Politicians meet with BGE over work in Fells Prospect
Project foreman is fired as state Delegate Brooke Lierman and others take community’s complaints to BGE
Above: The “gutter buddy” keeps debris out of the storm drain, but mess and water accumulate around it if the debris never gets swept up.
Members of the 46th district delegation met with BGE to discuss residents’ concerns about the utility’s gas line replacement project in southeast Baltimore.
Delegate Brooke Lierman and State Senator William C. Ferguson’s staff last week reviewed citizen complaints in the Fells Prospect and Butchers Hill neighborhoods and asked for BGE’s planned corrective measures.
Lierman also confirmed reports from community leaders and City Hall sources that a project foreman has been let go and will soon be replaced.
Residents have told The Brew the utility and its contractor, NPL, have poorly managed the replacement of three miles of cast-iron gas mains, more than 800 service pipes and 900 gas meters in the neighborhoods.
They contend they have been under siege for the last year as work on the pipelines has blocked off consecutive streets, making it difficult to come and go from their homes, and left construction zones unswept and littered with sludge and other debris.
Some Concerns Addressed, Others Ignored
Last spring, a resident filed a complaint about the work with the Maryland Public Service Commission on behalf of the Fells Prospect Community Association. BGE promised to make improvements regarding noise, safety, traffic, vibrations and cleanliness.
After the complaint, a meeting was arranged with the community and residents had a chance to air their concerns.
“Some things improved afterwards,” said resident Laura Irwin. “Originally they were also working on Saturdays, but they stopped to give us a break.”
Irwin said the installation of the new gas meters also improved. But many of the same problems persist, she said.
Parking of Equipment
Aggravating the current situation is BGE’s parking of its heavy equipment on the streets overnight and during weekends when no work is being done, which takes up dozens of parking spaces in a community where on-street parking is at a premium.
BGE machinery stored on the streets has taken up valuable parking spaces, residents say. (Fells Prospect Community Association)
Lierman said Councilman James B. Kraft’s office is in the process of finding off-street parking for BGE construction vehicles at an empty lot. A call to Jeff Amoros, Kraft’s aide, confirmed this.
“I hope those efforts will soon yield positive results so we get the [construction] vehicles off the road for the duration of the project,” Lierman said.
BGE has said the vehicles are parked on the street in the neighborhood so that work can begin promptly each morning.
The gas line project was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014, but is at least six months behind schedule.