The City Council finds that the preservation and protection of the health, safety and general welfare of the residents thereof and the public at large requires that all poles, wires and associated structures, as defined in § 15.60.020, shall not be constructed, placed and installed above the surface of the ground for the following reasons:
(A) Poles, wires and associated structures, which are constructed, placed or installed above the surface of the ground, are a hazard to the safety and health of operators of motor vehicles and passengers therein since they constitute encroachments, which reduce and obstruct the vision of such operators and thereby preclude a reasonable response time by an operator to an emergency situation after noticing such. The poles, wires and associated structures are a danger to fire suppression and prevention personnel, street maintenance and utility personnel, who, by reason of their jobs and duties, frequently come in close proximity thereto, particularly when using ladders, booms and cranes. The construction, placement and installation of such wires and associated structures underground will substantially reduce the hazards;
(B) The poles, wires and associated structures also create dangerous situations, causing death, injuries and property damage through fires and electrocution by reason of being toppled, tipped and otherwise displaced by uncontrolled weather elements such as rain, wind, sleet, snow and electrical storms. The hazards will be substantially eliminated by the construction, placement and installation of the wires and associated structures underground;
(C) The location of the poles, wires and associated structures above the ground surface makes them susceptible to damage, destruction and being rendered inoperable by weather or human causation. This results in services provided thereby to be interrupted, the uninterrupted continuation of which is vitally needed for the protection of the public health, safety and general welfare, particularly life saving institutions such as hospitals and fire and law enforcement communication facilities. The construction, placement and installation of the wires and associated structures underground reduces the chances of such interruption;
(D) The existence of poles, wires and associated structures above the ground is detrimental to the general welfare of the city by its blight on the natural beauty and aesthetic environment of the city and the resulting interference with the restfulness, tranquillity and pleasure of city residents in viewing the natural landscape of the city. The underground installation, placement and construction of wires and associated structures will enhance and preserve the natural beauty and landscape of the city by keeping from public view such functional, but non-aesthetic facilities.
(`78 Code, § 15.60.010.)