Residents in a Tiburon neighborhood are one step closer to getting their utility lines placed underground.
The Town Council voted 4-0 on Sept. 16 to approve several resolutions to advance an underground utility assessment district along Mar West Street. Vice Mayor Isaac Nikfar was absent.
Last year, the town lifted an eight-year moratorium on formation of such districts. In January, the council allowed Mar West residents to take initial steps to form a district, including circulating petitions and raising a third of the money for design reports.
As part of establishing an intent to form the district, the council approved its preliminary map. The proposed district would include 40 parcels, most on Mar West Street and others on Esperanza Street and Las Lomas Lane.
The council designated CSW Stuber-Stroeh Engineering, a firm in Novato, to develop the plans, cost estimates, assortment methodology and engineer’s report. It appointed a law firm to be bond counsel for the project.
The council also approved a $113,312 budget amendment to cover the remaining two-thirds cost for the design reports and allow the town manager, Greg Chanis, to work with utility companies on design services. The money will be reimbursed through bond funding if the district forms.
If the district does not form, the town will lose any money it contributed.
Once design reports are complete and the costs to property owners are determined, the residents will vote on whether to proceed.
“If more than 50% of the property owners in the district approve, there’s nothing stopping council from forming the district,” Chanis said. “Folks who vote against it are part of the district whether they vote no or yes.”
While the neighborhood has secured enough support for this stage of the process, at least two residents have expressed opposition.
Homeowners Greg Finch and Karen Kuwatani said that they were not consulted on the project and that it would significantly affect their ability to pay for the upkeep of their residence.
“No one has come to talk to us about it,” Finch said. “This project is a vanity project for people who have money. There is no reason that the people, the town, should be paying for PG&E’s maintenance, their utilities.”
Erin Giacoppo, the chair of an undergrounding committee, said the neighborhood largely supports the project and she is willing to chat with Finch and Kuwatani about their concerns.
Councilmember Holli Thier encouraged discussion about ways for those who support the district to potentially offset costs for those who cannot afford to participate.
Although she voted in favor of the resolutions, she took issue with the undergrounding district process, which is governed by California law.
“I don’t believe that private residents should be paying for undergrounding of PG&E infrastructure,” Thier said. “I believe PG&E should be paying this cost.”