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Council approves National Grid petition to relocate pole near Thorndyke Street, 5–4
Summary
After a public hearing, the council approved National Grid’s request to move a joint pole a few feet to address a future clearance issue related to service to 10 Thorndyke Street; vote was 5–4 amid questions about Chapter 91 compliance.
National Grid presented a petition to relocate a joint utility pole (jointly owned with Verizon) near 10 Thorndyke Street to avoid future clearance conflicts related to a customer installation. Petra Ichzeka, who identified herself as representing National Grid’s electric side from the Malden office, explained the pole would be moved a few feet along the same side of the street and would not place new impacts on residential properties: “It’s gonna be located, like, a few feet away from where it currently is … just so because the customer is planning to install some equipment, and if they install that equipment, our service job is going to be impacted,” she said.
Council debate centered on regulatory compliance and whether the matter had satisfied Chapter 91 requirements. One councilor announced a planned no vote pending answers about Chapter 91 compliance; several colleagues asked clarifying questions about whether the pole relocation would affect adjacent properties (petitioner said no). On roll-call, five councilors voted yes and four voted no; the motion to approve the National Grid relocation carried 5–4.
Next steps: the council approved the relocation by majority vote. The petitioner will proceed with coordination subject to any conditions noted by city staff and National Grid.
