Dueling utility repair projects
disturbs sleep in 6th Street area
January 02, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
One of two dueling utility repair projects disturbed the sleep Monday night of some residents living in the area of the 500 and 600 blocks of 6th Street but it should all be over soon, according to a city official.
On Tuesday Interim Public Works Director Brian Yanez said the Southern California Gas Co. “Came in and got their encroachment permits yesterday,” to do “an emergency gas service repair at 545 North 6th Street that began Monday.”
The Gas Company cut a 3.5 foot square hole in the asphalt to access the section of pipe that needed repair, a project that included jackhammering.
Yanez said the utility, “will make all necessary repairs to city facilities,” once the work is completed.
“The other excavation is actually by Verizon,” and is occurring at 610 North 6th Street.
Verizon workers have targeted an area from the sidewalk to the planted ivy on the private property “in order to repair phone service at this address... “
Yanez said, “It is my understanding that no customers are affected by this work,” and work by both the utility companies was expected to be completed Tuesday.
“Any final repairs to streets or sidewalks,” he noted, “will take place within the next couple of weeks.”
One person noted that the work near their home lasted until about 11 p.m. not hard to understand if there is an emergency.
But noisy emergency repair work - such as using a jackhammer to tear out asphalt or concrete - is the only type allowed so late at night; private construction creating noise early in the morning or late in the evening is illegal.
