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The legacy of poor undergrounding in Kensington/Talmadge

Planning subcommittee spawns city’s Utility Underground Advisory Group

Thanks to the grassroots efforts of the Kensington/Talmadge Planning Group and its undergrounding subcommittee, the City of San Diego’s Land Use and Housing Committee unanimously voted on October 23 to create the Utility Underground Advisory Group. Every neighborhood in the city is expected to benefit.

The City of San Diego has been burying electrical transmission lines in neighborhoods since 1970. Approximately three years ago, one community in each of the then-eight council districts was selected for individual undergrounding projects. In the case of (former) District 3, the community of Talmadge was selected. The city assigned low-bid contractors to seven communities while it assumed the undergrounding responsibilities for Mission Hills.

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Once work was under way, it reputedly became apparent that there were no standardized procedures for undergrounding. Some contractors handled this lack of uniformity worse than others. (The city’s efforts in Mission Hills were generally well received by the residents.)

Talmadge residents recognized the problems when they arrived home from work to find their streets dotted with green utility boxes. Worse, some owners were greeted by more than one box placed on the easement property between the street and sidewalk.

Undergrounding was interpreted to mean that telephone poles and utility wires would vanish from sight, “underground.” Not so. Unsightly “above-ground” utility boxes were became a blight to the neighborhood. Property values were compromised.

Anguished residents voiced their displeasure to the Kensington/Talmadge Planning Group. As a result, an undergrounding subcommittee was formed to investigate and champion “under-the-ground” utilities. Other disenchanted communities were expressing similar objections to their city-council reps.

The Kensington/Talmadge Planning Group, in order to protect their community’s historic character, voted for an undergrounding moratorium until standardized procedures could be implemented.

Chairman David Moty then introduced the community group’s objections to the central Community Planning Committee chaired by Joe La Cava. All community planning groups then joined together to demand a task force. Their collective voice culminated in the creation of the Utility Underground Advisory Group, with Joe La Cava serving as chair. The expected outcome is that all communities and neighborhoods will receive the same fair and equitable treatment.

The advisory group will be comprised of 14 people: selected residents, representatives from SDG&E, Cox Communications, AT&T, and city staff. Their work should be completed within one year.

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Thanks to the grassroots efforts of the Kensington/Talmadge Planning Group and its undergrounding subcommittee, the City of San Diego’s Land Use and Housing Committee unanimously voted on October 23 to create the Utility Underground Advisory Group. Every neighborhood in the city is expected to benefit.

The City of San Diego has been burying electrical transmission lines in neighborhoods since 1970. Approximately three years ago, one community in each of the then-eight council districts was selected for individual undergrounding projects. In the case of (former) District 3, the community of Talmadge was selected. The city assigned low-bid contractors to seven communities while it assumed the undergrounding responsibilities for Mission Hills.

Sponsored
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Once work was under way, it reputedly became apparent that there were no standardized procedures for undergrounding. Some contractors handled this lack of uniformity worse than others. (The city’s efforts in Mission Hills were generally well received by the residents.)

Talmadge residents recognized the problems when they arrived home from work to find their streets dotted with green utility boxes. Worse, some owners were greeted by more than one box placed on the easement property between the street and sidewalk.

Undergrounding was interpreted to mean that telephone poles and utility wires would vanish from sight, “underground.” Not so. Unsightly “above-ground” utility boxes were became a blight to the neighborhood. Property values were compromised.

Anguished residents voiced their displeasure to the Kensington/Talmadge Planning Group. As a result, an undergrounding subcommittee was formed to investigate and champion “under-the-ground” utilities. Other disenchanted communities were expressing similar objections to their city-council reps.

The Kensington/Talmadge Planning Group, in order to protect their community’s historic character, voted for an undergrounding moratorium until standardized procedures could be implemented.

Chairman David Moty then introduced the community group’s objections to the central Community Planning Committee chaired by Joe La Cava. All community planning groups then joined together to demand a task force. Their collective voice culminated in the creation of the Utility Underground Advisory Group, with Joe La Cava serving as chair. The expected outcome is that all communities and neighborhoods will receive the same fair and equitable treatment.

The advisory group will be comprised of 14 people: selected residents, representatives from SDG&E, Cox Communications, AT&T, and city staff. Their work should be completed within one year.

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San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
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Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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