Agoura Hills City Council unhappy with
cable TV boxes
By Stephanie Bertholdo
Acorn Staff Writer

Adelphia Cable Company drew some heat from Agoura Hills city council members after the com-pany’s representative showcased with slides the new cable system that features above-ground power supply boxes.

Adelphia is in the preliminary stages of installing 12 pedestal power supply boxes measuring 40 inches high and 24 inches deep throughout the city. In addition, 47 smaller, yet still noticeable boxes are also scheduled to be installed around town in both business and residential areas.

Agoura Hills Mayor Jeff Reinhardt objected to the appearance of the boxes. "In this day and age, I think that there has to be something better," he said. Reinhardt suggested setting the fiber optic conduits underground or at the very least camouflaging the boxes with faux rock or landscaping.

Shawn Riggs, Adelphia’s area construction manager, explained that a rock facade doesn’t allow proper ventilation for the power boxes, which could lead to cable-service interruptions. He said plants could be placed around the structures, but that they couldn’t be completely camouflaged.

"We can paint them any color you want," Riggs suggested, adding that he’s seen them painted in a brick-like pattern. He added that the boxes could be placed in the least conspicuous locations on each of the targeted properties.

City Councilman Denis Weber said that Charter Cable Company installed the same boxes, but hid them.

Adelphia representatives are door knocking and asking permission from residents to place the boxes on their property, but homeowners aren’t required to accept them. Riggs said that if property owners refuse the boxes, the company has other options.

Jim Thorsen, director of public works and city engineer, said that the company could get approval for placing the box at another home or on properties on the next street.

Reinhardt asked whether trenching was necessary for the installation of fiber optic conduits. The answer was yes and it’s estimated that 12,000 feet of conduits must be installed, but the actual number depends upon the condition of existing conduits.

City Councilman Ed Corridori said he believed that covers were available for the boxes. "They look like a well-treated hedge."

Conduits will be installed by boring underneath roadways.

On the bright side, the new technology will bring Agoura Hills into the future. City council meetings may someday be viewed live at home through the new technology and vastly improved telephone and Internet services could be accessible the some way.

Reinhardt said that the city doesn’t allow pole signs or billboards and that he doesn’t buy the argument that power boxes can’t be camouflaged. "I’m going to dig my heels in on this one," he said. Reinhardt asked Riggs to look deeply into finding an aesthetically appealing solution.

Thorsen explained that Adelphia has franchise rights and that the city is limited on its ability to prohibit power box installations.

Corridori, however, said that it’s not an exclusive franchise, although it is economically prohibitive to hire another cable company.

"For practical purposes, there are not a lot of alternatives," he said.