Drainage board grants preliminary concurrence for Comcast fiber above William Lehr Drain

The Hamilton County Drainage Board on July 14, 2025 granted preliminary concurrence for a Comcast request to install fiber optic cable above a regulated drain, after the surveyor’s office reviewed the plans.

A surveyor’s office presenter said Comcast sought a variance to install a proposed fiber optic line 11 feet above the William Lehr regulated drain on the north side of 1606 Street as part of a broader communications project. The office’s position was “to move forward with it,” and a board member moved and seconded the preliminary concurrence; the motion passed on a voice vote.

Board members asked whether attorneys had reviewed the proposal; staff confirmed that both legal and surveyor reviewers had examined the request and that the surveyor had spoken with Comcast’s surveyor. The board did not add special conditions in the preliminary concurrence; final approval will proceed through the office’s established review and final approval process.

The installation is described as placing fiber optic cable above the drain, not as excavation within the regulated channel; staff emphasized review by legal counsel and the surveyor’s office prior to final permitting.