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Select Board continues Norfolk Road hearing after abutters say planning approval specified underground conduit
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Summary
Abutters told the Select Board that planning-board documents showed underground conduit for a new cell-tower site but recent utility design proposes overhead poles; the board continued the hearing to April 27 to gather planning-board and engineering documents.
The Select Board continued a hearing on April 13 after abutters said the planning-board approval for a proposed cell tower near Norfolk Road called for underground conduit, but a utility plan now shows overhead poles.
"The first concern is based on the planning board approval for the cell phone tower, everything was stated to be underground conduit," said Richard Lupino, an abutter at 128 North Fork Road, who said he reviewed a planning-board document dated Oct. 24, 2025 and could not find any mention of overhead wires.
Christine, the applicant or agent on the phone, told the board she did not have the planning-board decision at hand but offered to forward the decision to town engineering staff for review. "I can't answer that question right now, but I can certainly look into it," she said.
Board members said abutters had been notified but that discrepancies between planning documents and the utility design required further review. The board voted unanimously to continue the hearing to April 27 at 7:30 p.m. and directed staff to circulate the planning-board decision and related engineering materials in advance.
Multiple abutters also raised concerns that installing poles would require removing trees, increase dust, and harm scenic vistas along North Fork/Norfolk Road and asked whether existing poles from Baltimore Street could be used or whether the lines could be trenched in the roadway instead.
