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Independence, MO —
The Delaware streetscape improvements are about more than just streets.
About 20 surrounding property owners in the historic section of Independence near Harry Truman’s home – including Mayor Don Reimal and District 1 City Council Member Marcie Gragg – gathered Tuesday night at City Hall to ask questions of city staff about what the project will entail.
And when the matter of Independence Power & Light burying power lines came up, several property owners had one concern: Why can’t the telephone and cable lines also be put underground at the same time?
John Powell, director of public works, said he has had conversations with both AT&T and Comcast officials to see if that would be possible, with AT&T expressing no desire in taking on that expense. He said Comcast might be more willing to discuss it.
A handful of residents said they would be willing to meet with Comcast and Powell to see if the company could budge on its decision. He added: “I believe it is a business decision as to what they are willing to do.”
“This is something that we’ve always been talking about ... I know there’s limitations to do that, but that was always something that the subgroup and groups before this were trying to do in getting all of the lines underground,” said Tim Grove, a property owner and a member of the city’s Heritage Commission. “I know there’s a big want from a lot of the neighbors to do that, so that the streetscape is clean of those and you don’t have to worry about trees interfering with them. Is it possible to bring them back in and see if something could be done? I think there’s a lot of desire to do that.”
While Powell agreed to organize such a meeting with interested neighbors, a complication exists. The area runs the risk of losing its designation of the Harry S Truman National Historic Landmark District. The status requires that phone lines are in place and that someone is responsible for their upkeep.
In order to keep the status, dummy lines would need to take the place of the cable and phone lines – if they went underground – and Independence Power & Light and Public Works would be responsible for their maintenance.
“What’s better is to have someone who is responsible and to have active lines there,” said Jennifer Clark, director of the Community Development Department. “The other challenge is that the poles are owned by AT&T, so they don’t have to go underground if they don’t want to.”
The Delaware streetscape improvements are about more than just streets.
About 20 surrounding property owners in the historic section of Independence near Harry Truman’s home – including Mayor Don Reimal and District 1 City Council Member Marcie Gragg – gathered Tuesday night at City Hall to ask questions of city staff about what the project will entail.
And when the matter of Independence Power & Light burying power lines came up, several property owners had one concern: Why can’t the telephone and cable lines also be put underground at the same time?
John Powell, director of public works, said he has had conversations with both AT&T and Comcast officials to see if that would be possible, with AT&T expressing no desire in taking on that expense. He said Comcast might be more willing to discuss it.
A handful of residents said they would be willing to meet with Comcast and Powell to see if the company could budge on its decision. He added: “I believe it is a business decision as to what they are willing to do.”
“This is something that we’ve always been talking about ... I know there’s limitations to do that, but that was always something that the subgroup and groups before this were trying to do in getting all of the lines underground,” said Tim Grove, a property owner and a member of the city’s Heritage Commission. “I know there’s a big want from a lot of the neighbors to do that, so that the streetscape is clean of those and you don’t have to worry about trees interfering with them. Is it possible to bring them back in and see if something could be done? I think there’s a lot of desire to do that.”
While Powell agreed to organize such a meeting with interested neighbors, a complication exists. The area runs the risk of losing its designation of the Harry S Truman National Historic Landmark District. The status requires that phone lines are in place and that someone is responsible for their upkeep.
In order to keep the status, dummy lines would need to take the place of the cable and phone lines – if they went underground – and Independence Power & Light and Public Works would be responsible for their maintenance.
“What’s better is to have someone who is responsible and to have active lines there,” said Jennifer Clark, director of the Community Development Department. “The other challenge is that the poles are owned by AT&T, so they don’t have to go underground if they don’t want to.”
The Delaware streetscape project, from Truman Road to College Street, will replace about 1,400 feet of curbs and sidewalks, and the concrete sidewalks and curbs will be replicated to look like the existing infrastructure. The bronze historic plaques in this area also will be preserved or replaced.
The city of Independence received federal transportation enhancement funds for pay for most of the $700,000 in project expenses. Local matching sources include the street and stormwater sales taxes, as well as the City Council Goals Account.
As the multiple phase project begins in several weeks and is expected to last through November, Powell said city crews will continue to remain in communication with surrounding property owners.
“We think it’s going to be a real benefit to the community,” Powell said. “We are going to do whatever we can to make it go as smoothly and as successfully as possible.”
