726-6US-1892 Utility Pole Ground Bed Placement

Caltrans District 7 has approved an encroachment permit for Pacific Bell Telephone Company, doing business as AT&T California, to perform utility work within the Caltrans right-of-way along State Route 126 at post mile R28.01 in the City of Fillmore, Ventura County. The project involves excavating to access pole 1202438E to install a new ground bed and 24 feet of ground wire. Excavation specifications include a maximum depth of 3 feet, a minimum depth of 1 foot, and average dimensions of 1 foot by 8 feet. The scope also includes necessary traffic control activities. No public utilities will be relocated, and no new right-of-way acquisition is required. The project is classified as a forecast under NAICS code 237130 and is determined to be categorically exempt under CEQA Class 1b and a categorical exclusion under NEPA via the FHWA-Caltrans MOU. Compliance requirements include adhering to Encroachment Permit Special Provisions TR-0408 and conducting bird surveys of the pole and adjacent vegetation within 500 feet to implement protection BMPs if active nests are found. Additionally, the contractor must halt work if unidentified cultural materials are unearthed until an archaeologist can assess the find, and no construction dewatering is permitted.