City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 25, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: LEAH RILEY, DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing and Consideration of a License Agreement with Teleport Communications America, LLC to Permit the operation of a telecommunications system in the City of Alexandria’s public rights-of-way.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of a License Agreement with Teleport Communications America, LLC to permit the operation of a telecommunications system in the City’s public rights-of-way.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council set this matter for a public hearing on July 1, 2026, and after hearing public testimony approve the attached license agreement with Teleport Communications America, LLC, and authorize the City manager to execute the agreement and to take any other actions that are necessary to implement the same.
BACKGROUND: Applicant contacted the City to request a new right-of-way license agreement for existing telecommunications conduit facilities located within the public right-of-way at approximately 200 Stovall Street and 675 N. Washington Street. City staff support the proposed License Agreement because it formalizes the applicant’s continued use and maintenance responsibilities associated with existing facilities within the public right-of-way and establishes operational, permitting, insurance, relocation, and maintenance requirements consistent with City Code and standard City practices.
DISCUSSION: The essential aspects of the Agreement are as follows:
The term of five years extends until 2031 and is not renewable. As compensation for use of the public rights-of-way the City receives the statutory right-of-way fee imposed under Virginia Code § 56.468.1 and City Code § 5-2-160, et seq. The agreement requires Teleport to submit an Annual Operations Plan to the department of Transportation & Environmental Services (T&ES) for each of the five years covered by the agreement. The operations plan further requires Teleport to describe all the activities to install the conduit and to pull cable that Teleport intends to undertake in the public rights-of-way during the twelve-month period covered by the plan, the sites where any activity in the public rights-of-way will occur and a tentative timetable. The director of T&ES must review the plan and determine whether the public rights-of-way upon which the construction is planned are appropriate sites for the proposed activity.
The Agreement additionally requires Teleport to submit to T&ES, prior to undertaking any specific project within the rights-of-way, a plan which, among other things, will (i) identify the location of the project, (ii) describe the equipment to be installed and the techniques to be used, (iii) state the start and end dates, (iv) propose a traffic control plan and (v) verify that Teleport has or will obtain all necessary approvals from other governmental entities including departments or agencies of the City. The City can require Teleport to remove or relocate, at Teleport’s expense- to the extent permitted by law- any conduits, cables or other equipment when City staff have determined that the equipment interferes with or disturbs the operation, improvement, repair or maintenance of the rights-of-way or of other utility services. The agreement further requires Teleport to obtain permits from the City for any maintenance work and to repair all damage resulting from the work, and provides that upon its termination or non-renewal, Teleport will remove all of its conduits, cables and other equipment from the City’s rights-of-way. Finally, the agreement provides that Teleport must maintain adequate insurance to protect the City and any residents against claims arising from the system or the company’s work on the system.
FISCAL IMPACT: The City will be compensated in the form of fees for the use of the public rights-of-way. These fees are statutorily set and standardized under Virginia Code § 56.468.1 and City Code § 5-2-160, et seq., at $3.50 per annum per linear foot. The proposed facilities associated with Teleport’s license would comprise a total of 33,204 linear feet, for a total of $116,214.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: 200 Stoval St _ Alexandria City _ As-Built
Attachment 2: 675 N Washington St _ Alexandria City _ As-built
Attachment 3: COA-Teleport License Agreement
STAFF:
Emily Baker, PE, Deputy City Manager
Bryan P. MacAvoy, Assistant City Attorney
Alex Boulden, PE, Acting Deputy Director of Engineering and Right-Of-Way