Easements are necessary to bring utility services to our members. In addition, if you are a member of Peninsula Light Company, you are required to grant easements as a condition of membership.
Easement Information
Most of the Peninsula Light Company easements state “For and in consideration of the sum of $1 and other good and valuable consideration in hand paid, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged.” The good and valuable consideration is the value to you or to the community in receiving service from the utilities.
Easements are perpetual, in that they apply to all future owners and in event the property is subdivided.
The utility will do basic restoration of the area, including returning the area to grade and replacing surface gravel, blacktop, beauty bark, or topsoil. Replacing plants, structures, or more involved landscaping is the responsibility of the property owner.
Yes, but keep in mind that the easement area needs to be accessible to equipment like trucks and backhoes for installation and maintenance of the utilities. Any landscaping in the easement area needs to allow for access by this equipment. After underground equipment is installed, the grade within the easement area cannot be changed more than 6 inches for safety reasons.
Easements may be written into the plat drawing at the time that a plat is created (for housing developments), or they may be separate agreements that are written by a utility and signed by the property owner. These easements may be for projects that are coming soon, or to accommodate future projects.
The property owner retains ownership of all the land, including that allocated for the utility easement.