A. Each unit or lot within the subdivision shall be served by gas (if required), electric, telephone and cablevision facilities. All utilities within the subdivision and along peripheral streets shall be placed underground in accordance with Chapters 14.20 and 14.24, of this code, except those facilities exempted by the Public Utilities Commission regulations. Undergrounding shall be required for overhead lines on both sides of peripheral streets.
B. For subdivisions of five or more parcels, the subdivider may request that the undergrounding requirement along peripheral streets be waived by the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission may, at its discretion, accept a fee in lieu of the undergrounding. The amount of fee shall be determined by the City Engineer and shall be one-half of the normal cost of undergrounding existing utilities on residential streets. The requirement for undergrounding or the acceptance of an in-lieu-of-undergrounding fee shall be made a condition of approval of the tentative map.
C. For subdivision of five or more parcels the developer may appeal the undergrounding requirement along peripheral streets to the City Council. Such appeal shall be in accordance with Section 18.20.070 of this title. The appeal shall be accompanied by an estimate from each utility company for the approximate cost per lineal foot and total cost to underground its facilities along the peripheral street.
The developer shall pay all fees as may be charged by each utility company to make the required estimate.
D. The City Council or City Engineer, as the case may be, may, at its discretion, accept a fee in lieu of the undergrounding of existing facilities along peripheral streets.
The amount of fee shall not be less than the amount established by the City Engineer for the normal cost of undergrounding of existing utilities along residential streets.
E. In-lieu fees shall be deposited in a special undergrounding account to be used as approved by the City Council for future undergrounding of utilities throughout the City.
F. For subdivisions of four or less parcels, undergrounding requirements may be waived or modified by the City Engineer upon finding:
1. The subdivision is within an area where existing utilities have not been undergrounded;
2. Overhead utilities will have no significant visual impact.
G. If the undergrounding requirement is waived as allowed by subsections F1 and 2 of this section, the in-lieu fee as established by the City Engineer shall be paid as a condition of approval of the tentative map.
(Ord. 2085, § 2 (part), 2011; Ord. 1384, Exhibit A (part), 1986)