CC SR 20260804 02 - SCE Ladera Linda Pole Status Update
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 08/04/2026
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA TITLE:
Consider a status update on the Southern California Edison (SCE) temporary power pole
currently at the Ladera Linda Community Park.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a status on the SCE temporary power pole currently at the Ladera
Linda Community Park.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact to the City for the relocation of the SCE
power pole at Ladera Linda Community Park and the requested time
extension. Costs to relocate the temporary power pole from Ladera
Linda Community Park to a permanent location using SCE’s preferred
overhead design solution will have no cost to the City except for staff
and consultant time to review project plans. Furthermore, future
maintenance costs of the overhead electrical infrastructure (wires,
power pole, transformers, etc.) would be borne by SCE. VR
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Dave Copp, PE, Interim Director of Public Works
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. April 7, 2026 City Council Staff Report Extending SCE Temporary Power Pole
Permit (Linked)
B. September 16, 2025 City Council Staff Report on SCE Temporary Power Pole
Relocation Design (Linked)
C. September 16, 2025 City Council Meeting Minutes (Linked)
D. March 4, 2025, City Council Staff Report Extending SCE Temporary Power Pole
Permit (Linked)
E. September 3, 2024 City Council Staff Report on SCE Temporary Power Pole
Retroactive Permit (Linked)
BACKGROUND:
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On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, Staff at the Ladera Linda Community Park (LL Park)
encountered an SCE crew initiating unpermitted and unannounced work to install a power
pole and guy wire in the outdoor recreational area, east of the community center building
as shown in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1- Existing Temporary SCE Power Pole at Ladera Linda Community Park
When asked about this unpermitted work, SCE explained that the electrical infrastructure
on the west end of Dauntless Drive (near where it turns into Admirable Drive) supplied
Starting location of
unpermitted SCE work
for a guy wire
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power to approximately 40 homes along the landward side of Dauntless Drive, but needed
to be decommissioned, due to extreme stress from land movement. To avoid a permanent
outage, SCE developed plans to connect those homes to existing infrastructure from the
east end of Dauntless Drive, within the vicinity of LL Park. SCE planned to install one
power pole at LL Park and five more along the right-of-way on Dauntless Drive. These
new power poles would provide the Dauntless Drive homes with a connection to a power
source that runs from Palos Verdes Drive South along Forrestal Drive. Establishing this
connection would enable SCE to de-energize the failing electrical infrastructure on the
west end of Dauntless, thereby avoiding an outage for the 40 homes generally east of the
Exultant and Dauntless Drives intersection.
The City expressed strong opposition to the power pole at LL Park and sought alternative
routes that included undergrounding lines or obtaining easements from homeowners.
However, SCE indicated that those alternatives would require additional time to
implement, which meant that long-term de-energization would be necessary for the 40
homes along the landward side of Dauntless Drive while alternatives were considered
and implemented.
As a result, on August 29, 2024, Staff authorized SCE to temporarily install the pole at LL
Park and agreed to issue a retroactive encroachment permit with conditions. The
conditions to the retroactive permit stipulated, among other things, that the temporary
pole be relocated within 6 months, with an option to extend for two additional 3-month
extensions, provided SCE makes good faith progress on designing a permanent solution
and maintains regular communication with the City. On September 3, 2024, the City
Council directed staff to continue processing the encroachment permit for SCE under the
aforementioned terms and conditions (Attachment E).
On March 4, 2025, Staff requested that the City Council approve a three-month extension
to continue working with SCE on an appropriate permanent solution and relocation of the
power pole at LL Park (Attachment D). After consideration of information presented that
evening, including testimony from residents, SCE, and City Staff, the City Council
approved a six-month extension.
On July 15, 2025, consideration to approve permanently relocating the power pole at LL
Park was on the City Council agenda; however, the item was continued for 90 days ,
because SCE requested additional time to coordinate with Staff.
On September 16, 2025, the City Council considered options for relocating the temporary
power poles developed by Staff and SCE, including an undergrounding option
(Attachment B).
Considering that the City would have been required to pay for undergrounding costs and
SCE would not commit to long-term maintenance, the City Council authorized Staff to
coordinate with SCE to remove the temporary power pole and permanently relocate it
using SCE’s preferred overhead option under the terms and conditions of the City-
approved permit, as shown below in Figure 2. Additionally, the City Council authorized
the City Manager to approve the corresponding easement on City land.
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Figure 2 – SCE Preferred Route (Overhead)
SCE submitted the pole relocation engineered plans and easement details to Staff on
February 23, 2026. Over the course of Staff’s review of the plans and easement details,
the temporary encroachment permit for the pole at LL Park expired on March 16, 2026.
In response, and under Staff recommendation, the City Council authorized a six-month
extension to the encroachment, retroactively effective from March 16, 2026 through
September 16, 2026 at its April 7, 2026 meeting (Attachment A). However, the City
Council requested an update report be provided in August 2026 before the expiration
date. This extension was anticipated to allow Staff to complete their review of the plans
and easement details, issue an easement for the location of the permanent power pole,
and for SCE to schedule and implement the relocation work.
DISCUSSION:
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In reference to Figure 2 above, SCE’s approved plans specify removing the existing
temporary power pole at LL Park and installing a new permanent pole at the toe of the
slope between Dauntless Drive and LL Park; approximately 150 feet north of the stairway
entrance to LL Park from Dauntless Drive. The permanent pole has a height of 45 feet,
and after installation, with a portion located below grade, will be below the pad elevation
of LL Park.
As of the date of this staff report, SCE’s development of the plans and easement
documents has been completed and accepted by the City. Additionally, the City issued
all remaining permits as of July 27, 2026. SCE is scheduling to complete the relocation,
including removal of the temporary power pole at LL Park within the duration specified in
the above-described encroachment permit which is effective through September 16,
2026.
Should any unforeseen circumstances impact SCE’s schedule beyond September 16,
2026, Staff will return to the City Council at the appropriate time to provide another status
update, and may recommend extending the encroachment permit for a duration
corresponding to changes in SCE’s implementation schedule. If the work is completed by
the September 16, 2026 deadline, the City Manager will update the City Council and this
item will not return on a future meeting agenda unless requested by the City Council.
CONCLUSION:
The City Council is being asked to receive and file a status update on the SCE temporary
power pole currently at LL Park, which includes an anticipated timeline of SCE
implementing the permanent relocation and removal of the temporary pole at LL Park by
September 16, 2026.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to Staff’s Recommendations, the following alternative actions are available for
the City Council’s consideration:
1. Direct Staff to return with an update report.
2. Take other action as the Council deems appropriate.
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