September 4, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 Ridgewood BPU grants hearing on utility pole installation by John Koster The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has approved a public hearing so the Ridgewood Village Council may present its formal objection to the installation of the 65-foot utility poles that cropped up -- to the surprise of many resi- dents along the right of way -- as part of a project to connect Glen Rock to Paramus. The moratorium that now exists will probably be con- tinued until the hearing, which may be conducted in the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack. No date has yet been set. Officials from Public Service Electric & Gas deny any wrongdoing and claim they have the right to pursue the interstate electrification project and that Ridgewood has no right to block the pole installation through local ordinances, which are superseded by state and national laws. David Hollenbeck, the general manager for PSE&G, told the Ridgewood Village Council and residents three weeks ago that Ridgewood officials had been informed about the height of the poles and the added voltage, though he admit- ted that the company may not have specified the exact route. Hollenbeck acknowledged that the utility should The segment in the center from one of the older poles in the center shows the size and condition of the poles being replaced. have supplied Ridgewood with a prepared public service announcement and had failed to do so. Less vociferous negative responses in neighboring Glen Rock focused on the number of times Maple Avenue had been closed to traffic during the pole installation. Public Service Electric & Gas has argued that the taller, studier poles and heavier cables will prevent the numer- ous pole collapses and line breaks from falling trees and large limbs. In the last two years, storm-related line breaks left large parts of Ridgewood, Glen Rock, and other towns without electrical power for five days or more. Ridgewood residents have argued that the taller poles, should they collapse, would be far more dangerous to houses and cars and that the higher voltage could cause health problems in ways that are not fully understood. The utility company had tried to complete the instal- lation in Ridgewood before school opened, but the mora- torium made that impossible. Ridgewood Avenue, which runs past Ridgewood High School, will predictably see construction while school is in session, officials noted.