BOISE, Idaho — Neighbors in West Boise are upset and curious about why their yards are being dug up by a new fiber internet company. They say it's being done without their permission and without proper notice.
- Residents of West Boise are upset over unexpected fiber installations by Fatbeam Fiber in their yards.
- Ada County Highway District is overseeing the project, which is common as the areas in question are considered to be in ACHD's right of way— meaning the land is not technically the homeowners' property.
- Fatbeam Fiber says they're almost done with their installation in this neighborhood but had to put construction on hold while they repaired the concrete damaged in a recent water main break.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
I'm your West Boise neighborhood reporter Jessica Davis in the Harrisburg neighborhood where a new fiber company is expanding its services, but neighbors are questioning: at what cost?
"You see how much dirt is still left on the ground— this has actually been rained on multiple days," says Harrisburg subdivision resident, Rick Outhet.
Fiber installation in these West Boise front yards is causing some frustration. "Who are these people? Why are they doing this? The notification they gave seemed [to be] lacking the facts— that they were going to come in here and do this," says Outhet.
Outhet received a flyer about a month ago, indicating that a new fiber company was starting construction in the neighborhood. But he had no idea what was to come. "The door hanger just looks like someone is trying to sell their fiber; [it] didn't say we're going to come to your house without your permission and just tear up your front lawn."
The flyer, from Fatbeam Fiber, does specifically mention construction and even includes a hotline to call with questions, but what residents like Rick didn't expect was the damage to the area's water line, twice in one month, and the need for a third-party company to come out for additional repairs.
Rick's in-laws also live across the street and were unaware of the installation process.
He says, "The next day I noticed my in-laws' house— there were holes; they were digging up [stuff]. There were piles of dirt. So, I took some pictures and said, 'You guys okay this?' And they did not know about it. They were not informed."
Fatbeam Fiber tells me this is part of a massive project, bringing new high-speed internet options to approximately 3,400 Boise homes.
Although there have been some setbacks, the company claims that respecting people's property is a top priority. According to Fatbeam Fiber, they aim to leave the neighborhood equal or better than when they found it.
But Rick's biggest concern comes down to authorizing the installation. "Who gives them the right? Who tells them that they're a utility? Who tells them they can come in here? What if you're not going to use them? You don't want your yard tore up!"
As I found out, it comes down to Ada County Highway District. In this case, the areas in question are considered to be within ACHD's right of way, which means the disturbed lawns are not technically included in the homeowner's property.
That allows the agency to approve the project whether homeowners are committed to the new services or not.
As for Rick, he just hopes his street gets back to normal sooner rather than later.
"If they communicated with us, maybe we'd know— but we're left in the dark."
Fatbeam Fiber says they're almost done with their installation in the Harrisburg neighborhood. However, repair crews on site told me they had to put construction on hold while they repaired the concrete damaged by the recent water main break.
