§ 50-169. Easements.

(a)

Utility easements. The village requires utility easements of widths deemed adequate for the intended purpose as determined by the village engineer/DPW director. Such easements shall be located as determined by the applicable utility company and subject to approval by the village engineer/DPW director, but preferably should be located within midblock easements (see section 50-166(4)) or along rear and side lot lines, and shall be designed to avoid the location of such facilities as electric power transformers in the flow lines of drainage swales, ditches, and other utility easements. All lines, pipes, cables and similar equipment shall be installed underground unless the plan commission finds that the topography, soils, depth to bedrock, woodlands, wetlands or other physical barriers would make underground installation impractical, or that the lots to be served by said facilities can be served directly from existing overhead facilities and requiring underground installation would constitute an undue hardship upon the subdivider. Associated equipment and facilities which are appurtenant to underground electric power, communications, and gas facility systems, including but not limited to substations, pad-mounted transformers, pad-mounted sectionalizing switches, above-grade pedestal-mounted terminal boxes, junction boxes, meter points and similar equipment may be installed at ground level and shall be placed in an visually unobtrusive location or screened from public view while still maintaining necessary access. All utility easements shall be noted on the final plat, condominium plat or certified survey map followed by reference to the use or uses for which they are intended.

(b)

Drainage easements. Where a land division or condominium is traversed by a drainageway or stream, an adequate easement shall be provided as required by the plan commission. The location, width, alignment and improvement of such drainageway or easement shall be subject to the approval of the village engineer/DPW director. Where necessary, stormwater drainage shall be maintained by landscaped open channels of adequate size and grade to hydraulically accommodate maximum potential volumes of flow. These design details are subject to review and approval by the village engineer/DPW director.

(c)

Conservation easements. See section 50-170.

(d)

Vision clearance, cross-access, and controlled- and shared-access easements. The plan commission may require vision corner or clearance easements, cross-access easements, non- or controlled-access easements and shared-access easements as a condition of plat or certified survey map approval in order to prevent or minimize potential traffic hazards. Access provisions shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine the safety and practicability of cross- and shared-access. If the location of cross-access is not known and is dependent on future development or site plan layout, then a note shall be added to the plat or certified survey map indicating that a cross-access shall be provided and the subject lot replatted accordingly.

(Ord. No. 802-13, § 1(Att.), 4-22-2013)