City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 2021
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
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Consideration of an Amendment to Five-Year License Agreement dated December 1, 2019, between the City of Alexandria, Virginia and Crown Castle Fiber, LLC., to Permit Crown Castle to Install an 150 foot Build of Four Conduits and Fiber Optic Cables in the City of Alexandria’s Public Rights-of-Ways.
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ISSUE: Consideration of an amendment to an existing Five-Year License Agreement dated December 1, 2019, between the City of Alexandria and Crown Castle Fiber, LLC. (“Crown Castle”) to permit Crown Castle to install 150-feet of four conduits and fiber optic cables in the City of Alexandria’s Public Rights-of-Ways for telecommunications services for a customer at 4850 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia.
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, September 18, 2021; 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 AND DISCUSSION: On November 16, 2019, City Council approved the transfer of a five-year license agreement from Lightower Fiber Networks, LLC. to Crown Castle for an approximately 750-foot fiber build in the public rights-of-ways in Alexandria. (A copy of the Agreement is attached hereto as Attachment 3).
Crown Castle is seeking an amendment to its existing License Agreement to construct a 150-foot build of four conduits and placing fiber optic cable connection to a client for telecommunications service at 4850 Mark Center Drive. The route is:
• An additional bore of 150 feet starting at the existing handhole on northern corner of Mark Center Drive and Mark Center Avenue to the property at 4850 Mark Center Drive and the property driveway, a 3’x5’x3’ handhole will be place in the grass area. The build will include the placement of four (4) 1 ½ inch HDPE conduit with one (1) 144 fiber optic cable, mule tape, and tracer wire.
This project is being undertaken by Crown Castle to serve the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) which currently owns and occupies 4850 Mark Center Drive. The City has a contract to buy 4850 Mark Center Drive to house the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), the Alexandria Health Department, and some Neighborhood Health Service operations. The City plans to talk to Crown Castle to determine if the planned conduit and fiber wiring can be done in such a way that it can benefit the City when the City occupies 4850 Mark Center Drive.
FISCAL IMPACT: Crown Castle will be required to pay the City right-of-way fees of $1.60 per access line as of July 1, 2021, based on its existing agreement with the City. Those fees have been approximately $290 per quarter or $1,160 annually for right of way fees.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Amendment to the License Agreement Between the City of Alexandria and Crown Castle Fiber, LLC. with exhibit Map.
2. Map
3. Current License Agreement Between the City of Alexandria and Crown Castle Fiber, LLC., dated December 1, 2019.
STAFF:
Joanna Anderson, City Attorney
Karen Snow, Senior Assistant, City Attorney
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, Director, Department of Transportation and Environmental Services
Lalit Sharma, P.E., Deputy Director, Transportation and Environmental Services - DROW