Gov. Ned Lamont is weighing in on a long-running fight over tall electrical transmission lines in Bridgeport and Fairfield, known as monopoles. Opponents see it as a victory, even if the proposal may still get approved.
Rev. Carl McCluster, the senior pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church in Bridgeport, is critical of the project.
“We cannot allow this to happen to our city; it is time for Bridgeport to rise up,” he said.
McCluster spoke alongside several residents, advocates, local and state officials on Wednesday in Bridgeport by the Barnum Museum.
The gathering was scheduled before Lamont announced he wanted the Thursday vote by the Connecticut Siting Council postponed over concerns residents were not fully informed on the proposal. The Siting Council voted to delay a vote on the matter.
Residents, local and state officials say they’re happy with Lamont’s advocacy. United Illuminating, which plans to install the monopoles, has consistently pushed back against criticism over the potential impacts they would have on Bridgeport and Fairfield.
Many local residents oppose the plan to put up the poles over environmental concerns, property values and aesthetics, as many say they’re eyesores.
Lamont’s advocacy was warmly greeted by town officials.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that they’re willing to come to the table, to find alternate solutions," Fairfield First Selectman Christine Vitale said.
UI on Wednesday declined to answer questions on if it would request a delay on the vote, but a spokesperson referred to Lamont’s remarks where he said UI did not oppose delaying the vote.
State Reps. Sarah Keitt and Antonio Felipe, State Sen. Herron Gaston and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim are among those who oppose the plan in Bridgeport. Their criticism is in line with those in Fairfield.
Barnum Museum Executive Director Kathleen Maher said the monopoles, if installed, would be less than 500 feet away from the museum. That, she said, would be a problem, since the museum is a National Historic Landmark, which gives additional requirements for nearby developments.
The poles could be up to 195 feet, taller than the M&T Bank building in downtown. That's concerning, Maher said.
“Standing from a position of needing to know exactly what the details are from these poles, on the 250,000 people that are going to be coming to the Barnum Museum, it’s going to impact us,” Maher said.
Vitale said she is concerned about legal costs if the fight, which has been ongoing since 2024, continues. But she said the town is not backing down.
"We are going to continue to fight this, so I’m looking for a speedy solution that benefits our community," Vitale said.
