The Connecticut Siting Council signaled it would approve United Illuminating’s proposal to build taller monopoles along the Metro-North New Haven line, reversing an earlier informal decision in the summer.
Many state and local officials, including State Sen. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield), are not happy, months after the town issued a press release celebrating the earlier decision.
“It's stunning. It's shocking, and it is deeply troubling to me,” Hwang said.
The fight over the monopoles is part of an overall update to the transmission lines by the Metro-North railroad tracks. The debate has dragged out over the course of several years.
The proposal has been opposed by town residents and officials on environmental and aesthetic grounds. While the informal vote is not binding, town and state officials are anxiously waiting for the council’s formal vote later in September.
The about-face surprised Democratic and Republican officials, some of whom, like Hwang, have questioned the transparency behind the process. Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim also criticized the decision.
“It is unconscionable that the Siting Council would suddenly side with the financial interests of UI over the people of Bridgeport and Fairfield,” Ganim said. “We will fight like hell to ensure that this project is not officially approved.”
Residents oppose the monopoles for various reasons including aesthetics, the impact the monopoles may have on property values, environmental factors and potential health risks.
UI first proposed building the poles on the south side of the tracks, but later changed their plans to the north side of the tracks, after the Siting Council ordered a revision.
Both plans were opposed by residents and town officials, who preferred burying them underground. UI criticized those plans as cost prohibitive, according to previous reporting from Connecticut Public.
But a legal decision earlier this spring ended up forcing UI to come up with an alternate plan, and the Siting Council signaled it would formally deny UI’s request to build them overhead, which was warmly greeted by residents and officials.
The formal vote ended up delayed past June due to vacancies at the council. Gov. Ned Lamont later filled the vacancy before the September straw vote, according to Fairfield town leaders.
But while the vote is expected to happen on Sept.18, the fight, which has already involved attorneys from both sides, is expected to drag out legally if Fairfield and other municipalities oppose the decision.
Fairfield First Selectman Christine Vitale said the town will continue to oppose the monopoles, calling the process tainted.
“The people of Fairfield and Bridgeport deserve better,” Vitale said. “We will seek out every legal option in opposition to this plan before we accept massive monopoles that will permanently disfigure our historic character.”
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the political affiliation of State Sen. Tony Hwang. He is a Republican, not a Democrat.
