Salt Lake City Utility Box Ordinance May 2009 

21A.40.160:  GROUND MOUNTED UTILITY BOXES: 

A. Compliance With Regulations Required; Exception: All ground mounted utility boxes shall be subject to the following regulations unless exempted within section 21A.02.050, “Applicability”, of this title or where limited by other provisions of this title. 

B. Definition; Dimensions; District Requirements: “Ground mounted utility boxes” shall mean such facilities, including pedestals, boxes, vaults, cabinets, meters or other ground mounted facilities and associated equipment such as condensing units and generators that directly serve the property or local area in which the facility is placed, that are not primarily for transmission or distribution to other locations, or otherwise are customarily found in such areas. 

1. Ground mounted utility boxes are separated into three (3) tiers: small, medium and large. 

a. Small ground mounted utility boxes are less than fifteen (15) cubic feet in volume with a limit of forty eight inches (48”) in height.

b. Medium ground mounted utility boxes are equal to or greater than fifteen (15) cubic feet in volume and equal to or less than fort (40) cubic feet in volume with a limit of sixty inches (60”) in height.

c. Large ground mounted utility boxes exceed forty (40) cubic feet in volume with a limit of seventy two inches (72”) in height.

2. Residential districts and neighborhood commercial (CN), mixed use (MU), mobile home park (MH), and open space (OS) districts are subject to the following requirements:

a. Small ground mounted utility boxes shall be considered routine and uncontested matters as outlined in chapter 21A.14 of this title, subject to the following standards:

(1) Screen Standards: The intent of these screening standards is to minimized negative visual impacts while taking into consideration maintenance, access, and public safety.

(A) Screening materials are to be provided in a manner that minimizes the visual impact of the utility installation but also addresses crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) principles of maintaining views of the subject area from public locations such as sidewalks and streets.

(B) Solid or opaque screening materials are permitted when part of an existing design element of the site.

(2) Location Standards:

(A) Location does not block views within sight distance angles of sidewalks, driveways and intersections.

(B) Located to minimize blocking views from and of the principal structure(s).

(3) Signature Required: The zoning administrator shall require the signatures of all abutting property owners, including property owners across the street, in the regular process for considering any routine and uncontested matters relating to small ground mounted utility boxes.

(4) Community Council Notification: The affected community council will be notified of the request and of the administrative hearing, if applicable.

b. Medium or large ground mounted utility boxes shall be processed as conditional uses subject to chapter 21A.54 of this title.

3. Commercial, downtown, manufacturing, gateway and special purpose districts other than those listed in subsection B2 of this section shall be subject to the following requirements:

a. Small ground mounted utility boxes shall be considered permitted uses.

b. Medium or large ground mounted utility boxes when located on private property in commercial, downtown, gateway, manufacturing, and some special purpose districts (all except natural open space, mixed use, mobile home park, and open space districts) shall be considered routine and uncontested matters as outlined in chapter 21A.14 of this title, and shall be subject to the screening, location, and administrative review standards of subsections B2a(1) through B2a(3) of this section.

4. All ground mounted utility boxes not subject to subsections B1, B2 and B3 of this section shall be processed as conditional uses subject to chapter 21A.54 of this title.

5. In addition to subsections B2a and B3 of this section, any ground mounted utility box location within an area subject to section 21A.34.020, “H Historic Preservation Overlay District”, of this title shall require certificate of appropriateness review and approval with respect to location and screening.

(Ord. 21-08 § 8, 2008)

From Salt Lake City Zoning Code as of May 2009