Select Board approves Eversource/Verizon pole at 89 Chase Road after extended public hearing on neighbor complaints

The Freetown Select Board voted May 19 to permit Eversource (NSTAR) and Verizon New England to install a joint mid‑span pole on Chase Road at 89 Chase Road, after a continued public hearing that drew neighbors, town health and building officials and counsel.

The petitioners said the pole is needed to provide three‑phase service and telecommunications distribution to improvements at 89 Chase Road. Town planner and staff had placed the petition on the agenda for public hearing following prior continuations and required notifications.

Neighbors and abutters described recurring quality‑of‑life problems at the property, including strong odors, debris and truck traffic. “The smell is ridiculous at times,” resident Frank Berseron said, describing what he called ongoing nuisance conditions that neighbors have repeatedly reported to town officials. Abutters asked whether the town could withhold the pole if the site posed a public‑safety threat on the roadway.

Town health and building staff told the board they have investigated complaints over several months and referred matters to the Board of Health. The health agent said inspections and meeting minutes documenting follow‑up had been provided to the Select Board; the agent described a continuing investigatory process and confirmed the board’s authority is limited to determining whether pole placement is safe in the public way.

Property owner John Melo, who sought the pole, told the board he needs power to serve a building on the lot and described uses ranging from seasonal bagging and small‑scale operations to routine farm maintenance. “Everything I’m doing, I want to try to improve it,” Melo said, adding he had offered officials access to inspect operations and pledged to mitigate impacts where possible.

After hearing from staff, neighbors and the petitioners, the board voted to approve the pole with updated language clarifying municipal rights to use the pole for public‑safety attachments. The motion passed unanimously. The board noted the vote addresses only the placement of facilities in the public right‑of‑way; enforcement of any nuisance or code issues remains under the Board of Health and building‑code processes.

Town counsel and staff said additional regulatory follow‑up and any required permitting or certificate‑of‑occupancy actions related to the property will proceed under existing code procedures. The Select Board directed staff to continue coordinating with the Board of Health and the building inspector and to report back on outstanding enforcement and inspection steps.

The board closed the hearing and moved on to other agenda business.