Elgin Street may be among downtown streets that could see buried power lines because of its importance to the city.
The city’s policy on overhead wires is dead and buried – sort of.
Amid street revitalization projects and urban development in Centretown, rough, staple-ridden utility poles linger, sprouting up from cobblestone sidewalks and freshly poured concrete.
While community members and BIAs wonder why these aging poles and wires remain, the city is researching the feasibility of burying overhead wires.
The committee charged with recommending a policy on the subject tabled its findings in March. It recommended that any burial should not receive city funding, but any company, group or organization willing to foot the bill is welcome.
“There is no money for the burial of overhead wires, unless the people or the person who is asking for the burial is prepared to pay for it,” says Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes, a committee member.
At one point, the cost for wire burial was shared between the NCC, hydro companies and the city, but that deal fell through in 1993, and the city has been without a policy ever since.
“Burying the wires is seen as nice to have, but not essential like upgrading your water and sewer lines,” says Holmes.
According to the committee’s findings, that uninterrupted slice of sky costs a lot more than taxpayers might think.
“What we determined through the study is that burying wires is incredibly expensive,” says committee member Michael Murr, the city’s sustainability manager.
That's $2 million to $5 million per kilometre, according to the committee’s research. That would be $6 million for Elgin Street and $7 million for Metcalfe Street.
Although the committee took into account the possibility of combining the burial of overhead wires with roadwork already in progress, the savings were not enough for an upgrade.
But there are instances where burying wires becomes more than aesthetics, according to the president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association.
On Bronson Avenue south of Gladstone, sidewalks are so narrow that snowplows and wheelchairs can’t get by the poles, says Charles Akben-Marchand.
“That’s a safety issue, that’s an accessibility issue, that’s a quality-of-life issue.”
Gerry LePage, executive director of the Bank Street BIA, says he has been expecting this for years.
“I guess we foresaw that.”
Back in 1988, the BIA took advantage of a limited-time offer made by the city during the street’s revitalization, and paid $2.8 million over 15 years to have wires buried from Gladstone Avenue to Wellington Street. According to LePage, even at that time, members of the Bank Street BIA knew that funding for these sorts of projects would disappear.
However, one councillor did manage to drive a wedge into the committee’s policy.
Cumberland Coun. Stephen Blais wanted a case-by-case clause added so the city could grant funding when feasible.
If that happens, the committee has identified streets that are likely candidates. According to the committee, burying wires on Elgin, Preston and Somerset would be a justifiable expenditure.