Selectboard holds public hearing on utility pole relocation at Green Road; neighbors seek clarity on siting and timing

The Town of North Brookfield Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on a petition to place a new overhead support pole across Green Road near the intersection with Ward Street.

Utility representatives said the pole is intended to replace an existing tree-anchored configuration that is no longer maintainable and to increase reliability for overhead lines. Matt McDonald (939 Southridge St., Worcester) described staking he placed at the proposed location and said the pole would sit roughly 4 or 5 feet off the pavement, behind the tree line and south of a nearby farm property. He said work intends to remove the anchor from a tree and put the wire on a pole and anchor to prevent the existing pole from eventually falling into the adjacent field.

Residents at the hearing — including John Kaminski (12 Green Road) and Kevin Noble (12 Green Road) — asked about the exact siting near a sharp corner on Ward Street, plow clearance and whether the pole would be in the road or in the public way. The utility representative said the new pole would be placed in the public way across the street from the existing pole to avoid relying on tree supports and that, if requested in the future, the blanket permission included in the petition would allow a property owner to install an underground lateral and riser to that pole.

Board members and residents discussed map scale and property lines; attendees noted the stake that was placed in the field last week. The utility representative said Verizon and other cable companies would need to transfer their lines to the new pole after it is set, and that the state typically allows a period for companies to complete relocations (representatives estimated a six-month timeframe but did not state a firm statutory deadline). The board asked that any affected carriers be notified and sign concurrence if required.

The transcript records a motion to approve the pole location (referred to in the meeting as "Poll 81-84") and a second; however, the discussion and vocal responses recorded in the transcript do not clearly show a final, unambiguous roll-call outcome on that motion. The board heard concerns about sightlines and asked staff to confirm final placement details and coordinate with Verizon and other carriers before work proceeds.

Next steps: the board asked staff and the utility to clarify exact placement on a legible map, secure concurrence from affected carriers, and confirm any state timelines for pole transfers. The transcript does not record any further, confirmed field work or pole installation date.