A manufacturer in the Knox industrial park is looking to install fiber-optic cable beneath some streets in Knox to connect their two officers as if they were under one roof.
Jim Hicks of J.W. Hicks approached the Starke County Commissioners this week with a request to allow them to connect their facility at 20 S. Klockner Dr. in Knox with their new facility near the intersection of Klockner Drive and Pacific Avenue.
Hicks told the commissioners that the fiber-optic cable would allow them to conduct business at the two locations seamlessly, as if they were in the same building. He says his goal is to have one receptionist, and use a VoIP system to run a single phone system in the two buildings. His plan is to run the line parallel to the rail spur, under Pacific Avenue, and ultimately around to Klockner Drive.
He says the line would be run 10 feet below the surface and at least 25 feet away from the railway, and Hicks says Toll Brothers in the industrial park gave him permission to run cable on their property as well. The installation would be done by an outside contractor, and the line location will be documented by a licensed surveyor.
Hicks assured the commissioners that he would be liable for the line, and will post signs warning of its location. He says this is a necessity for him to grow his business.
A motion was made and approved to allow Hicks to use the county’s right-of-way to install fiber-optic lines beneath the ground.
