The Malden City Council on Tuesday granted a National Grid petition to install a new support pole on the sidewalk of Waite Street and to attach a guy wire to an existing pole at the corner of Waite and Church Streets.

Cameron Hansel, representing Massachusetts Electric Company d/b/a National Grid, told the council the pole would stabilize a line that currently pulls on adjacent poles and threatened outages for a nearby home. "The new pole is going to go on the sidewalk on Waite Street, and then there will be additional supports tying it to the pole at the corner of Waite Street and Church Street to prevent it from falling over," Hansel said.

Councilor Winslow, who made the motion to authorize the petition, proposed and the council adopted an added condition: the pole may not include electrical service or be used to host telecommunications attachments such as small-cell antennas or leased cable equipment now or in the future.

Councilor Spadafore, noting a recurring concern in Malden, said the city has seen poles that later carried multiple attachments and asked for the condition as a clarification of intent. The council’s approval included standard requirements that the utility notify DigSafe, restore streets and sidewalks to the satisfaction of the director of public works, and coordinate final placement with the ward councilor.

The petition (paper 362-25, plan number 31192064) was approved by voice vote after a second by Councilor Spadafore. Hansel and the council said the proposed pole sits in a grass strip between sidewalk and homes and should not interfere with existing trees.

The council’s approval is limited to the stabilizing pole described in the petition; any future request by National Grid to energize the pole or to place additional equipment would require separate notice and council action.