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Commission approves utility facility‑upgrade reviews after residents press AT&T on delayed pole removals
Summary
Planning commission approved five utility facility upgrade reviews as part of the consent agenda after staff reported mostly cleared inspections and AT&T said it is working with other carriers to remove eight remaining poles; residents complained about slow removal and poor customer response.
The Fairhope City Planning Commission on March 6 approved the consent agenda that included five utility facility upgrade reviews, following a discussion about lingering poles and line removal tied to AT&T and other carriers.
City staff reported that right‑of‑way inspectors had cleared outstanding utility inspections for the listed projects but noted eight poles remained to be removed, chiefly associated with the Morphy project. Staff said the poles are awaiting action by other providers such as Mediacom or Unity before they can be removed.
Resident concerns were raised during the meeting about AT&T’s responsiveness to requests to remove lines and repair sites. One commissioner—citing repeated complaints from neighbors—said it was “getting a little absurd” to approve new projects when prior obligations had not been completed. The commissioner urged the city to notify the planning and zoning board earlier in the process and suggested denying future applications that did not complete prior work.
Wade Mitchell, who identified himself as “the county engineer for AT&T,” said the company has weekly contact with city staff members Michael Smith and David Thomas and that company response through the city has been “pretty responsive.” Mitchell recommended that residents contact city departments rather than the company’s general 800 numbers to get a direct response from AT&T’s local contacts and contractors.
Staff said the facility upgrade projects aim to improve service in existing parts of town where internet service is currently “mediocre” compared with new developments. Staff recommended approval of the five utility reviews with the standard conditions shown on the consent agenda (including providing contractor contact information on door hangers and compliance with right‑of‑way permit requirements). The commission adopted the consent agenda unanimously.
The staff report and commission discussion noted that door hangers for these projects should list a contact on site, that contractors must restore work areas and remove poles when other providers clear their attachments, and that staff will verify compliance before allowing construction to begin on the listed projects.
