OCEAN CITY – City Council members voiced concerns over the current replacement of utility poles on Coastal Highway this week, asking Delmarva Power Senior Public Affairs Specialist Jim Smith to come before the council to address a few issues.
“I don’t know if any of you have taken notice of these poles that Delmarva Power is putting in. These poles, some of them tower two to three stories above the buildings that were allowed to be built along Coastal Highway … they are forever changing the look of the Town of Ocean City,” Councilman Joe Mitrecic said.
Mitrecic added the largest utility poles have not even been installed yet, as sleeves for the poles have been put in place measuring to be at least four feet in diameter.
“Riding down the road tonight it came to my attention and what they’re doing to the skyline to the Town of Ocean City,” Mitrecic said.
Councilman Brent Ashley agreed with Mitrecic the new utility poles change the whole look of Ocean City going north.
“It is almost scary to look up and see all those poles and lines. They are huge,” he said. “To me it looks horrendous.”
Councilman Doug Cymek reminded the council Smith has come before the council in the past to discuss the project, however while the height of the poles were discussed the diameter was not.
“One of the benefits to what is being done outside of some of the issues that Councilman Mitrecic brought up is it is going to raise those high transmission lines above the normal five-story buildings so that they are not dangerous to the people in those condos from the standpoint of having a five ft. setback in balconies there is a possibility people can extend something that could contact one of those high transmission lines,” Councilman Dennis Dare pointed out. “It will be more remote now that they are above the roof line. Improving safety is somewhat of a benefit to the project.”
The project to replace the utility poles on Coastal Highway is referred to as the Maridel to Ocean Bay Project. It was included in presentations given on July 2, 2012 and June 3, 2013 by Smith before the Mayor and City Council.
The presentations explained to improve electric reliability Delmarva Power will rebuild 69 kilovolt (kV) transmission system between the substations at Maridel on 41st Street and Ocean Bay on 85th Street.
The project is being done in coordination with regional grid operator PJM Interconnection to satisfy reliability criteria and meet electric load demands on the transmission system in Ocean City and the surrounding area.
The project includes rebuilding the existing 69,000-volt transmission line and involves the replacement of 90 wooden poles, most of which are over 40 years old, with galvanized steel poles that require less maintenance and are designed to withstand winds of up to 120 mph.
Forty-five of the existing poles slated for replacement are 65-feet tall and hold the 69,000-volt transmission line. Those poles are being replaced with 90-feet tall steel poles in order to achieve greater safety and clearance from nearby buildings. The other 45 poles to be replaced are located between the taller poles and will be replaced with steel poles of roughly the same height.
Last month the project began, and at that time Delmarva Power officials announced the $10 million project will involve crews working almost daily on Coastal Highway.
A tentative February 2014 completion date is targeted being weather dependent with post project cleanup work finalized by mid-April 2014.