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Council grants AT&T variances for overlashing and underground cabling in multiple neighborhoods
Summary
Public Works presented two variance requests from AT&T—one for extensive overlashing (32,503 feet) and underground cabling (41,342 feet) across multiple streets, and a shorter 2,400-foot overlashing along Washington Avenue to serve a structure at 17 Rock Street; committees approved the variances on consent based on prior successful coordination.
Public Works staff (Speaker 12) introduced two variance requests from AT&T for relief from the underground-utility ordinance. The first request covers overlashing of 32,503 feet of fiber and 41,342 feet of underground cabling across a broad area (Chestnut Hill Road and several neighborhood streets); the second is a shorter overlashing run of about 2,400 feet along Washington Avenue to serve improvements at 17 Rock Street.
Speaker 12 explained overlashing is the process of attaching new cabling to existing cable, and said the company had done a similar large-area request about two to two-and-a-half years earlier and had worked well with the city. "Overlash is where they take the new cabling and they attach it to the existing cabling," Speaker 12 said.
Council members moved and seconded motions to approve the variances on consent. Staff indicated no conflicts with the requested overlashing and said coordination with the utility worked well in prior projects; the motions passed by voice/hand-raise votes recorded at the committee level.
A council member later disclosed a financial interest related to the next items (a personal/family disclosure of AT&T stock holdings) before AT&T items were discussed; the disclosure was entered on the record by Speaker 2 prior to the variance discussion.
