DEWEY BEACH, Del. - Old 5G poles in Dewey Beach are still standing after new utility poles replacing them have been installed for over a month, and an agreement was reached with Verizon to replace them.
Locals and town officials are asking why the pole problems are persisting.
Some people in Dewey Beach, like Gib Lentz, believe if the old poles aren't removed quickly, there could be grave consequences for the dunes that they live on.
"if we don't protect them now, we're gonna lose them," says Lentz. He continues, "I think it could attract more paths over the dunes and eventually, maybe decades out, attract homes being built on the dunes," says Lentz.
Dewey Beach Town Manager Bill Zolper says he's reached out to both Verizon and Delmarva Power multiple times and is still waiting on a response.
"I've talked to Verizon. They say they're waiting for Delmarva Power & Light to de-energize the poles and to cut the power off. Verizon's been saying that now for a couple of weeks, and we've emailed both Verizon and Delmarva Power & Light several times asking them, when is this going to be scheduled? I've gotten no response," says Zolper.
According to Delmarva Power, it's crews plan to remove the old meters later this week.
In a statement sent exclusively to CoastTV News, a representative for Delmarva Power says, "We have followed all standards and guidelines as it relates to our infrastructure. None of our poles on Collins and St. Louis streets permit third-party structures to be attached to them. The new poles on Clayton, Rodney and Cullen streets were energized at the end of August. Our crews are planning to remove the old meters later this week, at which point Verizon may remove the old poles."
CoastTV News reached out to Verizon for comment and did not hear back.