FPL Vista switch
December and May, the population of the island doubles as
many part time residents return to Palm Beach to spend the
cooler months of the year in the Town. The Town has put
in place by Ordinance several seasonal restrictions regarding
construction work within the right of way, limits on work
hours, and other associated restrictions and requirements. All
of this is in an effort to reduce traffic impacts and generally
create a pleasant experience for those that are in Town for
“the season.” While it is understood that the Town Council
has lifted the ban on right of way construction work for this
program, there is still a strong desire to minimize impacts
during this time of year.
5.2 Town of Palm Beach
As discussed in Section 4 of this master plan, the Town is
responsible for the operation and maintenance of various
types of infrastructure within the Town. The design
criteria presented below shall govern improvements related
specifically to undergrounding. Any impacts or improvements
to other infrastructure shall be governed by the design criteria
already established for those elements by the Town of Palm
Beach. A summary of recommended specific undergrounding
design criteria as it relates to Town owned and operated
infrastructure is summarized below.
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Single phase transformers and AT&T/Comcast service pedestals
FPL Capicitor bank
5.2.1 Town Owned Conduit
y y Conduit to be installed for Town purposes should
be HDPE or PVC suitable for installation by either
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) or open cut
methods.
y y To achieve cost savings related to joint trenching,
conduit routes for future communications should follow
the routes of the conduit being installed as part of the
undergrounding program to the greatest extent practical.
y y Place pullboxes at junctions and at intervals sufficient to
allow pulling future cabling.
y y Locate pullboxes in the road right-of-way, but off the
roadway travel surface to the greatest extent practical.
y y Recess pullboxes below grade with bolt down covers to
enhance system security. Pullboxes should be provided
with electronic markers and/or have GPS data recorded
for future locating purposes.
5.2.2 Right-of-Way Restoration
y y Right-of-way restoration shall meet current Standards
Applicable to Public Right-of-Way and Easements Within
the Town of Palm Beach for roadway pavements, drainage,
curbing, and sidewalks.
y y Sanitary sewer restoration, where impacted, shall meet
current Standards Applicable to Public Right-of-Way and
Easements Within the Town of Palm Beach.
y y Where no standard exists, the FDOT standard
specifications shall be used to the greatest extent
applicable.
y y Landscaping outside of easements and right-of-way
that is impacted by any improvements shall be restored
to an equal or better condition than existed prior to
commencement of the work. Landscaping to be installed
to screen new equipment from the public right-of-way
shall be installed in accordance with applicable Town
Code of Ordinance requirements.
5.2.3 Equipment Placement
y y Equipment shall be located to meet the clear zone
requirements contained in the Florida Department of
Transportation Design Standards, Index 700, and the
Florida Greenbook, as applicable
y y Within Urban Curb or Curb and Gutter roadway
corridors, equipment shall be placed according to the
Florida Department of Transportation Plans Preparation
Manual, Volume 1, Chapter 4.2.4 – Lateral Offsets.
Transportation Design for Livable Communities criteria
shall be applied for applicable roadway corridors.
y y This criteria are applicable for both Town and FDOT
controlled right-of-ways.
5.2.4 Town Policy Recommendations
Easement acquisition will be required in every phase during
the implementation of this program. This process can be
challenging and time consuming. It is recommended that the
Town as a matter of policy consider requiring the dedication
of a front and/or side yard easement be dedicated for utility
use on any property that wishes to obtain a building permit.
Access to such easements will help facilitate the program
during future phases.
For properties that are undergoing extensive upgrades
or renovations, it is recommended that electric and
communications conduits be installed to a front street
location for future use by the undergrounding program
to connect the home/business to the new underground
infrastructure when it is installed. This will eliminate the
need for trenching or boring from the front street to the
meter location in the future.
TOWN OF PALM BEACH