Complaints push LIPA to take down poles

They went up. And they've come down.

Responding to complaints from residents, the Long Island Power Authority has removed 10 utility poles, each about 70 feet tall, it installed on Pease Lane between Montauk Highway and Merritt Street in West Islip.

The poles were part of a $12 million project to replace one of three electric cables along the bottom of the Great South Bay that help power Fire Island.

Work began on the project in early summer, first on Beach Drive by the West Islip Marina and then moving north. But once they crossed Montauk Highway, residents said, LIPA began using poles which even when buried stood between 55 and 60 feet on Pease Lane.

The town, aware of the project, had expected the utility to apply for right of way permits. When Pease Lane residents protested in mid-August, Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan learned no permits had been sought and issued a stop-work order.

LIPA agreed to meet with town officials and the community to look at possible alternatives. In September, when the poles remained standing, Suffolk County Legis. Tom Barraga (R-West Islip) sent two letters to the utility, seeking their removal.

In the past 10 days, the tall poles on Pease Lane have come down; and Nolan and Barraga plan to visit the area to review the work and meet residents Thursday. LIPA spokeswoman Vanessa Baird-Streeter said the utility found an alternate route "with more traditional poles that will allow us to continue to be a good neighbor without sacrificing electric service and reliability to the area."

Baird-Streeter said costs for removing the poles was "minimal," involving a few hours of labor for each pole.

Lisa and Richard Demasi, who had a prime view of six of the offending poles from their dining room on nearby Milligan Lane, were delighted.

"We're very grateful that the town moved so quickly," Lisa Demasi said. "It was really a neighborhood effort, the community pulled together and Supervisor Phil Nolan acted promptly -- we couldn't be happier."