Residents press Lumen, contractor and city over Foxborough fiber pedestals and driveway damage

Several North Salt Lake residents used the public-comment period to press Lumen and its contractor Fugle about above-ground fiber pedestals and damage from construction in the Foxborough neighborhood.

Melanie Lilliquist told council she was among the first affected homeowners, saying crews “broke the main secondary water line underneath our driveway approach,” left a two-foot void and turned off water without notice. She described long late-night work and poor customer-service experiences and asked the city to convene Lumen, Fugle and homeowners to resolve outstanding repairs. “I don't care who fixes it…Both of you put in and fix it,” she said.

Ryan Torgerson said the new pedestals are placed every ~60 feet and sometimes appear in the middle of front yards, reducing usable space and harming property aesthetics. “Everything was built underground…It can be done,” he said, asking how the city can prevent similar placements going forward.

Wilson Mulder asked whether Lumen can rely on public-utility easements under Utah code. City legal staff and planning staff responded that the city historically granted licenses to telecommunications providers and will treat providers consistently; staff said permit violations could be grounds to revoke a permit but companies would be given an opportunity to remedy violations.

Brett Echols (Neals Fugle, contractor for Lumen) acknowledged the pain of underground construction, said Fugle has a public outreach team and a manned phone line and asked residents to report unresolved damage. Doug Hale (Lumen project manager) apologized for poor customer-service experiences, offered to be a direct contact and said engineering plans can be shared on request. He defended above-ground pedestals as an engineering and cost trade-off that allows Lumen to deploy 10 Gbps service without additional city funding.

City staff said they will coordinate inspections and encouraged residents with known damage to meet tonight with Fugle/Lumen representatives in the foyer; staff added they will review permits and consider whether any violations have occurred. The planning director suggested the city can require future developments to include empty conduit, where feasible, to reduce repeated yard disruptions.

Councilmembers requested staff determine whether permit terms were violated, whether residents can opt to pay for ground-level covers instead of pedestals, and whether the city can require different standards for future subdivisions. Lumen and Fugle representatives committed to working with affected homeowners individually to inspect and, where warranted, repair damage.