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Resident and National Grid debate proposed Parkerville pole; Select Board continues hearing to June 2
Summary
A Parkerville Road petition by National Grid and Verizon to install an intermediate pole was presented; resident John Deli Perscoli raised erosion and easement maintenance concerns and asked for alternatives. Al Galvin of National Grid described technical reasons for adding the pole. The board continued the hearing to June 2 for on-site review.
A petition to install a joint utility pole on Parkerville Road drew detailed questions from residents and the Town of Southborough Select Board about siting and aesthetics before the board voted to continue the public hearing to June 2.
John Deli Perscoli (self-identified), a nearby property owner, told the board the town’s stormwater retention area built on an easement that abuts his property remains unfinished, is allowing invasive species to spread onto his land, and has caused ongoing maintenance burdens. “It’s a huge problem… they just abandoned it,” Perscoli said, urging the board to study alternatives before adding another pole near his corner property.
Al Galvin, design engineer for National Grid Electric, described the pole proposal as part of a FLISR initiative to reduce outage times by installing reclosers and an intermediate pole that improves stability for added weight and line tension. “We’re putting in these reclosers to read the situation, these voltages, spikes… so that’s why you have three instead of two,” Galvin said.
Board members and residents pressed on options such as relocating the pole to avoid placing a new pole mid-street or in mid-parking, and expressed concern about visible ‘‘double pole’’ situations when Verizon has not yet removed older poles. Multiple board members requested a site visit and more detailed mapping from the applicants.
The Chair moved to continue the public hearing to the Select Board’s next meeting on June 2 so applicants and the resident could meet on site and explore alternatives; the board confirmed time and asked staff to share contact information between the resident and the utility representative.
What’s next: the board directed staff to coordinate applicant-resident contact, asked the utility to provide mapping and alternatives, and placed the petition on the June 2 agenda for continued public hearing and potential action.
