DATE: August 14, 2018
SUBJECT:
Title
ORDINANCE APPROVING AN EASEMENT IN SUBSTANTIAL FORM BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 15, 2018 AND TERMINATING SEPTEMBER 14, 2028, AND POWER YOUR DRIVE SITE HOST PARTICIPATION PROGRAM AGREEMENT WITH SDG&E FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS LOCATED AT: ADMINISTRATION BUILDING PARKING LOT 3165 PACIFIC HWY SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92101, INCLUDING APPLICATION FEES OF $6,300. FY 2019 EXPENDITURES ARE BUDGETED
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Power Your Drive is an electric vehicle (EV) charging station program administered by San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). The purpose of the program is to install 3,500 EV charging stations at apartments, condominiums and businesses in San Diego County. This is a first-come-first-served application based program that will fund the installation and maintenance of EV charging stations for 10 years upon execution of an easement and site host agreement. There is an application fee of $630 per charging port for the installation of chargers with the exception of sites located in disadvantaged communities, which are exempt. Charging stations funded for the San Diego Unified Port District (District) through Power Your Drive are for employee use only.
The District is seeking to apply to the Power Your Drive program to install 10 charging stations at the District’s administration building employee parking lot located at 3165 Pacific Highway, as described in attachment A. Staff is recommending the Board adopt an ordinance granting an easement in substantial form for SDG&E to provide electric vehicle charging and provide regular maintenance as described in attachment B, and approve SDG&E’s Power Your Drive Program Site Host Participation Agreement as described in attachment C. These 10 stations will be in addition to the 16 stations approved by the Board of Port Commissioners on April 10, 2018 bringing the total count of charging stations for employee use to 26 at three locations.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt an ordinance approving an easement in substantial form and Power Your Drive Program Site Host Participation Agreement with SDG&E for electric vehicle charging stations located at 3165 Pacific Hwy San Diego, CA 92101.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the easements, or agreements. Application fees in the amount of $6,300 are budgeted within the Climate Action Plan Strategic Initiatives line item in the District’s FY 2019 annual budget.
Compass Strategic Goals:
This agenda item supports the following Strategic Goal(s).
• A Port with a healthy and sustainable bay and its environment.
• A Port with an innovative and motivated workforce.
DISCUSSION:
The District’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) contains several strategies to curb greenhouse gas emissions including supporting the use of alternate fueled, electric or hybrid vehicles on District tidelands (T2). Port staff estimates that creating opportunities for District employees to charge their electric vehicles will facilitate a potential 4.7 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide equivalent (MT C02e) reduction annually per electric vehicle, and address a growing demand for electric vehicles1. C02e is a metric used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential. Also, based on previous employee outreach, there is growing interest and demand for EV charging.
San Diego Unified Port District Power Your Drive Application
The application process to the Power Your Drive program requires six steps, and is typically done through an online submission process: signing on to an interest list, a follow up phone call with an SDG&E representative, an application submission, site visit, signing of an easement, and design and installation. Since application to the program requires an agreement for a 10 year easement within 30 days of submission, this was not a route that the District could pursue without approval by the District’s Board of Port Commissioners. In collaboration with SDG&E staff, an alternative path forward was identified, where the District would apply to SDG&E’s Power Your Drive program using a customized process that matched with the District’s transparency and records retention requirements. The District entered into a memorandum of understanding on October 23, 2017 stating that the District and SDG&E would use “commercially best efforts” to pursue an easement and agreement. Following the signing and the execution of these documents, installation of the charging stations will take place at the District’s Administration building.
San Diego Unified Port District Administration Building 3165 Pacific Highway
Five dual charging stations are planned to be installed in the employee lot at the north end of the Port’s Administration Building employee lot as detailed in attachment A. There will be eight standard 9’ W x 18’ L personal vehicle spaces, one standard 9’ W x 18’ L ADA compliant space, and one 11’ W x 18” L ADA compliant van space. In addition, the pedestrian gate at the north end of the parking lot will be retrofitted to accommodate ADA access in and out of the lot, and adjacent spaces will be restriped to ensure no net loss in parking. These EV and ADA ready sites will account for 5% of the total parking spaces in the employee lot. These chargers will be wired to a new transformer within the property and a fuse cabinet adjacent to the property. Due to an existing lease agreement with the San Diego Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA), easement and agreement language approved by the San Diego Unified Port District Board of Port Commissioners must also be approved by the SDCRAA, and the District must participate in the SDCRAA’s Tenant Improvement Process prior to beginning construction.
Costs
|
Item |
Costs |
|
Application Fees |
$6,300 |
|
Gate Automation |
$1,500 |
|
Restriping |
$3,500 |
|
Total |
$11,300 |
Benefits
Benefits include estimated cost avoidance to the District of 80%, since the Power Your Drive program includes installation, maintenance and data services. In addition, employees will benefit from availability of EV charging, and the reduction of CO2 equivalent from running the program at full scale with 26 charging stations will be approximately 122.65 MT per year, contributing to the achievement of CAP goals by replacing gas powered vehicle trips to tidelands. The elimination of one gas powered vehicle from the road can save as much as 10,400 lbs. of CO2 e per year.
Next Steps
Following the approval of the easement and site host agreement, SDG&E will enter into the design and construction phase of the program. Work will be completed by a third party contractor hired by SDG&E. All final construction designs will be subject to review and approval by District staff. Once the designs are approved, charging stations will be installed at the three sites described. Management of EV charging station maintenance will be provided by staff from the District’s energy team in coordination with SDG&E.
General Counsel’s Comments:
The Office of the General Counsel has reviewed and approved the proposed easement and agreement as to form and legality.
Environmental Review:
The proposed Board action includes an ordinance approving an easement and a Power Your Drive Site Host Participation Program Agreement with SDG&E for the District’s Administrative Building Parking Lot located at 3165 Pacific Highway, for the installation and maintenance of electric charging stations. The project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities), 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures), 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land), and 15311 (Accessory Structures) and Sections 3.a(7), 3.c(2), 3.c(3), 3.d(7), and 3.i of the District’s Guidelines for Compliance with CEQA because the project in question will involve no expansion of use beyond that previously existing, would involve the construction of limited new facilities, would not involve the removal of mature, scenic trees, and would include placement of minor structures accessory to existing facilities. The District has determined none of the six exceptions to the use of a categorical exemption apply to this project (CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2). No further action under CEQA is required.
The project complies with Section 87 of the Port Act, which allows for the construction, reconstruction, repair, and maintenance of highways, streets, roadways, bridges, belt line railroads, parking facilities, power, telephone, telegraph or cable lines or landings, water and gas pipelines, and all other transportation and utility facilities or betterments incidental, necessary, or convenient for the promotion and accommodation of any of the uses set forth in this section. The Port Act was enacted by the California Legislature and is consistent with the Public Trust Doctrine. Consequently, the proposed project is consistent with the Public Trust Doctrine.
In addition, the proposed Board action is considered “excluded development” pursuant to Section 8.a(2) (Existing Facilities), 8.c(2) (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures), and 8.d(6) (Minor Alterations to Land) of the District’s Coastal Development Permit Regulations; therefore, issuance of a Coastal Development Permit is not required.
Equal Opportunity Program:
Not applicable.
PREPARED BY:
Zach Birmingham
Senior Environmental Specialist, Planning and Green Port
Attachment(s):
Attachment A: Preliminary Design Site Layout for Port of San Diego Pacific Highway
Attachment B: Easement for Utility Purposes
Attachment C: SDG&E Power Your Drive Program Site Host Participation Agreement
US Environmental Protection Agency (2017): Carbon Footprint Calculator; list of assumptions for Household GHG calculator https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/