Island-Greenport cable project starting Monday

Staging in Greenport for the electrical cable project that will serve Shelter Island was expected to get underway Wednesday morning.

While on-land drilling is slated to start in Greenport on Monday, Village Trustee Mary Bess Phillips said it wouldn’t be allowed unless an “office of general services permit” is finalized.

But PSEG Communications Director Jeffrey Weir said that permit is pending, awaiting the utility company’s payment and it should happen within a day or two.

He also said that the permit only affects under water drilling that wouldn’t be scheduled for at least two weeks.

Staging was to be done at the southern end of Fifth Street in Greenport and at the North Ferry parking lot on Shelter Island, Supervisor Jim Dougherty said.

A full-time ombudsman is being assigned to answer questions and address concerns residents may have on either side and letters were being sent to Heights residents in the areas of Chase Avenue and Summerfield Place and other areas that could be affected by the work with information about how to reach the ombudsman.

PSEG has pledged to complete the project by mid-May 2018, in advance of the Memorial Day weekend.