Garden City Residents Worry 'Monster' Utility Poles Could Come To Their Blocks

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Some residents of Garden City, Long Island took PSEG to task Saturday, saying they do not want what they call "monster" utility poles in their neighborhoods.

As WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported, residents at the end of Brook Street in Garden City said PSEG Long Island should keep the utility lines underground, rather than mounting 80-foot poles near their homes.

"They really should bury it, and what's buried, they should extend it that way," a resident said. "We don't need 80, 90-foot poles sticking out here."

But PSEG Long Island spokesman Jeffrey Weir said no plan on the utility poles is set in stone and the utility is looking for public input during an April 1 meeting.

Weir also said the poles would be installed in an industrialized and commercial area, not through Garden City neighborhoods.

"The poles in question – they're stronger, and they're more storm-resistant, and they're able to withstand a wind up to 130 miles an hour, which is far greater than anything experienced during Superstorm Sandy," Weir said.

New lines must be constructed to replace a damaged underground cable.