Board of Supervisors - Mount Vernon District

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Mount Vernon Governmental Center
2511 Parkers Lane, Mt. Vernon, VA 22306
Dan Storck
Board of Supervisor

Department Resources

Advocating for Undergrounding Utilities: The Time is NOW!

You may or may not have heard about undergrounding, but I bet you are in support of removing the ugly electrical lines from our roadways and placing them underground. That’s it – undergrounding! The undergrounding of utilities (electric, fiber, cable, phone) becomes a more important topic every year, as our climate warms and storms become more damaging. As Resilient Fairfax puts it, “Our weather is becoming warmer, wetter and weirder.” We all know this leads to more power outages, traffic disruptions, fires, injuries and even death, particularly in our most vulnerable neighborhoods. I believe that undergrounding of utilities needs to be part of every major County roadway or revitalization improvement discussion. Along with Chairman Jeff McKay and Supervisor Rodney Lusk, we have been supporting funding to include utility undergrounding as part of the more than $1 billion, 7-mile Richmond Highway widening and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

The future is clear, utilities will be undergrounded for our security, reliability, resilience, revitalization, property values and aesthetics, much like we have been requiring for new developments and in our comprehensive plans for years.  It is not an “if”, but a how and when. We have watched our neighboring jurisdictions make this commitment and it is time to act for Mount Vernon’s main street NOW. As such, I have shared with my Board colleagues several options to create a funding pool that could be used not only for Richmond Highway, but in future years, for additional areas throughout the County along our major roadways and revitalization areas.

Undergrounding for Richmond Highway is currently supported by the Fairfax County Council of Civic Associations, the Mount Vernon Council of Civic Associations, other area civic associations, Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, the Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC), the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) and many other area organizations.

I will be bringing this important topic to the Board for consideration at a meeting of the Economic Initiatives Committee on July 26. If you support undergrounding of utilities on Richmond Highway, I urge you to send a letter of support to the Board of Supervisors at ClerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty.gov and share it with our office. I also ask that you talk to your friends, neighbors and others you know throughout the County to share this information and the opportunity to advocate for this important environmental, economic, quality of life issue. To assist you with this, below we have posted talking points and background information.

Richmond Highway Undergrounding – The Time is NOW!

Resources

Advocating for Undergrounding Utilities: The Time is NOW!

                          PRESENT DAY                                                     FUTURE VISION

Existing Richmond Highway      

Introduction:

  1. Contact your Supervisor at ClerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty.gov to show your support by July 25.
  2. Thank Supervisor, staff or other leader for their time.
  3. State your name, community you live in & why this is important to you.

Things to Remember:

  1. Always be professional and positive.
  2. Share a personal story about why it matters.
  3. Stick to the facts & keep it brief.

Key Points:

  1. The County needs to establish a revolving fund to underground utilities on all major roadway or revitalization projects. We have a plan that can work.

  2. Funding options are available to get this started through development proffers, County budget allocation, year-end funds and/or monthly electric utility fee.

  3. Need to act now for undergrounding as part of Richmond Highway’s revitalization to support a modern future and the $1B in transportation investments.

  4. County benefits through proven higher property valuations (tax revenues), proffer payments, increased desirability and greater utility reliability.

  5. If not now for this revitalization area, then when? Ever? Lowest costs are now.

  6. Do you support setting-up:
    a) A revolving utilities undergrounding fund or reserve?  Y or N
    b) An electric utility fee to support the fund’s needed initial bonding?  Y or N
    c) Richmond Highway as the first project with follow-on projects in other key County redevelopment areas?  Y or N

  7. If Yes to any, please share your comments at ClerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty.gov.
    If No, please share your comments to help us understand your concerns at MtVernon@fairfaxcounty.gov.
  • Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William and the District of Columbia are doing it, but with this revolving fund Fairfax County does it better.
  • Economic Development Authority (EDA) research identifies much higher property valuations.
  • The Richmond Highway community is willing to accept the 1-2 year delay to get this right.
  • Additional costs are small compared to doing this in the future.
  • Provides opportunities for revitalizing areas to lead on a County initiative that creates greater valuations and equity in broader sections of the County.
  • It just looks better😊.

 

Undergrounding Utilities Plan for Fairfax County

The future is clear, utilities (electric, fiber, cable, phone) will be undergrounded for our security, reliability, resilience, revitalization, property values and aesthetics, much like we have been requiring for new developments and in our comprehensive plans for years. It is not an “if”, but a how and when. Over the past several years as we have observed our neighboring jurisdictions make those commitments, we have been working to do what Fairfax County does best, create a systems approach for achieving a vision through a well-planned, step by step regularized process. The information below presents a summary of the system that the Board of Supervisors should adopt, costing less than $5M/year, to now begin this decades long process of undergrounding utilities along our major roadways, revitalization areas and distribution lines.

Fairfax County Needs it, Communities/Business Groups Support It

The future requires it as our population density, super storms’ frequency and severity and our dependency on internet and energy connections increases. Sound infrastructure and business practices mean that we plan for undergrounding all roadway or area revitalizations, reconfigurations and/or widenings. Why can’t the County afford to underground utilities in key commercial and high-density residential areas? Richmond Highway could be undergrounded for less than $5M per year, with ultimately the owners along the highway paying for this investment. Other County areas have similar opportunities, providing a unique opportunity for these areas to lead on a County initiative, bringing greater equity and fulfilling a key commitment to One Fairfax. The Fairfax County Council of Civic Associations, Mount Vernon Council of Civic Associations, other area civic associations, Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, Environmental Quality Advisory Council, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and many other area organizations support the benefits of utility undergrounding.

Establish a Funding Process

For the FY 2016 budget, the Board established an Economic Opportunity Reserve (EOR) to provide for strategic investment opportunities identified by the Board. A similar process would be used to establish a Reliable Utilities/Undergrounding Reserve or Fund (RUR) to provide for the strategic investment of funds for increasing utility reliability through undergrounding. The sources of funding could include redevelopment proffers from properties benefiting from the improvements, County budget allocations, year-end funds and/or a County-wide commercial and/or residential meter fee collected on behalf of the County by the electric utility. As with other non-recurring investments, funds could be requested similar to how EOR fund requests.

Potential Future Projects

Beyond the utility fee legislative requirement for Richmond Highway to be the initial project, RUR funds could be used for any road related project that reduces congestion or improves mobility, transit system infrastructure, safety, or service or access to such project. Projects like Central Annandale, McLean, Reston or Tysons Business Districts, as well as projects along Route 7, Route 28, Route 50, Columbia Pike or Braddock Road are also opportunities. The key to realizing these opportunities is having a fund ready when these projects are.

Richmond Highway Pilot Program

The best time to underground utilities is when utilities are already being relocated, which applies to the seven miles of Richmond Highway being revitalized over the next eight years using over $1B of local, state and federal funds. The net additional cost for undergrounding is expected to be about $100M, but two or three times that if done later. It is critical to make the decision to proceed now in order to minimize further the anticipated 1-2 years additional time that would be added to the project completion date, currently 2030. Thank you for your support of this important initiative. You can see from the images the powerful visual impact that undergrounding utilities has for seeing a community as one of the Past or Future-- the 21st Century+ Future!

Download and print the flyer...

Undergrounding Utilities Plan for Fairfax County

The future is clear, utilities (electric, fiber, cable, phone) will be undergrounded for our security, reliability, resilience, revitalization, property values and aesthetics, much like we have been requiring for new developments and in our comprehensive plans for years.  It is not an “if”, but a how and when.  Over the past several years as we have observed our neighboring jurisdictions make those commitments, we have been working to do what Fairfax County does best, create a systems approach for achieving a vision through a well-planned, step by step regularized process.  The information below presents a summary of the system that the Board of Supervisors should adopt, costing less than $5M/year, to now begin this decades long process of undergrounding utilities along our major roadways, revitalization areas and distribution lines.

Fairfax County Needs it, Communities/Business Groups Support It

Fairfax County Council of Civic Associations, the Mount Vernon Council of Civic Associations, area civic associations, Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC), the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) and many other area organizations support the benefits of utility undergrounding.

The future requires it as our population density, super storms’ frequency and severity and our dependency on internet and energy connections increases.  Sound infrastructure and business practices means that we plan on it with road or area revitalizations, reconfigurations and/or widenings.  Why can’t the county afford to underground utilities in key commercial and high-density residential areas? Richmond Highway could be undergrounded for less than $5M per year, with ultimately the businesses along the highway paying for this investment.  Other Fairfax County areas have similar opportunities.

A County utilities undergrounding investment in revitalization areas would further provide a once in a generation or two opportunity to have these areas lead on a County initiative, bringing greater Equity to these areas and fulfilling a key commitment to One Fairfax.

Establish a Funding Process

For the FY 2016 budget, the Board established an Economic Opportunity Reserve (EOR) to provide for strategic investment opportunities that are identified by the Board.  A similar process would be used to establish a Reliable Utilities/Undergrounding Reserve or Fund (RUR) to provide for the strategic investment of funds for increasing utility reliability through undergrounding.  The sources of funding would include redevelopment proffers from properties benefiting from the improvements and a county-wide commercial and/or residential meter fee collected on behalf of the County by the electric utility.  As with other non-recurring investments, a request of funds could follow a similar process to Board Member requests to utilize EOR, with an initial consideration request, staff review and recommendation, committee discussion and Board approval.

RUR Funding

There are now several options for funding underground utilities investments.  Combining these options over decades, results in lower County costs and investments, reduced property owners’ contributions, more secure, reliable services, user related fees, future storm damage savings, etc.  These options include:

  1. Roadway/Development Area Property Proffer- Where the comprehensive plan requires utility undergrounding as part of a property’s redevelopment (for example, Richmond Highway), the property owner, at time of redevelopment, would be responsible for either undergrounding their utilities or proffering into the RUR the costs already incurred for undergrounding or the expected future costs for doing so.
  1. Electric Utility per Meter Fee- Updated enabling legislation via the General Assembly (Va. Code § 15.2-816.1 Underground elective distribution, telecommunications, cable, and other facilities) allows for a utility rate surcharge to ratepayers for undergrounding of utilities.  Staff estimates the legislation, at the maximum rates, would generate about $40M in annual revenues ($4M residential + $36M commercial).
  1. Carryover Funds – Budget carryover funds are available to fund non-recurring expenses and capital projects as needed. Prince William County and James City County, for example, used carryover to fund some of their undergrounding projects.
  1. Financing Options – A number of financing options are available.  The county has previously used  EDA “Infrastructure” Revenue Bonding and Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (TIFIA) financing to finance infrastructure improvements.  Other sources could be considered as well. If no general funds are used, it would not count against County debt ratios.

Potential Projects

Beyond the utility fee legislative requirement for Richmond Highway to be the initial project, RUR funds could be used for any road related project that reduces congestion or improves mobility, transit system infrastructure, safety, or service or access to such project.  Projects like Central Annandale, McLean, Reston, or Tysons Business Districts, as well as projects along Route 7, Route 28, Route 50, Columbia Pike or Braddock Road are also opportunities.  The key to realizing these opportunities is establishing a fund to be ready when these projects come online.

Richmond Highway Pilot Program

The best time to underground utilities is when utilities are already being relocated, which applies to the seven miles of Richmond Highway being revitalized over the next eight years using over one billion dollars of local, state and federal funds.  The net additional cost for undergrounding is expected to be about $100 million, but two or three times that if done later.  It is critical to make a decision to proceed now in order to minimize further the anticipated 1-2 years additional time that would be added to the project completion date which currently is 2030.  To proceed, the Board will need to support the steps outlined below:

Next Steps 

Staff has been reviewing this plan and its proposed Reliable Utility/Undergrounding Reserve and identifying the processes and financial information for it and the Richmond Highway project costs and timing, estimated proffer contributions, utility meter rate recommendations, bond financing and other related items.  Staff has also been identifying the legal steps needed to set-up and implement such a fund, development proffers, utility agreements and related Board actions.

The Economic Initiatives Committee, which includes all Board members, will at its July 26 meeting be reviewing the RUR and Richmond Highway information to provide feedback on member interest in proceeding with some type of implementation.  Following consideration in Committee, the matter would move to the Board for final consideration and action.

Thank you for your support of this important initiative.  You can see below the powerful visual impact that undergrounding utilities has for seeing a community as one of the Past or Future-- the 21st Century+ Future!

FUTURE VISION

 

CURRENT FUTURE


`

PRESENT DAY

Existing Richmond Highway

 

Download a printable version...

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