‘Global’ issue at Hanover
Hanover Court residents had a rude awakening recently when they looked out on their street.
Global Communications, subcontractors for Spectrum, were digging trenches in the street.
Farragut Municipal Planning Commission received a request to approve fiber installation in Hanover Court subdivision, to the east of South Watt Road, which FMPC approved during its meeting Thursday, Feb. 16 — but with conditions, such as a letter of credit “to make sure everything is restored to its pre-fiber installation condition,” Community Development director Mark Shipley said. “And to make sure all the work, from this day forward will be directional boring.”
Global Communication started work on the installation “a few weeks ago without any approval from the Town,” Shipley said. “We got some citizens contact our engineering department, and say. ‘They’ve got a mess out here’ because they were installing the fiber with open trench installation, which we don’t allow.”
FMPC chairperson Rita Holladay asked why Global Communications started this way.
Shipley said the companies usually go through the Engineering Department.
“We’ve got a lot of fiber (installation) going on in the Town, and frankly, right now this is a problem to monitor,” he said. “We’re trying to stay on top of it.”
While there were no representatives from Global Communications, Hanover Court resident Lisa Hall said, “All of a sudden, (GC) came, they converged on the street of
our neighborhood, and
they began digging huge trenches — the whole street full of holes.
“It took me 15 minutes to figure out who they were and what they were doing,” she added. “I was given a representative to speak with, and that representative assured me they had a permit.”
Beyond Hall, “all the homeowners were very upset,” she said. “No one knew what was happening. Thankfully, the Engineering Department — (Town engineer) Darryl Smith and Mayor Ron Williams — assisted.”
Holladay suggested Hanover residents take photos before the work so the Town will know the condition.
Shipley said once notified, the Town staff issued a stop work order and met with Global Communications.
“Everything is required to be directionally bored in the Town, especially in these existing communities, to lessen the impact to the properties and to the Town’s infrastructure,” he said.
Hanover Court residents were supposed to be given a heads-up on the project, but Hall said there was no notification.
“So, the HOA wasn’t notified, none of the residents,” she said. “It was just sprung on us.”
“To me, (letting the Town and residents know) is a service to the installer because they can be made aware of a potential conflict,” Shipley said.
Another concern was “they did not leave the landscaping as they found it,” Hall said. “I had our landscaping department estimate what it would cost to bring it back to the way it was, and they are estimating $515 to $800.”
On a similar matter, FMPC approved fiber installation by Global in Split Rail subdivision. Shipley said those residents have been made aware of the upcoming work.
