19.26.110 Underground utilities.
It is the intent of this provision to require underground installation of all new utilities.
A. All divisions of land shall have all necessary power lines, telephone wires, television cables, fire alarm systems and other communication wires, cables or lines placed in an underground location.
B. All such underground installations or systems shall be approved by the appropriate utility company and shall adhere to all governing applicable regulations including, but not limited to, the city and state applicable regulations and specific requirements of the appropriate utility.
C. All utility easements within a proposed project shall be approved by the appropriate utility company before final acceptance of the project and shall be shown in their exact location on the final drawing of said project.
D. Nothing in this section or any other section of Chapters 19.24 through 19.27 EMC and this title in relation to underground wiring shall apply to power lines carrying a voltage of fifteen kV or more, nor shall it be construed to prohibit the placement of pad mounted transformers, terminal pedestals or other electrical and communications devices above ground, as determined by the appropriate utility involved.
E. Exceptions.
1. If the appropriate utility company determines that an underground system as proposed above cannot reasonably be installed according to accepted engineering practices, this requirement may be waived upon receipt of a written notice from said utility to the city engineer.
2. Where a utility service must be extended to access the proposed development, the city may waive the underground requirement for the portion of the service located within public right-of-way, if the city engineer identifies a significant conflict due to any of the following circumstances:
a. There are topographic constraints present that make constructing the improvement impractical;
b. The location of existing underground utilities; or
c. Placement of the required utilities underground would create a potential safety hazard for property owners, the city or the general public. (Ord. 3774-20 § 5(N) (Exh. 3), 2020.)