OB is getting a bunch of new, modern street lights. And to top it off, they have cell phone antennas inside them. How great is that!
Ran into a work crew from Perry’s Electric yesterday on Newport Avenue. They were finishing up with the cementing of the base for a new light right in front of Cheswick’s. The new light has the antenna inside the pole itself. Their trucks and equipment took up a good portion of the block. But they were fast.
I spoke to the foreman of the crew, who told me that they’re installing 7 new lights from Sunset Cliffs to Newport. He gave me a flier that he said he had distributed to the businesses near the new light but added he hadn’t received any response.
The flier was an announcement by Crown Castle, a utility company, that it was conducting neighborhood utility installations in the area. It states that-
“The PUC has authorized Crown Castle to construct, own and operate facilities-based telecommunications services networks, known as distributed antenna systems or small cells.”
Crown Castle’s work includes-
“installation of fiber ‘cabling’ and associated utility/communications equipment on existing utility poles and/or streetlights, and may in some instances include the replacement of existing utility and streetlight pole with new poles of comparable size and appearance.”
So, apparently, the gist of this is that OB has needed street lights, particularly in dark areas – not necessarily along Newport Avenue, however.Crown Castle was authorized by the City to install new light poles with antenna for service providers – such as Verizon in these poles – and 7 are coming in to OB.
But the street light that was replaced in front of Cheswick’s didn’t look like the one that replaced it. Of course not, OB prides itself in having those ‘old school’ street lights along Newport and other areas of town.
So, now the new lights have cell phone antenna inside – for your listening pleasure. The foreman said they could be rented or leased out. He was no more clear than that.
The crew had just finished another one up in front of the antique mall in the next block. And I also caught up with them as they completed work on a third one over next to north beach parking lot.
Across the city, I was told, they’re installing 60 new nifty street lights with antennas.
If you do have questions, contact Crown Castle at 858-877-4177.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Geez, how about some damn street lights on our block?? Saratoga Ave between Cable and Bacon Streets are so dark….any crime or robbery could occur and HAS under dark of night!!
And when the BF was wheeling me in my wheelchair after my knee replacement, we couldn’t even see all the horrific cracks in our sidewalk because it was so dark and he almost dumped me onto the pavement several times! Our sidewalks is another story for another time!
This isn’t affecting the street tiles that people purchased as mementos from OBMA, is it?
From the photos, it doesn’t look like it.