EDITORIAL:

Undergrounding utilities on Balboa Island is a tricky issue.

Those who support it and those who oppose it all have valid reasons for their positions.

A quick recap of those positions: Those who oppose the estimated $20-million assessment district do so because it will take money from their pocketbooks. City officials estimate Balboa Island homeowners will pay anywhere from about $5,000 to $35,500 apiece for the project, depending on the size of their lot. Most homeowners would pay about $16,000 apiece, based on the average lot size on the island.

Property owners could elect to pay the money over the course of 15 years with their annual property taxes. Residents also would have to pay anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 apiece in hook-up fees.

Supporters of the project claim there are safety issues with the utility poles. The Balboa Island Improvement Assn. recently sent out a special edition of its newsletter that featured quotes from Newport Beach Fire Chief Steve Lewis on the safety hazards of utility poles.

“Overhead power lines on Balboa Island are a potential disaster waiting to happen,” the newsletter quoted Lewis as saying.

Signs with the word “danger” recently appeared on utility poles on the island, until city workers took them down after residents complained that the signs violated city ordinances.

Most everyone agrees that, for aesthetic purposes, it’s a good idea to underground utilities. About 60% of Balboa Island property owners petitioned the city to create the assessment district and underground utilities in 2004.

But times have changed. The economy is in a nosedive. Many residents of Balboa Island are senior citizens living on fixed incomes.

So who’s right?

Well, we believe the issue is not so black and white. Those on both sides make legitimate points. Consequently, perhaps it’s time to talk about a compromise plan.

What if utilities could be undergrounded without unduly damaging the economies of certain homeowners?

Would it be possible to set up an assessment plan that eases the burden of senior citizens on fixed incomes?

That way, supporters of the plan get a safer, more aesthetically pleasing Balboa Island. And those strapped for cash get a payment system they can live with.

Given the current impasse, we feel it’s worth putting on the table.