Del Mar moving forward with utility undergrounding

The Del Mar City Council took a few more steps to prepare for the Tewa Court segment of the utility undergrounding project, which will replace utility poles throughout the city with underground lines.

During a Nov. 1 meeting, the council approved permit applications and an additional $27,950 in funding from Measure Q. Construction bidding will follow, and a contract is expected in February, the city announced.

The original budget for the Tewa portion of the project was approximately $635,000. The additional funding will cover “unforeseen” costs, according to a city staff report, including additional design work by AT&T, site surveying to determine the need for retaining walls, other engineering work and permitting fees.

The Tewa project includes approximately 1,000 linear feet of overhead wiring, 10 poles and 21 parcels, according to a city staff report.

The next phases of the utility undergrounding project include area X1A, located in an eastern portion of the city south of the fairgrounds, and area 1A, located on a southern portion of the city near the shore. Areas X1A and 1A were going to be the first segments of the project before the council voted earlier this year to add Tewa as a pilot project.

Council members also discussed design options for a retaining wall that will be installed for the Tewa project.

“It’s a precedent for the rest of what we’re going to do in the city, and I don’t think we should cheap out, to be blunt,” Del Mar Deputy Mayor Dwight Worden said.

City Councilman Dave Druker added that they should consider all options.

“The citizens of Del Mar are going to have to understand if they want to have something that looks good, it’s going to be more expensive,” he said. “That’s the way we do stuff in Del Mar. We don’t cheap out.”