Leominster subcommittee tables National Grid, Verizon petition to place pole and fixtures on Pleasant Street

The Leominster Public Service Committee subcommittee agreed to table petition 27-26, a request from Massachusetts Electric Company doing business as National Grid and Verizon New England Inc. to place poles, wires and fixtures along Pleasant Street.

The chair of the public service committee, who opened the hearing, read the petition and noted the plan (number 31199528, dated 10/23/2025) calls for National Grid to install a push brace on Pole 70 and to place a joint pole beginning approximately 10 feet east of the center line of the intersection of Lisa Drive and continuing about 10 feet in an easterly direction. The petition also sought permission to install underground laterals, cables and wires to connect poles and buildings.

Why it matters: Ward 4 residents would be directly affected by the work on Pleasant Street, and the subcommittee said petitioners had not yet completed outreach. The chair said National Grid had told the subcommittee it did not have all required information and that two Ward 4 constituents named by National Grid “had been having difficulty reaching.” That outreach gap was the principal reason members favored delaying final action.

Discussion and motion: Members debated whether to give the petition "leave to withdraw" without prejudice so petitioners could refile after consulting constituents or to table the petition for study. An at-large councilor suggested allowing a leave to withdraw so National Grid could refile once it had contacted the residents, while the Ward 4 councilor and others said tabling would allow quicker action if a revised petition were submitted. The chair said tabling would avoid repeated readings on successive meetings and recommended tabling the item. Members indicated agreement and the chair stated the subcommittee had a majority recommendation to table petition 27-26. The transcript does not record a formal roll-call vote or named vote tally.

Direct remarks: The chair said, "This is a petition that's been going on for quite some time," and later, "I'm thinking of tabling this petition for study." An at-large councilor suggested granting "leave to withdraw without prejudice," and the Ward 4 councilor said they "probably favor tabling it."

Next steps: The chair said the petition will be held for further consideration and that the regular meeting will take up the item where members can decide whether to keep it on the table or grant leave to withdraw. The subcommittee adjourned after a motion to adjourn was made and seconded.

Clarifying details: Petition number: 27-26; petitioner: Massachusetts Electric Company (d/b/a National Grid) and Verizon New England Inc.; location: Pleasant Street; plan number: 31199528 (dated 10/23/2025); specific work: install a push brace on Pole 70 and erect a joint pole roughly 10 feet east of the Lisa Drive intersection; the request also covers underground laterals and connections. The transcript records the chair recommending tabling and members indicating agreement; it does not include a formal recorded vote tally or names for mover/second.