16.40.100 Underground utilities.
A. All existing and proposed utilities within the subdivision, including, but not limited to, electric, communication and cable television lines shall be placed underground except:
1. Facilities exempted by the Public Utilities Commission.
2. Metal poles supporting only street lights or street signs.
3. Surface-mounted transformer, pedestal-mounted terminal boxes and meter cabinets and concealed ducts with location and screening subject to the approval of the City Engineer and Planning Department.
For the purpose of this section, the subdivision boundary shall be considered to be the centerline of the street or streets adjacent to the subdivision.
B. No additional poles shall be installed outside of the subdivision in order to comply with this section unless specifically approved by the City Engineer. This may require undergrounding to the nearest existing poles beyond the subdivision boundaries and/or undergrounding, with the owner’s approval, of existing overhead services to properties on the opposite side of the street.
C. The City Engineer may waive the undergrounding requirement for existing overhead transmission and distribution lines for tentative maps and tentative parcel maps upon finding that:
1. The length of the required undergrounding of existing overhead facilities on peripheral streets is less than 200 feet; and
2. It is unlikely that additional undergrounding will occur on adjacent properties within 10 years because of the development presently existing on adjacent properties; and
3. The visual burden of leaving the utilities above ground will be insignificant.
As a condition of such waiver, the City may require that conduits for future under-grounding be included within designated streets within the subdivision. The waiver shall not apply to services to the subdivided property.
D. Connections for all utility lines placed under streets shall be extended to the right-of-way line and their location shall be marked upon the curb or sidewalk. All such lines shall be installed prior to final street paving and shall be designed and installed in such a manner as will obviate the necessity for disturbing the street pavement, gutter, culvert, curb, street trees and sidewalk where service connections are made.
E. The design of a subdivision for which a tentative map or parcel map is required shall provide one or more appropriate cable television systems an opportunity to construct, install and maintain, on land identified on the map as dedicated or to be dedicated to public utility use, any equipment necessary to extend cable television services to each residential parcel in the subdivision.