Lake Forest City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 9
140 UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICTS
§ 9.140.010 Definitions.
The following words and phrases shall have the meaning ascribed below:
"City Clerk"
means the City Clerk of the City of Lake Forest.
"City Council"
means the City Council of the City of Lake Forest.
"Commission"
means the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California.
"Director"
means the Director of Public Works/City Engineer.
"Person"
means and includes but is not limited to, individuals, firms, corporations, partnerships and their agents and employees.
"Poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures"
means poles, towers, supporters, wires, conductors, cables, guys, stubs, platforms, crossarms, braces, transformers, insulators, cutouts, switches, communications circuits, appliances, attachments and appurtenances located above-ground within a district and used or useful in supplying electric, communication, community antenna television, or similar or associated service.
"Underground utility district" or "district"
means that area within the City of Lake Forest within which poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures are prohibited as such area is described in a resolution adopted pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.140.040 of this chapter.
"Utility"
means and includes all persons or entities supplying electric, communication, community antenna television, or similar or associated service.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.020 Public hearing.
The City Council may from time to time call public hearings to ascertain whether the public health, safety, or welfare requires the removal of poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures within designated areas of the City of Lake Forest and the underground installation of wires and facilities for supplying electric, communication, community antenna television, or similar or associated service. The City Clerk shall notify all affected property owners, as shown on the last equalized assessment roll, and all utilities concerned, by mail, postage prepaid, of the time and place of such hearings at least 10 days prior to the date thereof. Each such hearing shall be open to the public and may be continued from time to time. At each such hearing all persons interested shall be given an opportunity to be heard.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.030 Report by Director.
Prior to holding such public hearing, the Director or his/her representative shall consult with all affected utilities and shall prepare a report for submission at such hearing, containing, among other information, the extent of such utilities' participation and estimates of the total costs to the City and affected property owners. Such report shall also contain an estimate of the time required to complete such underground installation and removal of overhead facilities.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.040 Designation of underground utility districts.
A.
If after any such public hearing as described in Section 9.140.020 of this chapter, the City Council finds that the public health, safety, or welfare requires the removal of poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures and requires the underground installation of wires and facilities for supplying electric, communication, community antenna television, or similar or associated service within a designated area, and the City Council determines that such undergrounding is in the general public interest for one or more of the following reasons:
1.
Such undergrounding will avoid or eliminate an unusually heavy concentration of overhead facilities;
2.
Said street or road or right-of-way is extensively used by the general public and carries a heavy volume of pedestrian or vehicular traffic;
3.
Said street or road or right-of-way adjoins or passes through a civic area or public recreation area or an area of unusual scenic interest to the general public; the City Council shall, by resolution, declare the designated area an underground utility district and shall order the removal and underground installation of such facilities. The decision of the City Council shall be final and conclusive.
B.
Immediately following its adoption, the City Clerk shall cause a certified copy of the resolution to be recorded in the office of the County Clerk/County Recorder of the County of Orange. The resolution shall include a description and map of the area comprising the district and will also provide that the City Council shall by subsequent resolution fix the time within which:
1.
The individual properties in the district must be ready to receive underground service; and
2.
Poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures shall be removed.
A reasonable time shall be allowed for such removal and underground installation, having due regard for the availability of labor, materials, and equipment necessary for such removal and for the installation of such underground facilities as may be occasioned thereby. |
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.050 Unlawful acts.
Whenever the City Council creates an underground utility district and orders the removal of poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures therein as provided in Section 9.140.040 of this chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person or utility to erect, construct, place, keep, maintain, continue, employ, or operate poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures in the district after the date when said overhead facilities are required to be removed by such resolution unless such facilities are specifically excluded from the undergrounding requirement in said resolution or except as hereinafter provided. Overhead facilities may, however, be permitted to remain temporarily if required to furnish service to an owner or occupant of property for a reasonable period of time prior to the performance by such owner or occupant of the underground work necessary for such owner or occupant to continue to receive utility service as provided in Section 9.140.100 of this chapter, and for such reasonable time as is required to remove said facilities after said work has been performed, and as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.060 Exceptions, emergency or unusual circumstances.
Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter, overhead facilities may be installed and maintained for a period not to exceed 10 days without authority of the City Council in order to provide emergency service. Additionally, the City Council may grant special permission, on such terms as the City Council may deem appropriate, in cases of unusual circumstances, without discrimination as to any person or utility to erect, construct, install, maintain, use, or operate poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.070 Additional exceptions.
This chapter and any resolution adopted pursuant to Section 9.140.040 of this chapter shall, unless otherwise provided in such resolution, not apply to the following types of facilities:
A.
Any City facilities or equipment installed under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the Director.
B.
Poles and associated overhead structures used exclusively for streetlighting.
C.
Overhead wires which originate on a pole outside the boundaries of a district and terminate at a point of service on a building within the district.
D.
Overhead wires attached to the exterior surface of a building by means of a bracket or other fixture and extending from one location of the building to another location on the same building or to an adjacent building without crossing any public street.
E.
Antennae, associated equipment, and supporting structures, used by a utility for furnishing communications services.
F.
Equipment appurtenant to underground facilities, such as surface-mounted transformers, pedestalmounted terminal boxes and meter cabinets, concealed ducts, cable TV pedestals and amplifier cabinets.
G.
Temporary poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures used or to be used in conjunction with construction projects.
H.
Stub poles, anchors, and guy wires originating in the district but used to support poles outside the district.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.080 Notice to property owners and utility companies.
A.
1.
Within 10 days after the effective date of a resolution adopted pursuant to Section 9.140.040 of this chapter, the City Clerk shall notify all affected utilities and all affected property owners within the district created by said resolution of the adoption thereof. Said City Clerk shall further notify such affected property owners of the necessity that, if they or any person occupying such property desire to continue to receive electric, communication, community antenna television, or similar or associated service, they or such occupant, at their own expense, shall provide all necessary facility changes on their premises so as to receive underground service from the underground lines of the supplying utility or utilities, subject to the applicable rules, regulations, and tariffs of the respective utility or utilities on file with the Commission and to all other applicable requirements of State laws and City and County ordinances.
2.
Notifications by the City Clerk shall be made by mailing a copy of the resolution adopted pursuant to Section 9.140.040, together with a copy of this chapter, to affected property owners as such are shown on the last equalized assessment roll and to the affected utilities.
B.
1.
Within 15 days of adoption by the City Council of the resolution fixing the time within which con versions on private property and pole removal must be accomplished, the City Clerk shall further notify all affected utilities and affected persons that the work required to change the facilities on the premises so as to receive electric, communication, or community antenna television, or similar or associated service provided or to be provided by the utility company shall be accomplished on or before the applicable date set forth in the resolution. This notice shall also state the date all poles and related overhead structures are to be removed from within the district.
2.
Notification by the City Clerk shall be made by mailing a copy of this resolution to affected property owners as such are shown on the last equalized assessment roll and to the affected utilities.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.090 Responsibility of utility companies.
If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within the district created by any resolution adopted pursuant to Section 9.140.040 of this chapter, the supplying utility shall furnish that portion of the conduits, conductors, and associated equipment required to be furnished by it under its applicable rules, regulations, and tariffs on file with the Commission, and all other applicable requirements of State laws and City and County ordinances.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.100 Responsibility of property owners.
Every person owning, operating, leasing, occupying or renting a building or structure within a district shall provide for the construction of that portion of the service connection on his/her/its property between the facilities referred to in Section 9.140.090 of this chapter and the termination facility on or within said building or structure being served.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.110 Enforcement.
In the event that any person owning, operating, leasing, occupying, or renting said property does not comply with Section 9.140.100 of this chapter within the time specified in the resolution adopted pursuant to Sections 9.140.040 and Section 9.140.080(B) of this chapter, the Director shall proceed as follows:
A.
He/she shall give notice in writing to the person in possession of such premises, and notice in writing to the owner thereof as shown on the last equalized assessment roll, to provide the required underground facilities within 10 days after receipt of such notice,
B.
The notice to provide the required underground facilities may be given either by personal service or by mail. In case of service by mail, the notice shall be deposited in the United States mail, in a sealed envelope with postage prepaid, addressed to the person in possession of such premises at such premises, and to the owner thereof. If notice is given by mail, such notice shall be deemed to have been received by the person to whom it is sent within 48 hours after the mailing thereof. If notice is given by mail to either the owner or occupant of such premises, the Director shall, within 48 hours after the mailing thereof, cause a copy thereof, printed on a card not less than eight inches by 10 inches in size, to be posted in a conspicuous place on said premises.
C.
The notice given by the Director to provide the required underground facilities shall particularly specify that work is required to be done and shall state that if said work is not completed within 30 days after receipt of such notice, the Director will provide such required underground facilities, in which case the cost and expense thereof, including engineering, legal, advertising, and all incidental expenses, will be assessed against the property benefited and become a lien upon such property.
D.
If, upon the expiration of the 30 day period, the said required underground facilities have not been provided, the Director shall forthwith proceed to do the work; provided, however, that if such premises are unoccupied and no electric or communication services are being furnished thereto, the Director may, in lieu of providing the underground facilities, authorize the disconnection and removal of any and all overhead service wires and associated facilities supplying utility service to said property. Upon completion of the work by the Director, he/she shall file a written report with the City Council setting forth the fact that the required underground facilities have been provided and the cost thereof, together with a legal description of the property against which such cost is to be assessed. The City Council shall thereupon fix a time and place for hearing protests against the assessment of the cost of such work upon such premises which said time shall not be less than 10 days thereafter.
E.
The Director, shall forthwith, upon the time for hearing such protests having been fixed, give notice in writing to the person in possession of such premises, and a notice in writing thereof to the owner thereof, in the manner hereinabove provided for giving of the notice to provide the required underground facilities, of the time and place that the City Council will pass upon such report and will hear protests against such assessment. Such notice shall also set forth the amount of the proposed assessment.
F.
Upon the date and hour set for the hearing of protests, the City Council shall hear and consider the report and all protests, if there is any, and proceed to affirm, modify, or reject the assessment.
G.
If any assessment is not paid within five days after its confirmation by the City Council, the amount of the assessment shall become a lien upon the said property against which the assessment was made by the Director, and said Director shall deliver to the Assessor and Tax Collector of the County of Orange a notice of lien on each of said properties on which the assessment has not been paid, and said Assessor and Tax Collector shall add the amount of said assessment to the next regular bill for taxes levied against the premises upon which said assessment was not paid. Said assessment shall be due and payable at the same time property taxes are due and payable and, if delinquent, shall bear the same penalties as prescribed for delinquent real property taxes.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.120 Responsibility of City.
City shall remove at its own expense all City-owned equipment from all poles required to be removed hereunder in ample time to enable the owner or user of such poles to remove the same within the time specified in the resolution adopted pursuant to Section 9.140.040 of this chapter.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.130 Extension of time.
In the event that any act required by this chapter or by a resolution adopted pursuant to Section 9.140.040 of this chapter cannot be performed within the time provided on account of shortage of materials, war, restraint by public authorities, strikes, labor disturbances, civil disobedience, or any other circumstances beyond the control of the actor, then the time within which such act will be accomplished shall be extended for a period equivalent to the time of such limitation.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
§ 9.140.140 New, revised, or reactivated residential subdivisions.
A.
Utility lines, including but not limited to, electric, communications, street lighting, and cable television, shall be required to be placed underground within any new, revised, or reactivated residential subdivision. The subdivider is responsible for making the necessary arrangements with the utility companies for the installation of such facilities. For the purposes of this subsection, appurtenances and associated equipment such as, but not limited to, surface-mounted transformers, pedestal-mounted terminal boxes, meter cabinets, and concealed ducts in an underground system may be placed above ground within the street right-of-way where sufficient right-of-way width exists so as not to pose a serious hazard to pedestrian traffic. If approved by the Director, utility lines, the main purpose of which is to provide service to customers outside of the original boundaries of the subdivision, and those utility lines which were in service in the area covered by the tentative tract or tentative parcel map prior to the filing of the tentative map may be placed above ground.
B.
Required underground utility lines may be located in street or alley rights-of-way or along any lot line.
C.
Overhead utility lines shall be located at the rear of lots or parcels where practical, the poles supporting such overhead lines shall not be installed within any street, alleyway, drainage easement, or flood control channel.
D.
Above ground installation of utilities shall be permitted on a temporary basis when such utilities are required during construction; provided, however, that such utilities shall be removed or placed underground prior to the final exoneration of street improvement bonds.
(Ord. 176 § 1, 2007)
