Hey neighbors,
After crews showed up and started digging without any prior notice, Jason Foster had conversations with the crews and Denton County to get the details on the work being done. Spectrum has hired MasTec Communications Group to lay fiber in Canyon Oaks. Apparently, this was communicated to Lantana, but not to us. After they were contacted by confused residents, they have begun distributing flyers in Canyon Oaks.
MasTec shared the following details by email:
"We will have crews throughout the below highlighted areas. Installing the fiber optic path for Fiber to the home. I have attached the Permit and Plans for this work. Our process will be to place path throughout all roads showed on Map. When that is completed, we will have crews come and pull the fiber and clean/repair all work areas as needed. After that is completed, we will have fiber splicer crews making all the connections to complete path and be completed with this work area. If you have any complaints for yard work needed etc. Please send an email to worksupport@mastec.com so they can be documented and taken care of in a timely manner."
Jason reached out to the county about how far into someone's yard they can dig, why they are not using the easements shown on the plats, and what the boxes will look like.
Kelly Roark from Denton County shared the following in an email:
"Denton County does not have the authority to force a utility company to use an easement even though one was provided by the developer. We also cannot deny them access to the right-of-way. In the Canyon Oaks subdivision, there is a 60’ ROW. To determine the limits of the ROW I typically identify the center line of the pavement and measure off 30’. I can’t guarantee the exact accuracy of this method because it makes an assumption that the pavement is centered in the ROW, but it is usually close enough for most purposes.
We talked about the boxes that will be placed in the ROW. Most will be installed level with the existing grade (hand holes) just like the existing Frontier Communications boxes. There will be some above grade boxes (pedestals) that house some of the fiber optic equipment like splices. These boxes are typically installed at the property line between houses. I’ll ask if these can be hand holes instead of pedestals, but I’m not too optimistic.
I’ll be monitoring the contractor and their work, but I have contractors in all parts of the county so I won’t be able to visit the site every day, but I will be checking in a couple of days each week until the work is complete. I will be doing a final walk through when the contractor determines their wok is complete.
I hope this helps explain what is going on and what the county is allowed to do to regulate the installation of new utility facilities."
Hopefully this clears everything up.
If you have questions or complaints about MasTec's work, please reach out to them using the email they provided, worksupport@mastec.com.
If you have questions for the county, Kelly Roark can be reached at Kelly.Roark@dentoncounty.gov.
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Update:
Here is some additional information from Blake Burrows for those with standing water issues:
"They need to make sure and properly bury the cable in your front yard a minimum of 36” in the required 2” conduit.
Our culvert has formed 1-foot-deep pockets that hold standing water on all 4 sides of our circle driveway. IE the culvert needs to be dug out about 1 foot to be properly graded again (at least on our property). If spectrum lays the fiber 36” from that grade, when the culvert is properly graded it will only be 24” buried.
You can complete a request for assistance form through Denton county’s website, as I believe this is their issue to fix. I believe this battle has been tried before on who actually needs to maintain the culvert…homeowner or county. However, with their use of the 30ft Right of Way for this project, it may be a good time to address this with the county again.
I’ve completed a request form on the county website. That request for assistance form can be viewed here: https://www.dentoncounty.gov/FormCenter/Road-Bridge-West-Requests-for-Assistance-8/County-Maintained-Roads-101
May be helpful for others to also send in a request form if they are experiencing similar issues with standing water around their driveway."
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