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Committee Sends National Grid Pole Installation to Public Hearing After Councilor Raises Double‑pole Concern
Summary
National Grid representatives told the committee they will install two new poles in Lawrence to serve a proposed 52-unit residential building; councilors pressed the utility to remove old poles rather than creating double poles.
Ben Saffler (National Grid representative) described a request to install two new utility poles to carry higher-voltage wire from Methuen into Lawrence to serve a proposed 52-unit residential building at 113 Wells Street.
Councilors approved a motion to forward the item to the full City Council and to order a public hearing. Councilor Fidelina Santiago made the motion and Councilor Gregory Del Rosario seconded it. Committee members noted the application was for two brand-new poles and that no existing poles would be left in place at the specific installation sites.
Councilor Del Rosario pressed National Grid on a recurring problem in his district: “double poles” — situations where a new pole is installed but the old pole remains in place because communication providers have not finished transferring attachments. The National Grid representative said the new poles will be jointly owned with communications companies and that, per their agreement, the communications providers must remove their old poles after moving their wires. He suggested the council contact the communications providers directly if double poles persist.
The committee voted to send the application up with a favorable recommendation for a public hearing; National Grid was told to expect a public hearing at a future full council meeting and to consider attending.
