Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §2312 is enacted to read:

§2312.__Facilities in designated historic districts

1.__Location of facilities in designated historic district.__A public utility that owns facilities, as defined in section 2502, subsection 3, along a street, highway or other public way in an historic district designated by a municipality shall place those facilities under the surface of the street, highway or other public way when such a street, highway or other public way is reconstructed.__The public utility that owns the facilities is responsible for the cost of the placement required by this subsection.

2.__Limitation.__The facilities placement required by subsection 1 is limited to 1,000 feet of a street, highway or other public way per reconstruction project.

3.__Governing body of municipality may waive or modify requirement.__The governing body of the municipality in which the historic district is located may waive the requirement in subsection 1 or approve a plan that provides utility services for structures located in the historic district by connecting the rear of those structures to the facilities.

SUMMARY

This bill requires a public utility that owns poles and wires along a street in a designated historic district to place those wires underground when that street is reconstructed. The public utility may not be required to place wires underground for a distance of more than 1,000 feet per reconstruction project. The governing body of the municipality in which the historic district is located may waive this underground placement requirement or approve a plan that provides utility services for structures located in the historic district by connecting the rear of those structures to the facilities.