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Somerville committee recommends Comcast conduit on Houghton Street to serve 121 Prospect
Summary
The Licenses & Permits Committee recommended approval for Comcast to place 49 feet of conduit on Houghton Street to serve 121 Prospect Street after the company said the pole on Houghton is the closest entry point; an abutter raised concerns about repeated street digs and pole clutter.
The Somerville City Licenses & Permits Committee recommended approval for a Comcast grant of location to place 49 feet of conduit on Houghton Street to supply service to 121 Prospect Street.
Councilor Willie Brownlee Jr., chair of the Licenses & Permits Committee, opened discussion after Comcast representatives said the Houghton pole is the closest entry point for service and choosing it limits the amount of trenching needed. "The closest entry point for us would be Houghton Street," said Dave Fluellen, a Comcast representative. "We always try to find the shortest amount of underground to provide service to the building."
An abutter, Lisa White of 4 Houghton Street, urged the committee to require safeguards. She said her street has been dug up many times over the past decade and expressed concern about recent repaving, water flow to catch basins and the condition of a pole with loose wires. "If you dig it up again, we're going to have problems with water flow to the catch basins," White said.
Fluellen told the committee the excavation would be limited to about 49 feet, that the crew would excavate a portion of the road at a time so it remained open to traffic, and that a temporary patch would be installed the same day with permanent sidewalk panels replaced in kind with concrete if needed. He also said the work would likely not begin until the winter moratorium lifts in April and that Comcast would inspect and address visible cable clutter on the pole.
After hearing assurances about the scope and timing of work, the chair moved to recommend approval of the grant of location. The clerk called the roll and the item was recommended for approval with all councilors voting in favor. Chair Brownlee noted the permit must be in hand before work begins and reiterated the likelihood that work would occur in spring following the moratorium.
The committee’s action is a recommendation; installation cannot proceed until the city’s engineering permits are issued and the applicant complies with any permit conditions and required notice to abutters.
