TAMPA - A lawyer for residents of the Egypt Lake neighborhood vowed Tuesday to accelerate litigation against Tampa Electric Co. unless the energy provider agrees by the end of November to remove giant transmission poles it installed in the neighborhood.
Paul Antinori, who represents dozens of Egypt Lake residents, said he made the demands during a meeting with TECO representatives Monday.
"Mr. TECO, tear down these poles. That was basically the message," Antinori said of the meeting. "We put the question to TECO very simply . . . Are you going to remove the poles or are you not going to remove the poles?"
Antinori said he didn't get a firm answer, but he said he walked away from the meeting "with a very positive feeling."
Last month, Egypt Lake property owners filed suit against TECO, seeking to force the utility to remove the poles - some as tall as 125 feet and 3 feet wide. The lawsuit contends that the installation of the poles amounts to an unreasonable intrusion into a residential neighborhood.
Also, it asks a judge to grant a jury trial to consider whether residents deserve compensation for a loss in property values.
Antinori said Tuesday that most residents aren't interested in damages; they simply want the poles gone.
If that doesn't happen, he said, he will try to push for a jury trial as soon as possible.
A TECO spokeswoman said company officials were puzzled by Antinori's comments on Tuesday.
"My understanding was that outcomes were not discussed," said Laura Plumb. "I'd describe it as a meeting about the legal issues related to the case. It wasn't in any way a discussion of any outcomes."
Plumb said the company has met with public officials and residents, and has also studied possible alternatives for addressing the problem. She said the company plans to complete its evaluation by the end of November.
