hybrid system conversion
that consists of partially overhead and partially underground
distribution components. A summary of this criteria follows.
5.1 General
The following codes and standards, as applicable, shall govern
the design of the improvements:
y y Town of Palm Beach Code of Ordinances
y y Standards Applicable to Public Right-of-Ways and
Easements Within the Town of Palm Beach
y y Manual of Uniform Minimum Standards for Design,
Construction and Maintenance for Streets and Highways
(Commonly known as the “Florida Greenbook”),
latest edition
y y Florida Building Code, latest edition
y y National Electric Code (NEC), latest edition
y y Florida Department of Transportation Design Standards
y y Florida Department of Transportation Standard
Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction,
latest edition
y y FPL Distribution System Standards, latest edition
y y AT&T and Comcast System Standards, as applicable
There are some unique characteristics to the Town that
also influence the design criteria for the program. These are
TOWN-WIDE UNDERGROUNDING OF UTILITIES PROGRAM
MASTER PLAN DOCUMENT
described in greater detail below. Development of the Town
began in the days before the automobile was the prime form
of transportation. Typical of development during this era is
the prevalent use of narrow rights of way for public streets and
utilities. This creates unique issues for the undergrounding
program.
Generally, is it desirable to install underground infrastructure
in a roadside swale versus under pavement. This allows for a
simplified installation at a lower cost than utilities installed
under pavement. In Palm Beach, the roadway pavement and
curbing typically extends to the right of way boundary which
effectively eliminates any available roadside swale area. In
those areas that do have a small amount of roadside swale,
this area in most cases has been completely claimed by the
adjacent property owners with the installation of extensive
landscaping, perimeter walls, sculptures, and other such
improvements. While the Town could legally reclaim this
right of way for their use, this is not considered an option as it
would negatively alter the visual aesthetic and character of the
Town. Therefore, installation of new utility facilities must be
in the public right of way when feasible, under pavement, or
in utility easement areas.
Typical residential properties that are not located directly on
either the Ocean or Intracoastal Waterway generally have
a 2.5-foot wide platted utility easement in the rear or side
of their property. This easement is generally adjacent to an
identically sized easement on the neighboring property thereby
creating an effectively 5-foot wide easement. It is within this
easement that the rear yard overhead utilities currently reside.
Unfortunately, this rear yard easement cannot be used for the
new underground electrical and communications facilities
because the individual utility owners cannot properly access
or maintain infrastructure installed in these locations. In order
for these facilities to be converted underground, they must be
relocated to a front street location in the right of way or in an
easement accessible directly from the right of way. This does
provide a benefit to the landowner with a 2.5-foot easement
on the rear or side of their property. If that easement is no
longer needed by any utilities after the conversion process is
complete, it may be abandoned and the property owner will
gain back that portion of land with no encumbrances that the
easement once held.
In addition to limited right of way space, another unique
aspect of the Town is its highly seasonal population. Between
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