Second public meeting tonight at the Century Communuty center
Residents of Jefferson Avenue in Century attended a town hall meeting with Century Town Council, several town employees and Florida Public Utilities (FPU) representatives last Thursday, March 8, to discuss the proposed installation of a 14-inch gas pipeline through their residential neighborhood on the east side of Jefferson Avenue, an alternate route from what was originally planned.
The pipeline was originally planned to run from Highway 4 to Highway 29, then turn south to Pensacola for 42 miles, when the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said they could install the it under the sidewalk.
A second meeting will be held at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, March 15, at the Century Community Center. All Century residents are encouraged to attend the meeting so their voices can be heard.
Representatives claimed that two benefits of bringing the pipeline through Century are an available connection to a gas line that will allow a lower natural gas price to the town and its residents and the availability to help with training and provide more resources for the gas department in Century to ensure compliance.
“FPU has been very accommodating up to this point,” said Century Gas Department's Joe Brown. “Anything we've asked, they've done.”
“We thought we had something rolled out with FDOT,” said FPU representative Barry Kennedy. “But at our pre-comp meeting Jan. 16, that got pushed sideways.”
Kennedy said that the FDOT moved them out to the travel lane because there was a drain under the sidewalk, so the travel lane would be where they would have to lay the pipeline, which would have the outer lane of Highway 29 shut down for as much as three months.
“We were concerned how the shut down may impact the community,” said Kennedy. “We would have to take an hour and a half every morning and evening setting up the barricades, as well as the scope of work.”
Kennedy said that if they went through Jefferson Avenue, the project could be done within two weeks, averaging 500 feet of pipeline a day. He said they they do not dig a trench to lay pipeline anymore but that modern engineering allows them to dig sideways and run the pipes in through the openings, joining them together at the ends, so there is a series of holes that must be repaired and filled in.
Councilwoman Sandra Jackson McMurray asked about the damage to residents' sidewalks and driveways to drill the right of way down Jefferson Avenue and how it would be repaired. Kennedy said that they do not patch whatever they compromise, but that they would pour a whole new driveway or sidewalk and replace all sod and landscape materials.
The company has already begun laying pipe on Jefferson Avenue, ready to begin installing.
Councilman Luis Gomez was concerned about the traffic on Jefferson, a two-lane street, and how having part of the road dug up will effect traffic.
Kennedy said they would have flaggers to direct traffic with one lane open at all times, but no barricades would be set up in place. Kennedy also noted that they would work up to seven days a week, whatever the town decided to have the least amount of imposition on the residents of Jefferson Avenue.
“We're going to be there when you want us to be there,” said Kennedy.
FPU representative Bruce Christmas said they the company would be willing to go door-to-door to notify people about the drilling activities and assured that when they complete the job, residents will not be able to tell where they laid pipe because they leave the area clean and as it was before.
“It will be better than we left it,” said Christmas. “It's important to us.”
Jefferson Avenue resident Wayne Johnson and his wife were at the meeting and voiced concern over what would happen if something went wrong with the pipeline, like a rupture, once the company leaves.
Christmas told him that there will be one person living up here full-time and working up here to tale care of the pipeline.
“Gas lines normally go through commercial property,” said Jefferson Avenue resident Roger Jenkins. “This might be a hit to property values. Will property values go down? Century is not short on gas supply. Why put a pipeline in your front yard when you already have a permitted way to go? People want to raise their children away from a pipeline. Nobody wants to sleep with a pipeline in their front yard.”
Jenkins and other residents were concerned that the council was planning to vote that day to approve the proposed pipeline or not, but Century Mayor Henry Hawkins assured everyone that there would be second meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 15 for other residents of Jefferson Avenue and Century to be heard.
Several days following the meeting, Jenkins said that he has signed a petition started by Jefferson Avenue resident Eddie Dunsford to oppose the new pipeline route through Jefferson Street to let them know there is a political disagreement for what they are considering.
“If they permit this, we will actively work to unseat them,” said Jenkins.
Jenkins said that emails were sent to Representative Matt Gaetz and Senators Bill Nelson and Marc Rubio.
A Florida DOT representative will be present at the meeting, according to Hawkins. The Florida DOT is the reason the company chose Jefferson Avenue as a last minute change instead of staying with the initial plan.
