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Zoning board asks City Council to review ordinance on undergrounding utilities after Taj variance request
Summary
During discussion of a variance request from Taj Residences LLC to avoid burying upgraded utility service, the board agreed to send a formal memo to the City Council asking staff to review Chapter 17.1xx development standards governing undergrounding because applicants said the requirement is often impractical and expensive.
The board unanimously voted to ask the Newport City Council to review the city’s ordinance language governing required undergrounding of utilities after hearing a variance request for 7–9 Dearborn Street from Taj Residences LLC.
Attorney Jay Russell Jackson, representing the owner, said the ordinance’s undergrounding requirement could force deep trenching across Dearborn Street and the sidewalk, would likely encounter other utilities, and would be "impractical and also very expensive to install the underground utilities." Board members and staff discussed whether a city‑engineer letter would assist future petitions; several members said a formal memo from the board to the council would be helpful.
The board voted to send a memo requesting review of the development standards (referred to in the hearing as Chapter 17.1 hundred) to evaluate whether revisions are warranted for certain upgrade situations. Staff said it would prepare the memo for council consideration.
