Sunrise Boulevard H-frame Pole Replacement Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025070212
Public Agency
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Document Title
Sunrise Boulevard H-frame Pole Replacement Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/3/2025
Document Description
To enhance the safety and reliability of electric service in Sacramento County, SMUD proposes to replace two existing H-frame transmission poles along Sunrise Boulevard with new single steel poles at each location. One pole is located on the north side of the American River along Sunrise Boulevard, and the other is on the south side of the river, adjacent to the American River Bike Trail.
The new steel poles will be installed in the same locations as the existing structures and will support the existing 69kV transmission line, along with a 12kV underbuild and a SMUD fiber optic conductor. Each replacement pole will be approximately 82 feet tall and set on a 9-foot diameter, 32-foot deep cast-in-drilled-hole (CIDH) concrete foundation. A minimum 42-inch layer of crushed rock will be placed around the base of each pole for erosion control and structural stability.
Pole excavation will use a truck-mounted auger, with soil temporarily stockpiled adjacent to each hole. Excavated soil will either be used to backfill the old holes or removed from the site and disposed of. Each new pole will be framed with all necessary electrical hardware, including cross arms, pins, insulators, grounding components, and safety markers prior to setting the pole in the ground. After installation, the holes will be backfilled with compacted rock and the surface will be restored back to natural grade.
SMUD will access poles using existing roads. Construction is expected to occur between July and October of 2025 or May and October of 2026, and would begin once all necessary permits, license, and approvals have been obtained. Construction would take approximately 4 weeks and would be performed under dry conditions.
Contact Information
Name
Ammon Rice
Agency Name
SMUD
Job Title
Supervisor, Environmental Services
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Rancho Cordova
Counties
Sacramento
Regions
Citywide, Countywide
Other Information
The project is located along Sunrise Boulevard, in Fair Oaks, CA north of the American River and in Rancho Cordova, CA south of the American River in Sacramento County.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines §15301(b), Existing Facilities, §15302 (c), Replacement or Reconstruction
Reasons for Exemption
Under CEQA Guidelines §15062, a lead agency must identify the rationale for making the determination that a project is exempt under CEQA. SMUD has reviewed and determined that the Project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA pursuant to Sections 15301 (Existing Facilities), 15302 (Replacement and Reconstruction) and 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures).
§15301 Existing Facilities applies to projects that consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alternations of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency’s determination. Examples of this exemption include but are not limited to: (b) “Existing facilities of both investor and publicly owned utilities used to provide electric power, natural gas, sewerage, or other public utility services.”
§15302 Replacement or Reconstruction applies to projects that consist of replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced. Examples of this exemption include but are not limited to: (c) “Replacement or reconstruction of existing utility systems and/or facilities involving negligible or no expansion of capacity.
Thus, the Project involves replacing existing publicly owned electric facilities and the replacement of existing structures. Therefore, this project
County Clerk
Sacramento
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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