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Select Board approves National Grid and Verizon petitions after resident hearing
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Summary
After a public hearing on petitions from National Grid and Verizon, the Select Board approved two pole petitions — one on Root Road and one on New Templeton Road — following testimony from a Root Road resident about a tilted, deteriorating pole and clarifications from National Grid on undergrounding constraints and sequencing with customer electricians.
The Select Board opened a public hearing on petitions from National Grid and Verizon New England seeking permission to install or relocate poles on Root Road and New Templeton Road. The notices, read by the chair, described specific pole locations and distances and were filed under the town's statutory public-notice requirements.
National Grid’s representative, identified as Matt McDonald, said the projects were driven by customer requests. Resident Richard Bridal of 15 Root Road testified that a pole on his property is leaning, the rubber insulation on some wires is failing, and tree branches have been trimmed for years to reduce risk. Bridal said National Grid proposed installing a new pole near his driveway, trenching to the meter and replacing the meter socket and support.
Board members asked whether the company could run the customer's low-voltage cable under the public road. McDonald said National Grid does not allow customer-owned low-voltage service conduits under public roads because a future failure would require tearing up the roadway; customer-owned conduit may be placed only on private property. He said the company would install a new pole on the property side so the customer's electrician can trench to the meter and that National Grid typically replaces the meter and coordinates the appointment directly with the electrician.
Town staff and board members also asked for coordination with police and the DPW for officer details and traffic control; McDonald said he would pass those requirements to operations. After the discussion, a motion to accept the two petitions "as written" (one for Root Road, one for New Templeton Road) was made, seconded and carried; the chair closed the hearing.
Quotes capturing the hearing: "Both of these projects are driven by customer requests," National Grid's representative said. Resident Richard Bridal described the deteriorating pole and safety concern: "It's only a matter of time before this thing comes down." The company noted: "We don't allow customer owned cable to be connected under the road...Only private property."
The board instructed staff to coordinate logistics for police details and DPW traffic needs before operations proceed.
