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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd 0486 - Underground Wiring Requirements and ProceduresCity of'Tukwila Washington Cover page to Ordinance 486 The full text of the ordinance follows this cover page. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA DECLARING THE POLICY OF THE crTy VrTH RESPECT TO THE UNDERGROUND, RELOCATION AND 'TN "I, GP A,L'L EXISTING AND NEW E1,X7TRIC AND COMMUNICATION FACILITIES WITHIN Tlih CTTY OF TUX1411A, AND PROVIDING 47-ERTAIN MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES RE'LATING rHERETO. Ordinance 486 was amended or repealed by the following ordinances. Secti6d(s), Amended, 'Amended by Ord 3 (part) 595 662 923 924 1321 5 1607 1796 7 1838 I MY M J,tivnl4 CITY ,006 40) OF TUKW WASHINGTON ORDINANCE NO. 486 Yr� J AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA DECLARING THE POLICY OF THE CITY WITH RESPECT TO THE UNDERGROUND RELOCATION AND INSTALLATION OF ALL EXISTING AND NEW ELECTRIC AND COMMUNICATION FACILITIES WITHIN THE CITY OF TUKWILA, AND PROVIDING CERTAIN MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES RELATING THERETO. The City Council of the City of Tukwila do ordain as follows: t SECTION I: A. Policy. It shall be the policy of the City o, of Tukwila to require compliance with the following orderly program pertaining to the underground relocation of all existing overhead wires carrying any electrical energy, including, but not limited to, telephone, telegraph, cable television, and electrical power, and to require the underground installation of all new electrical and communication facilities, with certain exceptions noted hereinafter. The health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of the community require that all such existing overhead facilities be relocated underground as soon as practicable in accordance with the requirements included herein, and that all new facilities specified herein be installed underground. B. Purpose. The purpose of this ordinance is to C establish minimum requirements and procedures for the underground c installation and relocation of electric and communication facilities within the City of Tukwila. C. Scope. Subject to the excepted facilities listed G o in paragraph D of this section, this ordinance shall apply to all electric facilities and to all communication facilities, including but not limited to, telephone, telegraph, and cable television facilities. -1- L D. Excepted facilities from underground requirements. This ordinance shall not apply to the following facilities: 1. Electric utility substations, pad mounted transformers and switching facilities not located on the public right -of -way where site screening is, or will be, provided in accordance with SECTION IV. (C) (2). 2. Electric transmission systems of a voltage of 110 kv or more (including poles and wires) and equivalent -1 communication facilities where such facilities are not located upon, along, or over the publicly dedicated streets of the City of Tukwila, or within the right -of -way thereof. 3. Ornamental street lighting standards. 4. Telephone pedestals and other equivalent communication facilities. 5. Police and fire sirens, or any similar municipal equipment, including traffic control equipment. SECTION II. Cost. The cost and expense of relocating the 5 existing facility, or installing new facilities, underground, shall be borne by the serving utilities and /or the owners of the real property served and /or persons applying for such underground service in accordance with the applicable filed tariffs, or the rules and regulations, or the published policies of the respective utilities furnishing such service, or as may be contractually agreed upon `between the utility and such owner or applicant. In the absence of filed tariffs, rules or regulations, published policies, or contractual agreement, the cost and expense of relocatin0 the existing facility, or installing new facilities, underground, may be financed by any method authorized by state law. -2- SECTION III. Underground requirements. A. Business centers and industrial areas. 1. The following requirements apply to all areas which are zoned by the comprehensive zoning ordinance of the City of Tukwila as CPC, CPN, CPR, CM,.,ERO, M -1, and M -2. 2. All existing overhead electric and communication facilities, with the exceptions previously noted in SECTION I. (D), shall be converted to underground facilities within 60 months from the effective date of this ordinance. 3. All extensions, rebuilds, or duplications of existing overhead electric and com- munication facilities shall be installed underground from and after the effective date of this ordinance. 4. All areas rezoned for commerical or industrial use (including all of the aforementioned zoning district classifications) after the effective date of this ordinance shall be converted to underground service in the same manner as provided herein in sub para -t graph 2. for existing facilities within 60 months from the effective date of such rezoning. B. Residential areas. 1. The following requirements apply to all areas zoned by the comprehensive zoning ordinance of the City of Tukwila as R -1, R -2, R -3, R -4, and R -M -H. 2. All extensions, duplications or rebuilds (excluding routine pole replacement or repair of casualty damage) cE existing overhead electric and communication facilities -3- shall be installed underground from and after the effective date of this ordinance. 3. All new, rebuilt, or relocated electric or communication services from an under- ground facility to service connection of structures shall be installed underground from and after the effective date of this ordinance. C. Retail business and public facilities. 1. The following requirements apply to all areas zoned by the comprehensive zoning ordinance of the City of Tukwila as C -1, C -2, and P -F. 2. The underground requirements respecting all electric or communication facilities in these areas "shall conform to the requirements of the immediately surrounding areas, as determined by their zoning classification, provided, that where the surrounding areas have varying requirements in accordance with the provisions of SECTION III.(A) and III. (B), the undergrou-' requirements shall be those applicable to the predominant1yy surrounding area. SECTION IV. Design Standards. A. All conductors, switches, transformers, and regulating devices shall be installed in accordance with the applic- able national, state, and local safety standards. All structural devices shall be designed, in accordance with the provisions of the latest edition of the Uniform Building Code. B. All vaults, handholes, ventilation gratings and access covers and conduit in public rights-of-way shall be strong enough to withstand 10,000 lb. wheel load. -4 C. Any equipment excepted from these underground requirements or otherwise permitted to be installed above ground shall be: 1. Placed within an enclosure or part of the building being served, or 2. Suitably screened with masonry or other decorative panels and /or evergreen trees, shrubs, and landscaping planted in sufficient depth to form an effective and actual sight barrier within five years. Where shrubbery is the primary screening element, minimum shrub height shall be seven feet (except for equipment not exceeding such height) for the bulk of the screen, with lower shrubs in foreground to eliminate any gaps in screening. The utility shall be responsible for the installation, maintenance, repair, or replacement of the aforementioned screening materials when the real property on which the above ground facility is located is owned by the utility. When said above ground facility is located on non utility owned real propetty, the owner shall bear the expense of installation, maintenance, repair, or replacement of the screening materials outlined above. D. Space frames and structural arrangements for holding equipment shall be designed to have an uncluttered and neat appearance. E. Where abovegrade pole line installations are permitted under the variance procedures outlined in SECTION V., conductors shall be placed in vertical alignment. -5- F. Plans for all above ground installations shall be submitted to the Planning Commission for approval of site'screening prior to the issuance of a permit by the building official. SECTION V. Variance Procedure. A. All applications for variances from the foregoing underground requirements shall first be filed with the Tukwila Planning Commission. The Commission shall promulgate rules and regulations governing application for, hearings pertaining to, and the granting of variances from the foregoing underground requirements. Underground requirements shall be waived by a variance only if the utility owner or user or any other affected party can demonstrate that it would work an undue hardship to place the facilities concerned underground. By undue hardship is meant a technological difficulty associated with the particular facility, or with the particular real property involved, or a cost of undergrounding such a facility which, in the Commission's discretion, is deemed to outweigh the general welfare considerations implicit in underground installation. B. The Commission shall only grant variances on an annual basis, renewable by appropriate action by the Commission. C. Any applicant or any party whose interest is affected by an application for a variance, or for a renewal, may appeal, by forwarding to the City Council a letter of appeal within thirty (30) days from the date on which the Planning Commission's decision on a variance or renewal application is rendered. SECTION VI. Where several utilities are planned or required in the same corridor, every effort shall be made by the utilities to use joint trenches for such facilities. SECTION VII. Enforcement. A violation of the provisions of this ordinance, or any amendments thereto, by any entity or individual affected -6- thereby, is hereby made a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $25 /day per violation. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL THIS /q day of June, 1967. CITY CERK APPROVED BY THE MAYOR THIS day of June, 1967. 1 r J MAYOR 1