UI Receives Support For Fairfield Monopole Plan Before CT Siting Council's Next Meeting

FAIRFIELD, CT ? United Illuminating, which is proposing to build a massive monopole project through parts of Fairfield and Bridgeport, received a dose of support from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, as it heads into the next meeting of the Connecticut Siting Council on Thursday.

In a two-page letter to the council, Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, reiterates the department's support of the UI proposal, particularly as it relates to potential impact on the New Haven Line of Metro-North Railroad.

CTDOT maintains that it needs the right of way along its rail line for future upgrades, and the UI proposal to move transmission lines high into the air away from the rail line is advantageous for the transportation department.

"In our initial comments, CTDOT supported UI?s project route as outlined in Docket 516 which moved UI?s transmission infrastructure away from the railroad right-of-way (ROW) line 'to the maximum extent possible,'" Eucalitto wrote.

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However, that does not mean CTDOT supports burying transmission lines underground, which is the preferred method of Fairfield and Bridgeport officials, many business owners and residents in the two communities.

"CTDOT also indicated that other alternatives, such as the underground alternative within the railroad [right of way] supported by many of the intervenors, would not be feasible for the Department," Eucalitto wrote. "As our previous testimony indicates, longitudinal underground utility occupations are not permitted with the railroad [right of way]. Furthermore, because of the railroad's age dating back to the mid-1800s, hand-digging of at least 4 feet would be required at every excavation point, which would add time, cost, and significant adverse impact to railroad operations, in addition to unnecessary and substantial risk to the rail infrastructure."

The Siting Council is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. on Thursday via Zoom; the Meeting ID is: 816 7109 0607; the Passcode is: Eqc7Ty.

UI is proposing to install dozens of tall, steel monopoles, some in excess of 100 feet, along a more than 7-mile route through parts of Fairfield and Bridgeport. Initially, the utility company sought to build the project south of the railroad tracks, but has since moved the proposal to the north of the tracks.

Either way, the proposed project, which UI says it needs to help harden its infrastructure to better combat environmental catastrophes, and improve power service to meet future requirements.

The proposal has been controversial from the start, with opponents claiming the plan would destroy historic and other elements of the two communities.

In a message to constituents Wednesday, First Selectwoman Christine Vitale reiterated those concerns, and urged residents, businesses and officials to attend the virtual meeting.

In June, during a non-binding "straw vote" by the council, four members voted against the proposal, and two members supported it, giving Fairfield and Bridgeport a symbolic victory.

Soon after the straw vote, UI successfully petitioned to delay a council vote on the matter, until an ecological expert could be seated.

"Nothing is final until the Council takes its formal vote and issues a written decision," Vitale wrote in the note. "Our concerns have always centered on property rights, historic preservation, and protecting our economic interests. The communities impacted by this project carry significant burdens for the benefit of the larger electrical grid. In this day and age, United Illuminating MUST plan for the long term to develop technology and expertise to bury transmission lines underground in an efficient way."

She added, "I strongly encourage you to attend Thursday's virtual meeting to demonstrate our engagement and how important this decision is to Fairfield and Bridgeport."