BY ELAINE STIEB
Lake Orion Review Editor
At least one council member would like to see residential and commercial utility lines be put underground in the village in the future.
Bob Hollenbeck suggested to other Village of Lake Orion Council members on Sept. 13 that they require electric, telephone and cable lines be buried.
‘When there’s an ice or a wind storm residents sometimes lose power. And it’s a safety hazard with power lines down,? he said.
Hollenbeck called the utility lines in the Atwater Commons area ‘bad.? ‘Temporary poles became permanent. That shouldn’t have happened,? he added.
Councilman Ken Van Portfliet said he had underground utilities. ‘It doesn’t guarantee you protection against storms. ‘I’ve had more trouble,? he added.
Hollenbeck thought that existing lines in the older sections of the village, when they needed to be replaced,, could be underground.
‘It would be extremely difficult to require everything above ground to be put underground,? LO Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel said. ‘It would be more practical to require underground utilities be put on site plans.?