https://icareridgewood.org/
Ridgewood residents address utility board with concerns over tall poles
Monday September 9, 2013, 11:46 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
More than 30 Ridgewood residents attended a hearing of the state Board of Public Utilities on Monday night to complain about the recent installation by the Public Service Electric & Gas Co. of taller utility poles in the village.
The hearing, which was held in the Bergen County Administration Building in Hackesnack, came two months after residents first complained about the 65-foot wooden poles, which soar above the treetops along Spring Avenue and Hope Street.
PSE&G officials say the new poles are necessary to connect high-voltage lines from a Fair Lawn substation with one in Paramus. They can handle wires transmitting up to 69,000 volts of electricity, PSE&G officials claim.
The BPU, which regulates all utilities in the state, scheduled Monday’s hearing last month in response to a petition signed by Ridgewood officials. Residents and members of the Village Council members say they are concerned that the new poles will pose a health hazard and that they will diminish property values in Ridgewood.
Some residents said they were concerned about the health effects of a chemical preservative coating the new poles. Alyssa Steinberger, said the poles give off a strong odor and that a number of residents, including children, have had bloody noses and exhibited bronchitis-like symptoms since the poles were put in place.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Ridgewood_residents_address_utitlity_board_with_concerns_over_tall_poles.html#sthash.1i8Pb3lV.dpuf
Interesting night out for Village officials but a waste of time.
What relief are Village officials seeking?
“What relief are our Village officials seeking” is a good question…. What would you think it should have been?
Relief, if you are going from Fairlawn to Paramus then why not go out Century rd. very little housing to be concerned with seems to make sense.
Testimony at the public hearing provided by Village of Ridgewood witness Michael Barker suggests that if a street route were PSE&G’s only option, Village officials would have preferred a route that bypassed Spring Avenue and Hope Street. Most likely South Maple to East Ridgewood, or South Maple to Dayton.
However, this raises the question: “Why are property owners/residents of South Maple Avenue and Dayton Street any less important than property owners/residents of Spring Avenue and Hope Street?” The direction Mr. Barker’s testimony took suggested that Village officials place more importance on “protecting” the rights of single family home owners than they do for those owners of commercial and multi family properties.
How could Village officials possibly say tall poles are bad for one street, but not for another (and the other street is not industrial in composition)?
A political time bomb in my opinion.