City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MARCH 26, 2024
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: ADRIANA CASTAÑEDA, DIRECTOR,
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing and Consideration of a Second Amendment to a Five-Year License Agreement dated November 1, 2022, between the City of Alexandria, Virginia and Crown Castle Fiber, LLC. to permit Crown Castle to construct and install an additional enterprise fiber route of approximately 600 feet in the City of Alexandria, Virginia’s Public Rights-of-Ways.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of a Second Amendment to a Five-Year License Agreement dated November 1, 2022, between the City of Alexandria, Virginia and Crown Castle Fiber, LLC. to permit Crown Castle Fiber, LLC to construct and install an additional enterprise fiber route of approximately 600 feet in the City of Alexandria, Virginia’s Public Rights-of-Ways.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Consider the proposed amendment to the existing License Agreement (“Agreement”) with Crown Castle and set it for public hearing on Saturday, April 13, 2024; and
2. After the public hearing, authorize the City Manager to execute the Amendment and to take other actions that are necessary to implement the Amendment.
BACKGROUND: On September 21, 2021, the City granted Crown Castle a Telecommunications Facility Franchise authorizing it to install and operate its wireless communications equipment in the City. On November 1, 2022, the City Council approved a Five-Year License Agreement Amendment to permit Crown Castle to install, maintain, operate, and control a Fiber Network in Public Rights-of-Ways throughout the city.
DISCUSSION: On November 1, 2022, the City entered into a five-year license agreement with Crown Castle. Under the agreement Crown Castle installed approximately 12 miles of fiber and related equipment in the City’s public rights-of-ways to connect its wireless small cell facilities to provide broadband services for its commercial customers.
On or about November 2023, City Council approved an amendment to the agreement permitting Crown Castle to install approximately 400 feet of fiber to provide telecom services to Lincoln Properties located at 1737 King Street. Under this second proposed amendment, Crown Castle seeks to install an additional enterprise fiber route of approximately 600 feet to provide telecom services to 3625 Potomac Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia for Virginia Tech.
The proposed build and route descriptions are:
Perform knockout on an existing handhole on 8 West Reed Avenue and directional bore across the right-of-way and place a 2’x3’x3’ handhole. Directional bore approximately 266’ westbound to Commonwealth Avenue heading southbound and place a 2/x3/x3/ handhole. Heading southbound directional bore approximately 329/ and place a 2/x3/x/3/ handhole and complete a knockout and existing manhole MH#R8 S27-21. Outside of 3625 Potomac Avenue place 17’ of new conduit from customer property at a new 2’x3’x3 handhole
The terms and conditions of the November 1, 2022, license agreement will remain the same. This additional route will be added.
FISCAL IMPACT: Crown Castle will be required to pay to the City right-of-way fees of $1.26 per access line as of July 1, 2023, based on its existing Agreement with the City and for 2023 through 2024, those fees have been approximately $1055.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Amendment No. 2 to the License Agreement with Maps of Proposed Builds
Attachment 2: Current License Agreement between the City of Alexandria and Crown Castle
dated November 1, 2022
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Tarrence Moorer, Assistant Director, Internal Services, T&ES
Cheran C. Ivery, City Attorney
Karen S. Snow, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Lalit Sharma, P.E. Deputy Director, T&ES
Kimberely Merritt, Civil Engineer, T&ES