Vermont Gas has started construction of its natural gas pipeline extension through Addison County, but neighbors near the hub of the project are upset they were not notified sooner.
Residents at the Maple Tree Housing apartment complex next to Vermont Gas’ staging area at Taft Corners in Williston said they did not know Vermont Gas would use the field as a base for the construction of its 41-mile pipeline project.
Their kids would previously fly kites and play volleyball in the field, but now stacks of pipes, trailers and construction vehicles sit atop a temporary gravel lot. The company uses the site to roll the pipes in cement casks before transporting them to the drill sites. This staging site will remain active until at least 2015, the company says.
Residents also complain about construction noise. They say construction starts at 7 a.m. and the crews work Saturdays. Before speaking with Vermont Gas, they said dust entered their homes, which has since been addressed, they say.
Maple Tree Housing is a 50-unit apartment complex located south of U.S. 2 in Williston. The Champlain Housing Trust owns the apartments, which are designated as affordable housing for low-income residents.
The apartments are separated from the construction site by a string of orange tape and a strip of grass. There are also several large poles used by the former golf driving range to suspend a golf ball catching net.
Champlain Housing Trust officials said they, too, were not notified of the construction. The housing trust contacted Vermont Gas after residents complained about the construction.
Vermont Gas spokesman Steve Wark said after hearing the complaints, the company went door-to-door to talk with residents. He said company officials recently held an ice cream social for residents. According to the Champlain Housing Trust, about 15 people attended. Wark said the residents’ concerns have since been addressed.
Residents remain concerned with the construction noise and the management of the adjacent field.
Stephen Brown, 52, is a resident at Maple Tree Housing. He said he is not worried about the pipeline, which will not pass by his home, but instead the overgrown grass between the apartments and the construction site.
He said because the field has grown tall, he has observed a surge in the tick population this summer, which he said is a safety concern for residents who rely on assistance dogs.
But aside from the tick issue, he said noise has concerned him and other residents in the apartments.
“Even on days like today, I just put my air conditioner on energy save – really low – because of the noise,” he said.
Vermont Gas is not legally required to notify adjacent landowners because the pipeline will not be buried at the construction site, according to a rule adopted by the Vermont Public Service Board.
Geoff Commons is the director for public advocacy at the Department of Public Service. He said the department advises companies to notify neighboring landowners.
Wark said the company decided not to contact the abutting property owners in this case.
“We have been doing construction projects for years and have never had this issue raised,” he said.
The first phase of Vermont Gas’ pipeline extension will connect Chittenden and Franklin counties to Middlebury. The company is renting the land at Taft Corners from Al Senecal of Omega Real Estate. Wark said the Williston site was selected for staging because of its proximity to the pipeline route.
The company is also planning to connect Middlebury to New York. State regulators are deciding whether to approve this project.
The company has started planning for the third phase of its pipeline extension to Rutland. Wark said the company is working with the communities to discuss where to place the pipeline. He said the company hopes to have gas in Rutland by 2020.
The Rutland Economic Development Corp. and the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce support the natural gas pipeline.
