LEXINGTON, S.C. — Lexington County neighbors recently expressed concern after a company began fiber-optic cable installations near them with no notice.
"It must've been three foot, three by two worth of digging all through the yard. It's two spots right here and then another spot," resident Kevin Joye said.
Joye lives in Millstream Crossing. He said he's seen contractors installing fiber optic cable in his yard in the last couple of weeks.
"But I was just like, man, they're just coming up through our yards, digging, they didn't let us know," Joye said.
Joey said he didn't see any door hangers, emails, texts or calls from the company. Joye said his mom was upset because she invested a lot in flowers and plants.
"She's probably ten grand into the yard," Joye said.
But last week, "We smell gas, ya know, out on the porch, and I said 'Well, that's not good,' to smell it that heavy," Joye said.
Neighbors said a line was hit during the installation.
"Fire trucks rolled up, and some first responders came, and we were notified that there was a gas leak and that they had hit a gas line," resident Josh Knauer said.
According to Lexington County officials, staff met with Ripple Fiber's project manager on Wednesday to discuss these neighbors' concerns. From now on, the county says Ripple Fiber will distribute door hangers to future neighborhoods they work in.
News19 contacted Ripple Fiber, which sent us a statement saying:
"Ripple Fiber is committed to limiting disruptions due to construction, as we build our fiber optic internet network in Lexington County. We take resident feedback seriously and aim to communicate with all affected residents prior to breaking ground in each development. In February 2024, we mailed postcards to residents within our build areas, including the Mill Stream Crossing neighborhood, to notify them of upcoming fiber installation in the rights-of-way. Upon the upcoming completion of construction, our Land Restoration team will survey each property to ensure yards are restored to their former state or better. Any residents with cases that require further assistance can rest assured that our Green Team, comprised of dedicated landscape experts, will address all issues until complete satisfaction is met. We encourage any residents with questions or concerns to reach out to our local Lexington office at (839) 205-1804."