Staff issued PG&E the permit for the L-109 project in the Walsh/Valley Road area of Town in August. PG&E is ramping up to begin the project in late October. The project in Atherton will involve the following:
• Community outreach
• Preliminary work – tree trimming, utility location
• Pipe installation– installation of a new 6” gas line from Walsh Road into Woodside.
Community outreach – a community outreach meeting was noticed to the residents in the vicinity of the work location and the meeting took place last week in Menlo Park. A number of Atherton residents did attend the meeting. Issues such the nature of the work, traffic impacts, tree trimming, resident access to properties, garbage collection and noise were discussed during the meeting. Staff has requested that two more notifications take place prior to the start of work:
1. A letter to be sent out via the Walsh Road homeowners group (Town to assist)to ALL residents of the Walsh Road community describing the project, its impacts and numbers to call with any concerns or other questions.
2. A letter to all of the residents in the immediate vicinity (upper Walsh/Valley Road) describing impacts affecting individual property owners including disturbance to Town Right of Way in front of their properties. Residents with impacts from tree trimming to removal/replacement of landscaping will receive individualized visits from PG&E/Town staff if required to discuss their needs and concerns.
Preliminary work – the first work to be performed is tree trimming to assure tree canopy is not acutely affected by the construction machines. Town staff has met with PG&E and a list of all trimming needs have been developed. Two trees requested for removal by PG&E are being reconsidered pending small altercations to the work plan suggested by staff. Once the tree trimming is performed, utility location will begin. As of 9/19/14, the date for the trimming will begin no sooner than 9/30/2014 with utility location (potholing) to follow.
Pipe installation – new pipeline trenching to begin end of October to early November. A two foot wide trench 6’ deep will be required from Walsh Road to the L at Valley Road (where Atherton turns into Woodside).
This project is expected to take about seven (7) weeks, from trenching to pipe testing to street repairs.
THE GOOD NEWS – Once the project is completed and the other work on the reroute is completed in Woodside/Menlo Park (already underway), the infamous 24” L-109 (San Bruno pipeline) will be de-energized through Atherton, removing from use this very old and very large gas transmission pipeline.