Lincoln council approves easement for gas regulator station near Salesville Elementary after safety briefing

The Lincoln Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to grant Rhode Island Energy an easement to construct and maintain a gas regulator station on town property near Salesville Elementary School.

The council took the item out of order to hear a brief presentation and questions from the public and staff. Jessie Bataillon, a gas engineer with Brown Energy, said the station’s ground installation would measure roughly 16 feet by 6 feet, most of it below grade, with limited above-ground components — two vent poles and a small utility box roughly 2 by 3 by 3 feet. Bataillon said the installation would be located at the southern edge of the parcel and estimated the edge of the regulator station would be about 10 to 12 feet from the road. She said the above-ground fixtures would be locked and that the new location replaces an existing regulator station whose current siting is “not really conducive” to replacement in-place.

Councilors asked about proximity to the basketball courts, nearby residences and the school; Bataillon said the unit sits beyond the basketball courts and nearer to trees and a narrow band of residential property and that plans for future site development include additional courts and retention ponds. A councilor also asked whether the work would improve residents’ gas service; Bataillon said the replacement improves safety and reliability rather than providing a direct service upgrade.

After questions, a councilor moved to grant the easement; a second was recorded and the council voted all ayes.

The easement approval directs staff to finalize the town-level paperwork and permits. No timeline for construction was announced at the meeting.