Township of Montville, NJ
Morris County
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Chapter 377: UTILITY POLES

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Montville by Ord. No. 1308 as Ch. 15.28 of the 1998 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Posting notices on utility poles — See Ch. 241, § 241-12.

§ 377-1 Submission of plans required.

Prior to the erection of any new utility pole, post, tower, wire, conduit, pedestal, cabinet or other facility ("facility") by any electric light, heat, power, telephone or other utility company, however denominated, that provides a similar public service under governmental regulation ("utility") within the Township of Montville ("Township"), said utility shall be required to submit to the Township Engineer and the Montville Police Department a map or plan showing the location and size of the facility.

§ 377-2 Utility pole placement.

All facilities hereafter to be sited by any utility shall be placed no closer than 18 inches to the curb face or shoulder edge of the public street or way to which said facility is adjacent, pursuant to the standards promulgated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Whenever practicable, however, the utility shall place the facility a greater distance from the street or way to which said facility is adjacent than the minimum standard of 18 inches.

§ 377-3 Required plan information.

The map or plan submitted by the utility shall include, or be accompanied by, a brief written statement prepared by or on behalf of the utility, which explains the basis on which the utility has determined that the site in question is suitable for the facility with regard to applicable safety concerns. Said statement shall include, without limitation, the following information:

A. An affirmation that the placement of the proposed facility conforms to the standards promulgated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

B. An affirmation that the placement of the proposed facility has taken into account any safety concerns presented as a result of the configuration, nature and characteristics of the roadway (i.e., bends or curves, etc.) and the topographic features of the site. Said affirmation shall set forth the factors considered.

C. An affirmation that any record of previous accidents at the location in question has been considered and that the site is nonetheless appropriate for facility placement. Said affirmation should include language indicating the manner in which accident information was obtained.

D. An affirmation that there exists no suitable, less dangerous alternate site for the facility in question.

§ 377-4 Additional information.

In the event that the information provided by the utility to the Township is insufficient to enable the Township to adequately assess the propriety of the placement of the facility in light of the applicable safety concerns, the utility shall submit such other and further information as is requested by or on behalf of the Township, and the time period within which the Township is to act on the application shall commence upon the Township's receipt of said additional information.

§ 377-5 Township approval required for placement.

No utility pole, post, tower, wire, conduit, pedestal, cabinet or other facility shall be erected, constructed, replaced or reconstructed by any utility without the express approval by the Township of the placement and design of the facility after consideration of the applicable safety concerns, which consideration shall include but shall not be limited to those factors set forth in §§ 377-2 and 377-3 above.

§ 377-6 Siting approval for new facilities.

In the case of a proposed new facility, after submission by the utility of the documentation required by the Engineer or Montville Police Department, the Township shall inform the utility in writing of the approval or denial of siting authorization within 10 business days in the case of a new facility.

§ 377-7 Replacement facilities.

With regard to a proposed replacement facility the utility proposes to site at the point or place previously occupied by such facilities, the Engineer shall be notified of the proposed replacement by telephone 24 hours prior to such action. While the Township will not prohibit the replacement of the facility in question, the utility is hereby placed on notice that all replacement facilities are subject to the conditions set forth in § 377-3. Thus the utility shall comply with the guidelines contained therein and consider all necessary factors and shall demonstrate such compliance and adequate consideration by submitting the documentation required by §§ 377-1 and 377-3 after the replacement of the facility in question, which records will be retained by the Township to affirm the suitability of the placement.

§ 377-8 Denial of siting authorization.

Siting authorization shall not be unreasonably denied by the Township. In the event that siting authorization is denied by the Township, the written denial shall include the reason(s) therefor. After receipt of any such written denial, the utility may select an alternative site and repeat the process of seeking authorization therefor as is set forth in this chapter.

§ 377-9 Notice of requirements to be provided to utilities.

A copy of this chapter shall be provided to all utilities having facilities located in the Township. The failure of the Township to provide such notice to any utility shall not exempt the utility from complying with the requirements of this chapter.