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Eversource outlines plan to move indoor gas meters outdoors in McKnight; commission agrees to coordinate site visits
Summary
Eversource told the Springfield Historical Commission it plans to move indoor gas meters to outside locations across the McKnight neighborhood as part of a gas-main replacement; the utility will coordinate property-level inspections and agreed to joint site visits with commission staff to minimize visual impacts.
Eversource representatives briefed the Springfield Historical Commission on a neighborhood gas-main replacement project that will require moving a number of indoor gas meters to exterior locations in the McKnight neighborhood.
Amy Henderson, Eversource community-relations lead for Springfield, said the project replaces older mains and upgrades service lines; as part of the utility’s safety standards the company is moving meters from inside houses to exterior locations whenever feasible. Rick Wieler, the Eversource supervisor overseeing the work, said the utility’s first objectives are safety and code compliance but that crews try to minimize visual impact by locating meters out of primary public view when site conditions allow.
Commissioners raised several concerns and requests: the commission prefers meters be placed where they are not visible from the public way, asked Eversource staff to avoid driveway locations and bulky meter-protection bollards when possible, and suggested plantings or other screening where an exterior location would be moderately visible. Eversource said shrub screening can be used as long as required clearances are preserved and that customers must keep plantings trimmed to maintain access.
Eversource said meters are read electronically but may require physical access for maintenance; the utility also noted that some modern mains include street-level sectional shutoffs but that many older lines do not. The company estimated roughly 30–70 meters in the project area would require relocation from interior to exterior positions; some addresses already have outside meters and are not affected.
Because the utility must visit individual properties to determine viable meter locations, commissioners asked Eversource to coordinate a small number of joint site visits with commission members to set expectations and reduce post-installation disputes. Eversource agreed to coordinate with staff to schedule field visits so both parties can see typical installation constraints and acceptable placements prior to installation. The utility also confirmed the meter relocation work is at no cost to customers.
