Newport neighbors at odds over undergrounding effort
Newport Beach homeowners are going toe-to-toe over a proposal to place utility lines underground in their Newport Heights neighborhood.
Utility poles with power lines strung across have peppered the streets of Newport Heights for decades. A group of homeowners in Newport Heights, in the area bordered by 15th Street, Tustin Avenue, Cliff Drive and Old Newport Boulevard sent a request earlier this year to the city to establish an assessment district with the intent of eventually placing the above-ground electric, phone and cable lines out of sight.
David Ballard, who lives on Santa Ana Avenue, said he was made blatantly aware of the need for his neighborhood to underground utility lines when he was riding a train through Austria.
He said he was impressed with the picturesque views of rolling hills along the countryside. When he crossed the border into Italy, he immediately noticed the lines of often unsavory looking clothing strung up between buildings.
The clothing lines reminded him of his own power lines sitting just outside his home.
“You open your doors, you look out the window and all you see are power poles,” he said. “When you notice the difference, you really seem to appreciate the nice, clean view.”
In addition to improving neighborhood views, the project would make electricity service more reliable and boost property values up by 20% in the neighborhood, Ballard said.
“We thought it was a no-brainer,” he said.
Ballard and other proponents were surprised when they were met with resistance from their neighbors after starting the petition process.
Before the city can form an underground utility assessment district — the first step to starting the undergrounding process — at least 60% of the approximately 500 homeowners in that neighborhood must sign a form expressing desire for the project.
“We’re getting there, but we’re not there yet,” he said of reaching the necessary response.
If the quota is met, the city will then get an estimate of the project’s cost from the utility companies and hold a neighborhood election. If 51% of the homeowners vote in favor, the project is approved and all property owners must pay an equal amount of the cost.
The cost, estimated at between $20,000 and $25,000 per house, is the point of contention for those who oppose the effort.
If the majority of homeowners vote to underground utilities, everyone in the assessment district is forced to pay whether they voted in favor of the project or not.
Resident Jim Young is uncomfortable paying Southern California Edison, a private utility company, to put its own lines underground.
“If we were to form a public utility company then at least we own something,” he said. “People are pushing for money to be paid to a private company. I think there’s a rat in the woodpile here.”
Those who oppose the undergrounding have gathered more than 200 signatures from like-minded residents through an online petition.
Undergrounding utilities isn’t a new debate in Newport Beach.
In addition to Newport Heights, homeowners in portions of Corona del Mar, the Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island have started petitions to place utility lines underground in an effort to modernize their aging neighborhoods.
Certain neighborhoods along the Balboa Peninsula and Little Balboa Island have moved their utilities underground in the past decade.
Fran Bennett, who is in favor of undergrounding, emphasized the variety of ways homeowners can pay for the project.
She said homeowners in an assessment district have the option of financing through loans, second mortgages or bonds, which spread payments over many years, but accrue interest.
“When people realize that you can pay for it over 20 years, they’re all for it,” Bennett said. “People have been misinformed.”
Still, many residents are retired, on fixed incomes and cannot afford any increase in monthly expenses, Young said.
Ballard said over the next two years, the electric company is planning to increase the height of the poles and the size of the transformers to accommodate more customers. Undergrounding would stop that effort in Newport Heights, he said.
“The reality is that everyone in the neighborhood has to have a dynasty concept and understand that people are going to enjoy this for decades to come,” Ballard said.
To contact undergrounding proponents, visit improvenewportheights.com.
To contact those against the project, visit noundergrounding.com.