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Comcast asks Perry County panel to allow completion of Canton Heights broadband work after homeowner complaints
Summary
Comcast told the Perry County Redevelopment Commission it secured city, INDOT and utility permits and asked to finish underground fiber/coax work in Forest/Canton Heights; residents said contractors had dug on private yards without notice. The board sent Comcast's materials to the county attorney for review and will revisit the item April 27.
Comcast asked the Perry County Redevelopment Commission on March 23 to permit completion of a broadband project in Forest/Canton Heights after a stop order interrupted construction.
“My name is Harry Dixon. I'm the director of local government community affairs for Comcast,” Dixon told the commission, saying Comcast obtained permits through the city, INDOT and Southern Indiana Power and has been working within a public‑utility easement. He asked the board to allow the company to finish remaining splicing and power‑supply work.
Several homeowners and commissioners said they were not notified before contractors began digging on private property. “The owner took an awful lot of push back from Comcast…they dug up the property,” a resident who identified herself as Elizabeth said, describing what she called an unexpected service drop to a private yard. Commissioners said property owners complained to the board after the work began.
Comcast representatives said lines within the subdivision are being installed underground and that company supervisors can notify homeowners in advance and return to correct any sinking or poor restorations. The company also explained the network architecture: a fiber loop feeding a node and power supply, with coax service drops into individual houses when residents request service.
Commissioners said a stop order had been issued previously and that there had been little or no direct communication with some property owners. The commission did not authorize Comcast to resume work during the meeting. Instead, members agreed to send Comcast’s agreement and project documents to the county attorney for legal review and asked staff to confirm homeowner notification plans. The item will return to the commission agenda on April 27 for possible action.
The board requested that Comcast provide a homeowner contact list and coordination plans before any further work, and asked staff to verify property ownership and easement boundaries. The commission did not set a firm timeline to lift the stop order; it said it would rely on the county attorney’s guidance before allowing the project to resume.
