Multiple stop work orders issued for Comcast after service expansion project begins prematurely
Comcast is looking to expand service in the Mahoning Valley and beyond, but according to the chair of the Poland Township Trustees, the company has run into some small roadblocks.
People living in one Poland Township neighborhood looked out their windows this weekend to see work crews digging up their yards. This is all from Comcast working to expand its services here in the Valley. However, residents got no prior notice this construction was happening.
21 News looked into the project and found the company started work too early before some permits were issued, leaving homeowners on Four Seasons and Autumnwood Trl. in the dark this would be happening on their properties.
According to Poland Township Trustees Chair, Eric Ungaro, Comcast did get permits from the Ohio Department of Commerce to begin work in Poland but started work before filling out paperwork at the local level.
"There was an issue of people just coming in and starting the work," explained John Venglarcik, homeowner of Four Seasons Trl. "At the very least, I would have liked an advanced notice so we could have made appropriate plans. There was stuff all across our front yard and just earlier they had stuff across the driveway, we couldn't even get out. It would have been nice if we had been warned a little beforehand about this."
Ungaro told 21 News that two stop work orders have been issued and the company is ordered not to continue working until all local paperwork has been filled out. Ungaro said Comcast has complied with the orders but 21 News crews spotted workers continuing the work on Monday.
"If you start going under our right of way or our roads and you do some damage, or say you go on the easement and break somebody's electrical dog fence, you have to be bonded to make sure you can fix that," Ungaro explained.
"Just because the state issues it [permits], they still have to go through a township and go through our required permits and get the bond set up just in case something goes on," he explained.
"They knew this was happening probably a long time ago," Venglarcik said. "This seems like somebody's trying to slip in under the wire and do something without any scrutiny and I'm really opposed to that."
Ungaro said Poland is just the first of many local municipalities to see work done by Comcast to expand service.
21 News reached out to Comcast's media relations department for more details on this project but we did not hear back Monday evening.
