We hope the Tampa Electric Co. is serious about removing those monstrous utility poles in Egypt Lake. The 12-story poles never should have been placed in a residential neighborhood. And the way TECO went about it - not alerting the community it planned to disfigure - showed contempt for residents.
TECO announced the other day it might relocate the transmission route, this after two weeks of bitter complaints by residents and community leaders. Politicians who represent Egypt Lake had begun to investigate how to restrain TECO's freedom to lay power lines. TECO's indifference to residents' concerns created two problems - a public relations one, and a regulatory one.
TECO didn't promise to remove the poles, merely to solicit input from residents on "the current route and alternate routes." A meeting is not necessary. These poles are a towering eyesore and they should be moved to a nearby commercial road. TECO knows the residents want them gone. As a company spokesman said: "We've heard loud and clear from the community how unacceptable this is."
John Ramil, TECO's president, put his credibility on the line by declaring that TECO was open to "moving or modifying the current route." We'll see if he means it. Meanwhile, Hillsborough County needs to lessen the chance this could happen again, by toughening regulations on where power lines may be placed.
