Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves National Grid pole locations to serve solar customer and system upgrades
Summary
Leominster City Council on May 11 granted two location permits allowing National Grid to install poles and attachments: one to serve a future solar customer at 259 Lancaster St. and one joint pole on Hamilton St. for system improvements; no public opposition was recorded and the council recorded unanimous or near-unanimous votes.
Leominster City Council voted May 11 to grant two petitions from Massachusetts Electric Company doing business as National Grid to install poles and related fixtures in public ways.
The first permit (petition 39-26) authorizes a single-owned pole on Margarite Avenue about 197 feet west of Margarite/Lancaster to serve a future solar customer at 259 Lancaster Street. Nolan Angus, a National Grid representative, told the council the pole (described as a junction pole) “is going to be placed in line with the other poles” and is intended to provide power to a future solar installation. The council granted the petition 39-26 by an 8–0 vote.
The second petition (53-26), filed jointly by National Grid and Verizon New England, authorizes a jointly owned pole on Hamilton Street approximately 410 feet east of the center line of Liberty Street to provide new service to 297 Hamilton Street. Lenny Martinez of National Grid said the pole and attached equipment are for a “system improvement” such as installing a capacitor bank. The petition was granted by a vote of 7–0 with one abstention.
Councilors and company representatives said there was no public opposition at the hearings. A business owner whose property uses the turnaround area near the proposed Margarite Avenue pole raised a concern about truck access; National Grid said it has the owner’s contact information and will follow up to confirm the location is acceptable. A resident separately reported a wire running through a tree on Liberty Street; council members asked National Grid to contact that homeowner to address the safety concern.
The council recorded that the Leominster Police Department had no objections to the pole work; staff said the Department of Public Works had not yet submitted a formal response for some petitions but committees recommended grant pending their review. The petitions include plan numbers filed with the council (39-26 plan number 30527234, Jan. 19, 2026; 53-26 plan number 30984726, Mar. 27, 2026).
The council’s approvals allow National Grid to proceed with the pole installations subject to any standard permitting and coordination with city departments and affected property owners.
The matters were handled in the public service committee and finalized during the full council meeting on May 11.
