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Green Mountain Power says project changes after traffic feedback; some utility lines will remain overhead
Summary
Green Mountain Power representatives told the Putney Selectboard they have adjusted traffic control and are coordinating with telecommunications partners to transfer lines and remove older poles, but said burying lines is not suitable in all locations due to washout and access concerns.
Green Mountain Power representatives updated the Putney Selectboard on April 16, saying the utility has altered traffic control in response to town feedback and is coordinating with telecommunications partners to transfer lines and remove older, shorter poles.
Tim Jones and Justin Mason, speaking for Green Mountain Power, said crews have made changes and had not received new complaints since those adjustments. Mason described the company's approach to placing lines, saying that burying is appropriate in some locations but not others: "in some areas it makes more sense to bury versus others it does not; burying could make lines susceptible to road washouts in areas close to water, so in some locations lines will remain over the road to allow crews access for repairs."
Selectboard member Peg Alden asked why some areas are getting buried lines while others are not; Mason said the decision is site-specific, driven by geography and access needs. Town officials did not direct further action at the meeting; GMP's presentation was received for the record and will inform ongoing coordination with telecommunications partners.
The presentation did not include a timetable for pole removal or a full map of which lines would be buried versus remain overhead. The board did not vote on any GMP-related measures at the meeting.
