Mailbag: Undergrounding utilities offers benefits overlooked by opponents

This is in rebuttal to “Commentary: Making homeowners pay to underground utilities is wrong,” April 15 and a news story, “Neighbors’ votes could cost homeowners $20,000 apiece if underground utilities project is OKd,” (Feb. 14) that were previously published regarding undergrounding in Newport Heights.

After many years of hard work, education and complying with regulated processes through the city of Newport Beach, a formal petition was finally sent to all property owners in District 118 on Jan. 16. The petition asks the city to design and price out the undergrounding of utilities in our community, then advise all property owners of the per property costs that would be incurred if the community ultimately approves a final bond vote, the same way we vote to approve or reject bond initiatives in general public elections.

We are one district out of nine in Newport Beach and Corona del Mar currently petitioning to underground utilities.

The opposition’s dialogue is fraught with incomplete, inaccurate and misleading frequently asked questions (FAQs) and strives to eliminate the community’s right to be educated through the city’s research, eliminating the opportunity to proceed with an educated vote on the issue. The FAQs for this process are readily available from the city of Newport Beach website.

The opponents want to claim that undergrounding utilities is simply a matter of “aesthetics,” and while it will improve the overall appearance of our community, there are a great many other resulting benefits, including making our community safer during a storm or earthquake, increased property values and keeping in stride with almost 30 Newport Beach communities that have already gone underground using this exact same petition process.

It is unfortunate that opponents feel this “has pitted neighbor against neighbor and created irreparable harm to our community in the name of aesthetics.” However, if you drive around our community, you will see those opposed have littered their lawns with signs, thus openly “pitting neighbor against neighbor.”

Those in favor of the investigation are attempting to voice their opinions quietly, without putting pressure or disrespect to their other neighbors. We are trying to be civil, gain more information and be respectful to those around us with different views. We look to the city of Newport Beach official website FAQs regarding the process, their timeline for improving the alleys in question, as well as the bond options and financial assistance that has been available in the past.

We often hear, “The power poles and lines don’t affect me personally and are not my problem.”

We always like to remind these folks that improving the neighborhood improves all of our lives the same way we all pay taxes to support our public schools, whether or not we have children attending them. We pay taxes to support the arts, senior centers, community colleges, even if we don’t use them. Not everyone uses the Cliff Drive Park, but city revenues were used to improve it. It’s what we do to improve our community for today and for the future.

Those of us who took the time to kick-start this process, and many who are working to secure the needed petition signers, want to see that Newport Heights keeps pace with the many Newport Beach communities that have already gone underground.

As one of the people working in this effort explained, “I came from Africa and feel fortunate to be living in a community that appreciates and respects the effort and financial responsibility of keeping our yards clean and maintained, our streets swept and trash removed to make our community nice to live in. Some of which is paid for by our taxes and others we pay for because we are proud homeowners and appreciate others doing the same.”

Others have experienced and seen firsthand damage during windstorms and earthquakes and have had live/hot wires drop in their Newport Heights alley or on their streets where children play and safety is their concern with overhead poles. The list goes on ...

We believe the opposition is attempting to sequester our voice and our right to an educated full vote of homeowners. Decisions should not be made by those who shout the loudest or disseminate fear. We are not trying to be “contentious” or “fracture” our community. Let’s get the facts and then, let us all vote.

After all, we live in America. It is a democracy!

Annie Clougherty

Jason and Rebecca Finney

Juli Hayden

Fran Fagen

Charles Klobe and Nancy Scarbrough

Coleen and Paul Smith

Aaron and Katie Cook

Fran and Bill Bennett

Steve Smith

Joann Lombardo

Donald Nyre

Kristine Benson

Jim and Betsy Hawkins

Dave and Minnie Ballard

Christy and Jeff Coleman

Constance Esposito

Sean Lupton-Smith

Bonnie and Brion Jeannette

And over 30 other Newport Heights homeowners who have asked us specifically to respond to the recent Daily Pilot articles regarding Newport Heights undergrounding