16.06.180 Utility transmission lines and facilities.
The following provisions shall apply to the location, construction, or installation of utility transmission lines and facilities (such as those for wastewater, water, communication, natural gas, etc.) within a designated hydrologically related critical area:
(1) Utility transmission lines and facilities shall be permitted within the stream corridor only where it is necessary to cross the corridor or where existing development, topography, and other conditions preclude locations outside the stream corridor.
(A) Utility transmission lines and facilities across stream corridors shall be by the most direct route possible having the least impact to the stream corridor.
(B) The construction of utility transmission lines and facilities within a stream corridor shall be designed and located to ensure minimum disruption to the functional properties specified under Section 16.06.050 (Functional properties).
(2) Utility lines under streams and wetlands shall be placed in a sleeve casing to allow easy replacement or repair with minimal disturbance to the stream corridor.
(3) Buried utility transmission lines crossing a stream corridor shall be buried a minimum of four feet below the maximum scour or one-third of the bankfull depth of the waterway, whichever is greater, and for a similar depth below any associated floodway and floodplain to the maximum extent of potential channel migration as determined by hydrologic analysis.
(4) Wherever possible, new aboveground installations shall use available, existing bridge and utility locations and stream corridor crossings as opposed to creating new locations and stream corridor crossings.
(5) Aboveground electrical support towers and other similar transmission structures shall be located as far upland as is practical.
(6) Transmission support structures shall be located clear of high flood velocities, located in areas of minimum flood depth which require the least flood-proofing, and shall be adequately flood-proofed.
(7) Underground utility transmission lines shall be constructed so they do not alter, intercept or dewater groundwater patterns that support streams, wetlands and hyporheic flow.
(8) All new and replacement water supply systems and wastewater systems within a special flood hazard area must meet the requirements of Chapter 11.19 and Section 11.50.140.
(9) Utility transmission lines within the floodway and floodway fringe shall meet the standards of Chapter 11.19 and Section 11.50.140.
(10) Additional Shoreline Standards for Utility Transmission Lines and Facilities. The requirements below shall apply to all utility transmission lines and facilities within shoreline jurisdiction. Utility services to individual projects undergoing shoreline review, including those where the primary use may be in a different shoreline environment than the utility service, shall not require separate substantial development permits for utility service installations, but are subject to all of the provisions in this section (Utility transmission lines and facilities), except those listed below. Utility service to projects outside shoreline jurisdiction are subject to normal shoreline permitting, and are subject to all of the provisions in this section (Utility transmission lines and facilities), except those listed below.
(A) Where feasible utilities shall be placed underground unless such undergrounding would be economically or technically prohibitive.
(B) New utility facilities shall be designed and located to preserve the natural landscape, and minimize conflicts with present and planned land and shoreline uses, especially recreation, residential and public access.
(C) Expansion, updating, and maintenance of existing facilities is allowed but shall be designed to be located to avoid adverse impacts to shoreline resources as much as possible.
(D) Permit applications shall meet the following submittal review standards:
(i) Applications shall submit studies (social, economic, environmental, engineering, etc.) to demonstrate that a shoreline location is the most feasible of the available options.
(ii) Applications to locate transmission lines shall submit a location plan that shows existing utility routes in the vicinity of the proposed transmission line. Failure of utility lines to follow existing routes, where feasible, shall cause denial of the application.
(iii) Applications shall include a reclamation plan that provides for revegetation and protection of shoreline areas from erosion and siltation. A revegetation or erosion protection plan judged by the administrative official to be insufficient for the protection or restoration of the shoreline environment shall cause denial of the application. (Ord. 2123, § 1 (Att.), 2021.)