Steven Penniman and George Britt work on the town’s underground utilities project at the corner
of Golfview and Polo drives as phase 2 begins.
Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Steve Plunkett
The threat of Hurricane Matthew bearing down on Gulf Stream made Mayor Scott Morgan an even more ardent believer in the virtues of putting electric wires underground.
“Down in the south end of town, where with the slightest breeze we would lose power, we did not lose power in this storm, which had sustained 40-mile-an-hour winds and 60-mile-an-hour gusts,” Morgan said. “It’s the first time ever, where I live, that that occurred. And of course that’s occurring after we went underground.”
Morgan and his wife, Lisa, bought their home on North Ocean Boulevard in 2004.
“So I think it does lend some support to the reasoning that the town had in moving forward with the advantage of undergrounding,” Morgan said.
The mayor’s observations came during an update on the utilities project. Phase 1 will be complete once streetlights are installed on State Road A1A from Pelican Lane to Golfview Drive, Morgan said. Florida Power & Light Co. has completed plans for the lighting, and the town expects the state Department of Transportation to issue a permit for the work in January, he said.
The contractor has begun to install conduit on Golfview Drive and will be moving northward as phase 2 progresses. The contractor has 10 months to finish installing conduit for all overhead utilities and transfer the FPL service.
In other business, commissioners elevated Curtiss Roach, the first alternate member of the town’s Architectural Review and Planning Board, to being a full member.
“When asked to come down at the last minute, he does. He’s very responsive and committed to serving, so I think that would be a wise choice,” said Town Commissioner Paul Lyons, whose spot on the ARPB Roach is filling.
Commissioners are looking for someone to takes Roach’s position as first alternate.
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