DATE: 09/03/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
2025-07
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
WAIVER FROM CORONA MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 15.60.080 ON THE
UNDERGROUNDING OF EXISTING OVERHEAD UTILITY WIRES LOCATED ALONG 519 E TENTH STREET (APPLICANT: CESAR MONDRAGON)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to waive the requirement of Corona Municipal Code (CMC) Section 15.60.080 on the undergrounding of the existing overhead utility wires located at 519 E Tenth St. CMC Section 15.60.080 requires overhead wires that transmit less than 34,000 volts and provide service to a structure that is enlarged, or an addition is made thereto to be relocated underground. In this case, a vacant parcel will be developed with a new single-family dwelling. According to CMC Section 15.60.060, the City Council may grant a waiver from the requirement of CMC Section 15.60.080 if the undergrounding of the overhead wires would be unreasonable, impractical, and cause undue hardship to the applicant or the public.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council grant a waiver from Section 15.60.080 of the Corona Municipal Code for the undergrounding of poles and overhead utility wires located at 519 E Tenth Street.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The property owner of 519 E Tenth Street plans to construct a new single-family residence and an accessory dwelling unit on the 0.20-acre property. The property is located along East Tenth Street between Grand Boulevard and South Joy Street.
CMC Section 15.60.080 requires overhead wires that transmit less than 34,000 volts to be relocated underground when a new building or structure is proposed, or an addition is made to an existing structure or building. The applicant submitted a request to the City on July 17, 2025, requesting that the City Council grant a waiver from the undergrounding of utility poles and overhead wires that run from the property’s frontage on Tenth Street to poles on the western side and northeast corner of the lot. The applicant has indicated that the overhead wires will continue to exist above ground beyond the boundary of the project site to the north, and that the cost of doing this public improvement would be financially infeasible based on the scope of the project.
ANALYSIS:
Section 15.60.080 of the CMC recognizes above ground utility wires exist within the City and are considered nonconforming to the requirement of CMC Section 15.60.030. Section
15.60.030 prohibits above ground poles, wires, and associated structures, irrespective of the use or proposed use of the structure of building it is intended to serve. However, CMC Section 15.60.060 allows the City Council to grant a waiver to this requirement if the finding can be made that the undergrounding of the utility wires would be unreasonable, impractical, and cause undue hardship to the applicant or public.
Staff have determined that the finding exists for the City Council to grant the waiver for the following reasons:
a) The overhead wires will continue to remain above ground beyond the boundaries of the project site northeast of South Joy Street along the alley located in the northern side of the property.
b) The approximate cost to underground electrical conduit, relocate powerlines, and remove the power poles has been estimated to be $30,000 causing financial hardship to the applicant.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant has paid the Utility Underground Waiver Request fee of $2,013.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA, which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies to only projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in questions may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. There is no possibility that this action on granting a waiver to the requirement within the Corona Municipal Code will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: BRYAN OSEGUEDA, ASSISTANT ENGINEER
REVIEWED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Location Map
2. Exhibit 2 – Pole Location
3. Exhibit 3 – Waiver Request Letter