ALTON – An Ameren Illinois representative recently outlined the company’s position after the Alton City Council voted 4-3 to force the relocation of a downtown powerline.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Erin Frew, owner of the historic Snyder Block building at 301 Piasa Street, has repeatedly called for the bare overhead powerlines running less than six feet from her building’s facade to be relocated to allow maintenance to be performed on the building and to mitigate what she has consistently described as a public safety hazard.
Frew asked Alton officials to enforce the city’s existing franchise agreement with Ameren, forcing the company to relocate the lines at Ameren’s expense. An Ameren Illinois spokesman has since indicated the company is already working on a solution.
The Ameren spokesman said the powerline in question met the National Electric Safety Code's NESC clearance standards when it was originally constructed. They added that the line is currently set for an increase in clearance from the building, but did not provide an estimated timeline of when this clearance increase would take place.
“Ameren has a self-directed proactive line clearance program which aims to increase clearances in certain situations,” the spokesman said. “The Alton line is on the list of circuits scheduled to have the clearance increased.”
The company spokesman also said Frew has been informed about the line’s placement on the increased clearance list and said Ameren has extended flexible scheduling options to Frew to accommodate any building maintenance needs.
“We have been in regular contact with the customer about this situation and have informed the owner that the power line outside of the building is on the schedule to have the clearance increased,” the spokesman said. “We have also offered flexibility in scheduling the necessary work to accommodate any maintenance the owner plans to complete on the exterior of the building.”
At this week’s Alton City Council meeting, Frew framed Ameren’s previous proposal as an inadequate solution to the powerline problem she says has been ongoing for over 15 years. Frew said Ameren’s prior proposal was to install temporary 10-foot extenders to allow a one-time chance for building maintenance before the powerlines would be permanently reinstalled in their original position at an estimated $93,000 cost to Frew.
City Council members ultimately voted 4-3 to pass a resolution invoking Section 4.2 of the city’s Franchise Agreement with Ameren to “relocate Electric Facilities for Public Safety.” Aldermen Chris Bohn, Martha Pfister, Michael Velloff, and John Meehan voted in favor of the item, while Aldermen Rosetta Brown, Stephanie Elliott, and Patricia Ford voted against it.
More details behind the Alton City Council’s narrow passage of the powerline relocation resolution are available in this related story on Riverbender.com.
