...EXPLANATION
BACKGROUND:
The City owns real property located in the vicinity of State Route 315 and Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio 43235 {Franklin County Tax Parcel(s) 250-005695} (“Property” via O.R.V. 16036, Pg. E18, Recorder’s Office, Franklin County, Ohio). The Property is managed by the Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD).
The Ohio Power Company, an Ohio corporation doing business as American Electric Power (“AEP”), has electric utility facilities already burdening portions of the Property described and recorded in Deed Book 1937, Page 308, and Deed Book 1937, Page 309, Recorder’s Office, Franklin County, Ohio (“Existing Easements”). AEP shares the Existing Easements with XO Communications Services, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“XO”), in order for XO to maintain fiber optic communication facilities. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is improving certain portions of the public right-of-way of Interstate 270 and State Route 315, which requires AEP and XO to relocate their respective utility facilities onto other certain portions of the Property. Accordingly, AEP and XO jointly request subsurface electric and communications utility easement rights to burden an additional portion of the Property in order to jointly install certain underground electric facilities, fiber optic communications facilities, and associated appurtenances for the distribution, delivery, and service of electrical energy, communications, and impulses (“New Easement”). AEP and XO will jointly share the same proposed easement area described in the New Easement.
CRPD reviewed and supports granting AEP and XO the New Easement in consideration that (i) the New Easement supports electricity services in the vicinity of the Property, (ii) granting the New Easement will foster intergovernmental cooperation for ODOT to improve the public right-of-way of Interstate 270 and State Route 315, (iii) AEP and XO will appropriately restore the areas affected by the New ...
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