Structure 69 Gets Easement, New School Track Opens

AVALON – Avalon Borough Council approved a resolution granting Atlantic City Electric an easement for the erection of a new steel transmission pole, Structure 69 in the utility’s parlance, at the corner of 30th Street and Ocean Drive.
This is not “your grandfather’s electric pole.”  Steel rather than wood, the structure will stand 80 feet tall and have a width of 40 inches at ground level. 
With an almost science-fiction look to it, the pole is backbone of a complete overhaul of the utility’s infrastructure across Stone Harbor and Avalon.
The large-scale upgrade, meant to keep up with the increased demand for electricity and the threats posed to the existing infrastructure by large potential storms and the salty air natural to the island, includes a redesign of the distribution network and a new substation on the island.
The galvanized steel poles will replace the traditional wooden poles all along the island as the distribution network runs from the substation in Court House across the bay to Stone Harbor, down the Seven Mile Island to Avalon and back out along Avalon Boulevard to the substation in Swainton.
Some residents of Stone Harbor have begun raising concerns about what this new distribution network of steel poles will look like and what impact it may have on property values.
One Spout Off labeled from Stone Harbor talked of “huge, terrifying, rusted metal poles.” 
No objections from the public were raised at the Avalon Council meeting with respect to the resolution granting easement for Structure 69.
Structure 69 is a particularly large pole with a special role in the design. The poles moving the transmission lines along the island will be about 20 feet shorter according to utility personnel who recently presented the request for the easement at a previous council meeting.
That still makes the structures different in both appearance and size from the existing set of wooden poles. The upside is an increase in power capable of meeting the growing demand and greater resiliency and reliability according to Atlantic City Electric.
During the presentation two weeks ago, Atlantic City Electric pointed out that the current infrastructure on the island is nearing 50 years old, showed its vulnerability during Super Storm Sandy, and is stressed in terms of its capacity to meet demand.
The easement was given with conditions. 
Atlantic City Electric will bear the cost of restoring landscaping at the construction point in line with the current design plan. The restoration work will be done by a “reputable, insured landscape contractor who is familiar with the local conditions of barrier island plantings,” approved by the borough.
The utility also will pay for the replacement of the sign advertising borough events and for the installation of two street lights to be erected across the 30th street entryway. Lastly Atlantic City Electric will indemnify the borough and its officials for problems arising from the project.
The overall project on the island will begin this fall with the schedule calling for completion by spring before the start of the next summer season.
School Track
Avalon opened its new track and athletic complex located at the field at 30th Street and Ocean Drive next to the school.
The project included a new eighth-mile walking and running track on the field, new exercise equipment, and a resurfaced basketball court.
A ceremony was held Sept. 8, the first day of school in the borough, and students turned out to test the track. The facility is available to the general public when not in use by the school district.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.