New Verizon Boxes Appear on Old Poles: Wave of the Future - or Unsightly, Unsafe and Unpaid For?

by Judy Silberstein

(September 30, 2004) Beginning in late August, telephone poles throughout the Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont began sporting new, large, street-level metal lockers, known as "cross boxes" by the technicians. Big deal? Verizon’s corporate office didn’t think so, but their field techs are extremely excited and local officials and some residents are outraged.

A new street-level cross box on Elm "crosses" between Verizon's underground and aerial cables.

The official Verizon position is subdued. According to Verizon spokesperson Dan D. Zapata, the new equipment will be used “to manage and increase the capacity of our network.”

“It’s important equipment that needs to be installed to continue to provide service,” he said, but even when pressed would not provide further information about what was going into all those new boxes.

The Verizon field technicians that are busily employed all over the Village were not so reticent. They are extremely excited about the new technology, which they described as a step in replacing the old copper wiring with new fiber optics that will allow Verizon to supply homes with multiple phone lines, high speed Internet access and television all via one wire from the pole to the home. “It’s cutting edge,” said one field tech working on Larchmont Avenue.

Local officials are also extremely excited – but their reaction is more outrage than enthusiasm. Their concern is for safety, aesthetics – and the possibility that Verizon may be installing new capabilities that subject providers to franchise fees negotiated through the tri-municipal Cable Board of Control.

“I’m bloody infuriated,” said Larchmont Mayor Ken Bialo, who spotted the first boxes in the Manor on August 28 and immediately blasted out an e-mail to his board and fellow officials in the Town and Village of Mamaroneck.

“Here we are working to improve our looks and our safety, and these guys plop down these giant boxes that are not only unsightly and slovenly but unsafe in their locations,” he stated.

“How outrageous,” was his conclusion, particularly since Verizon provided no prior notice of their plans.

“They‘re really bad, said Town Supervisor Valerie O’Keeffe. “I’ve already complained about them.”

Local officials, though, have only so much control over the telephone poles. As Mr. Zapata pointed out, the work is being done in the “right of way,” on land where utilities are not required to have permits or permissions from the municipalities.

“The boxes are installed in locations based on two important criteria: ensuring our technicians have safe access to our equipment and public safety," said Mr. Zapata. “Where residents and communities have concerns, we will listen to them and are willing to work with them to ensure that their concerns are heard while simultaneously addressing the needs of our business.”

Verizon did listen to recall concerns this week. Marco Gennarelli, Town Superintendent of Highways, sat down with a number of Verizon engineers, who agreed to raise four or five of the boxes identified as particularly unsafe in their locations.

“That doesn’t satisfy me, there are still plenty of others that are near the streets,” said Supervisor O’Keeffe. “Any child could fall into them," she said and pointed out that a number of the boxes are close to sidewalks and near Murray Avenue School.

Mayor Bialo is not satisfied either and, along with his fellow municipal leaders, will be writing to Verizon’s top management. On advice of counsel for the Cable Board of Control, attorney Joseph Van Eaten, the following demands will be made:

1. Stop installing the boxes;
2. Talk with the municipalities about making the boxes more safe and less unsightly; and
3. If the boxes are designed to carry cable television, Verizon must have a cable television franchise.

Cablevision, for example, pays a franchise fee that supports the operation of LMC-TV in return for the right to sell cable television service to local residents.

According to the field staff, Verizon may be rolling out new services in Westchester as early as January 2005 as part of an ambitious plan that will ultimately switch all its outside plants to fiber optics. “Larchmont is one of the first communities in Westchester,” said one technician working amidst a convoy of trucks parked on Elm Avenue. Verizon selected Larchmont based on the large number of residents who already purchase cable-based Internet service – from competitor Cablevision.

“People are anxious for the service,” said another worker, “particularly people from areas with poor copper service – for example, Nancy and Garit Lanes (off of Palmer Avenue).”

“Fiber optics – they’re the future,” he said. That may be, but before the future arrives, Verizon and municipal officials are likely to be engaging in some old-fashioned communication to smooth out what new equipment will be going where – and at what cost.