Residents in DeKalb County frustrated after utility lines left unmoved, unfixed

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — “Editor’s Note:” An earlier version of this story mentioned ‘live power lines.’ The lines were not power lines but utility lines.

As storms begin to roll in, some DeKalb county residents are hoping it doesn’t cause downed utility lines.

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One DeKalb county family reached out to Channel 2 after waiting a week to get a downed utility pole removed from their driveway.

Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln spoke with residents about the growing concern they have about downed utility poles in that area.

In both locations, Channel 2 showed the pole was replaced but instead of removing it, the poles were left behind.

Residents tell Lincoln it has been there for more than a year. Resident Roslyn Thompson says she hopes that isn’t the case for them.

“They didn’t come and fix the pole for a week,” Thompson said.

Her concern grew for her elderly mother who had to maneuver under utility lines, hanging inches over her driveway.

“It could have easily fell on me, on my mom, on anybody in the driveway, and that’s what’s making me upset,” said Thompson.

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She says the utility pole snapped after heavy winds from last week’s storm caused a tree to fall.

“And when the tree fell it hit the wires,” Thompson said. For days she says she called AT&T to remove the pole and line.

“When the pole fell down, they didn’t show up or anything,” Thompson said. She says they finally came on Friday.

They made repairs but they left the pole sitting in Thompson’s yard.

Dekalb resident Joscelyn O’Neil says abandoned poles by utility companies aren’t something new in this neighborhood.

“I’ve been complaining about stuff that I’ve seen out in our area on Columbia drive for 8 months. I haven’t seen a difference” said O’Neil.

She’s been speaking out about discarded utilities in their neighborhood. “They cut the pole, they laid the log on the curb and one on the sidewalk,” O’Neil said.

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They found a pole sitting on the side of the road near Columbia Drive and Glenwood Road. O’Neil says it’s been there for more than a year.

“25 years, I’ve never had anything like this happen before,” O’Neil said.

As another round of heavy rain hits the metro, Thompson hopes they don’t have a repeat incident.

“I’m hoping that we won’t have this problem again,” Thompson said.

AT&T told Lincoln they are looking into the matter and hope to have an answer and solution sometime next week.

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