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Leominster public service committee approves three National Grid pole changes, keeps one hearing open
Summary
The Leominster Public Service Committee granted three National Grid petitions to install or remove utility poles (petitions 38-26, 42-26 and 43-26) with conditions to avoid blocking business access, and kept petition 39-26 open after an adjacent business reported it had not been notified.
The Leominster Public Service Committee on April 27 recommended granting three petitions from Massachusetts Electric Company, doing business as National Grid, to install or remove utility poles and related fixtures across several neighborhood streets, but kept one hearing open after an adjacent business raised notification and safety concerns.
Carrie Noseworthy, chair of the public service committee, read petition 38-26, which requests a jointly owned pole on Margaret Avenue (plan #30527234). Lenny Martinez, a National Grid representative, told the committee the pole would support a new capacitor bank tied to a solar/battery installation. "We'd like to install pole 20-5," Martinez said, describing the proposed midspan location and the plan’s intent to serve a solar customer. Committee members raised concerns that stakes near a fence and access gate not block business access. The committee recommended granting 38-26 on the condition the gate remain unobstructed.
Petition 39-26, also tied to a future solar customer at 259 Lancaster Street, was left open after Eric Hansen, owner of Auto Shower Car Wash, said the adjacent property owner named Simon of Grove Products had not been notified and that large trucks use the nearby loading dock. "According to the Butler notification requirement for a pole hearing, the adjacent property owners need to be notified," Hansen said, asking the council to confirm abutter lists before proceeding. Martinez said National Grid will follow up with the designer and reach out to the owner and the committee directed staff to verify the abutter list; the hearing was continued and rescheduled for a follow-up on May 11 at 6:05 p.m.
On Pleasant Street, petition 42-26 proposed removing poles 11 and 12 and rerouting primary wires across the street to avoid a corner house (plan #31187839). Louisa Santiago, a homeowner at 86 Pleasant Street, asked whether the work would affect her property; Martinez showed the map and said the removals and a proposed new pole on Cottage Street would not be on her parcel. The committee closed the hearing and recommended granting 42-26.
Petition 43-26 sought to install a new pole on Cottage Street and add a push brace to stabilize an existing pole so wires can be moved away from a nearby house, allowing National Grid to retire several leaning poles. Martinez described the work as improving safety and reliability; with no public objection, the committee recommended granting 43-26.
Committee members repeatedly urged National Grid to improve communication and to resolve issues that have been pending since March. "This is going back to March 9th," one councilor said, urging better follow-up after missed meetings. Martinez acknowledged prior scheduling issues and said he has been coordinating with designers and contractors to resolve concerns and to document site photos and stakeholder contact information for the clerk’s office.
The committee’s recommendations will be forwarded to the full council for final disposition at a subsequent meeting. Petition 39-26 remains open pending confirmation of proper notice to the adjacent business and an on-site review of turning radii for heavy trucks.
