Friday, December 13, 2002

Fairburn City Council in favor of underground utilities

By ALISA KING
Special to The Citizen

Fairburn could soon join the list of Georgia cities going "underground."

During Monday's City Council meeting, the City Council was all in favor of adopting a proposed ordinance on underground utilities and as-built surveys.

It was suggested that the city of Fairburn needed an ordinance to require underground utilities within residential, office and commercial zoning districts to properly guide developers and help avoid confusion with construction plans in the future.

City councilmen approved the ordinance for a proposed addition to the development regulations to require underground utilities within residential, office and commercial zoning districts.

All utility lines within the City of Fairburn in these zoning districts shall be placed underground within the following exceptions: Those lines that were existing overhead as of January 1, 2003; those lines, temporary in nature, which are intended to provide service to an area for a period not to exceed 180 days, subject to the approval of the City Administrator; and major transmission lines which do not provide service to adjoining properties, subject to the approval of the City Administrator.

Furthermore, the council approved ordinances to require as-built surveys to be submitted prior to the issuance of certificates of occupancy. This ordinance would insure no certificate of occupancy for any structure to be issued until the city receives a certified survey from a registered land surveyor verifying compliance with all building setbacks.

In addition to the other regulations established by the city, no certificate of occupancy of any structure shall be issued until the property owner, developer, or builder submits a survey with a registered land surveyor.

The survey shall show the following:

Names and addresses of owner of record and applicant.

Boundary lines of the tract by lengths and bearings, streets adjoining the property, total area of the tract, north point, graphic scale, and date.

All existing setback lines.

Location of buildings, structures, and foundations thereof.

Locations of all utility lines.

Limits of land disturbance, clearing, grading, and trenching.