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Kingston plans to replace unsafe electrical panels on the Plains; PFAS testing delays underground work and could affect events
Summary
Selectmen representative presented a plan to replace deteriorated electrical panels on the Kingston Plains with new ground-level panels and conduit; town paused major excavation pending PFAS monitoring wells, which could limit powered uses of the Plains during summer events.
Peter Behke, a member of the Kingston Board of Selectmen appointed to represent the Kingston Days Committee, told the Historic District Commission on April 8 that the electrical distribution on the Plains in front of the fire department is unsafe and will be replaced.
Behke said crews would remove the existing plywood-mounted panels and install new backboards and weather‑protected panels. He described the existing installation as, “100% unsafe,” and said the plan calls for a 400‑amp panel, two 200‑amp panels and seven 100‑amp panels on newly built backboards, with two additional small poles added to the system.
The plan calls for moving many overhead service drops to ground-level conduit to remove wires from the air and to reduce hazards for large vehicles and event equipment. Behke said the town has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) describing the proposed upgrade and that some existing panels would be disconnected immediately because of hazard concerns.
But work requiring soil disturbance is on hold. Sanborn Head (the contracted environmental firm) is scheduled to install and monitor groundwater sampling wells to further characterize local PFAS contamination. Commission members said the monitoring wells are not scheduled until later in the summer; as a result, the town has delayed trenching and underground conduit installation pending that testing and any regulatory direction from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES).
Commission members and Behke said the pause could affect Kingston Days and other Plains events. Behke and other speakers said the bandstand and vanstand power will be preserved, but other event electrical needs would likely require generators while the Plains’ main electrical system is offline; food vendors and PA systems may need to plan for portable power.
Behke said the town’s Highway Department will build the backboards and that the proposed finish would be brown or green to be visually compatible with the Commons. He also described modest underground trenching that would be backfilled promptly to minimize surface disruption.
The commission offered general support for the safety-driven upgrade and thanked Behke and Highway Department staff for bringing the proposal to the Historic District Commission for input. No formal commission vote was required or taken at the meeting.
The town will await Sanborn Head’s monitoring-well results and regulatory guidance before proceeding with below‑grade conduit work, and organizers planning events on the Plains were advised to prepare for limited powered access beyond the bandstand until the testing and any remediation work are complete.
