Newport focuses on pole position

June Casagrande

A sole pole stands on Little Balboa -- a towering testament to the

dangers of counting on universal cooperation.

City officials are considering their legal options for bringing

down the only utility pole left on the island after every homeowner

there but two has done his or her part to move the island’s utilities

underground.

“That pole will come down,” vowed Councilman Steve Bromberg, who

has been part of the 14-year push to move the cables underground.

About two years ago, a majority of the island’s residents agreed

to support moving the utility lines off poles and underground to

improve safety and aesthetics. This joint effort by the city and

residents requires an unusually high level of cooperation. The city

installs the underground hookups. Homeowners hire private contractors

-- paying $300 to $1,000 out of pocket -- to hook up their houses’

telephone, electric and cable connections to the new underground

facilities. Then the city removes the poles. Indirectly, the

residents pay for the city work as well: each house is assessed about

$9,200 over 15 years as part of a tax district most agreed to create.

But though all of the residents are paying their share of the

city’s costs, two have nonetheless refused to hook up their homes’

utilities to the new underground equipment. The residents at 120

Grand Canal and 123 Abalone Drive have so far declined to have the

work done on their homes. Coincidentally, they share the same pole.

Bromberg said he is optimistic that the dispute over one of the

two properties can be worked out. But the Grand Canal home is likely

to be the target of a lawsuit. The house is occupied by the family of

Jim Hildreth, a regular at City Council meetings who has been labeled

a “nuisance” by several council members.

Hildreth said that he has resisted under-grounding for several

reasons. He does not believe it’s safer in an earthquake. He believes

that removing the streetlights that were on the poles is also a

safety problem. Further, he said, the increased capacity carried in

the upgraded utilities equipment make it possible to provide service

to much larger homes.

“They’re laying the groundwork for three- and four-story homes to

be built,” Hildreth said.

Bromberg denied this, saying the reason for the project is to

improve the safety and beauty of the island. He said that one legal

approach might be to declare the pole as a nuisance, which would give

the city the right to remove the pole.

“What’s unfortunate is not only that all the residents on Little

Balboa who paid their share still have to look at a pole, but that

all the residents of Newport Beach will have to pay the legal costs

of fighting this.”

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.