The $625,000 ongoing litigation regarding the Del Mar undergrounding underscores the highly divisive, expensive and unfair nature of such projects forced upon local residents by town management and well-heeled (often brand new) residents.  The assessments for individual property owners for the numerous Tiburon and Belvedere undergrounding projects have ranged from $20,000 to $35,000 or more (give projections for the most recent projects), a substantial amount, especially in today's very difficult economy.

     Determination for "membership" in each undergrounding project has generally been dictated by a visit from a town engineer, who has drawn up a district for eventual action based upon the view that the homeowner is benefiting from the removal of the various utility poles and equipment.  We were recently included in a future "district" because we can see some wires a block away: there are no wires on our immediate street.

     The driving force behind such districts formulation has often been new (often dual-income), wealthy homeowners, who also realize that they will likely have moved on "up the hill" or elsewhere by the time the assessment or tax bill comes due.  So, they get their clear skies with no fiscal risk.  That risk is left to be underwritten by the long term homeowners in the district, who have learned to live with the utility poles, and more importantly, may not have the same level of disposable (truly appropriate word for this purpose) income enjoyed by the young professional families that promote such expensive and non-critical expenditures.

      Furthermore, whatever visual or safety benefits accrue, they are experienced not just by the immediate neighbors in a district, but by the entire town populace at various times.  Therefore, if Tiburon and Belvedere believe so strongly in the value of undergrounding , they should find another broader funding solution.  This would be more equitable that forcing a few citizens to shoulder a very onerousand unfair cost, just because they happen to live under PG&E's hardware.

     Until this issue is properly aired and resolved among the citizens of both towns, an immediate halt tothe formation and implementation of undergrounding districts should be enacted.  I am sure a great number of out neighbors would appreciate the opportunity to rethink what appears to be an expensive, divisive, unfair and frankly, unnecessary public works program.