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Date: 11/13/2023
SOUTHAMPTON — Pole hearings are usually boring formalities with little discussion. On Nov. 7 at the Select Board meeting the replacement of utility poles along Manhan Road drew a roomful of concerned residents.
Eversource sought permission to install six poles along the thoroughfare. The poles will stand roughly 20 feet off the center of the road and enable lawful electrical service to 33 Manhan Rd. The residence is currently serviced by a wire that violates the abutter’s aerial space, an illegal trespass, at 34 Manhan Rd.
“The pole line will cross the road, stay on the left side of the road if you’re facing north, with a 150 foot expanse, to meet back up with the existing pole,” said Eversource Representative Jason Ferrero. “We don’t have the right to run the line over a customer’s property.”
Abutter Justin Violet, who lives on the property at 34 Manhan Rd. with his wife, complained to the company. The errant wire was causing a fire hazard.
“Over the past year, since I’ve lived in the home, we had a fire due to a tree coming down,” Violet said.
The family suffered another incident last Christmas that involved a tree fall. Violet said his family was told to be ready to leave the house. In consideration of the number of big trees on his property, Violet decided the errant wire was too dangerous to remain.
“The wire runs through the woods, so there are a lot of trees,” Violet said. “They’d be better off moving all of the power to the road.”
Some abutters attended out of concern for the cutting of the trees. Others were interested in an overall better appearance of the road.
Jessie Turgeon, a resident at 22 Manhan Rd., complained that too many telephone wires will reduce the value of his property. “It’s a scenic road,” Turgeon said. “Who’s going to buy a house surrounded by telephone wires?”
Allison Winters, living at 11 Manhan Road, said the road was designated a scenic road. She was concerned if many trees are taken down that erosion in the area will worsen. Initially, Winters said, the poles were placed at the back of 33 Manhan Rd. because of the scenic road designation.
“There are beautiful trees there and an overlay over the road to maintain that,” Winters said.
Abutter David Corey told the board at least a dozen large trees along the road are dead and have been marked for cutting for at least a decade. Corey said the cutting won’t damage the beauty of the road.
Marilyn Turgeon, also of 22 Manhan Rd., requested the easement be taken off her property. She recalled significant exchanges between Eversource and residents over the cutting of trees, back when the easement was first granted. Turgeon noticed the marks made by Eversource workers on the road, where the poles will stand, and didn’t think a lot of trees would come down.
“There is no maintenance and all the trees along the stone wall are dead,” Turgeon said. “Take it out of our yards and put it on the street and we’ll be happy to help.”
The Turgeons plan to replace their septic system. Marilyn Turgeon asked that the wire and poles be relocated before work begins.
Complicating the proposed electrical work is that three phase power is supplied to the adjacent dam. Eversource representative Matthew Fuller said it’s not a simple matter of moving the poles to the road. It is a substantial amount of work and would have a much greater impact on the forest canopy. Three phase power lines require substantially more trimming and would also double the number of poles for the new line.
Fuller said no heavy trucks would traverse any properties without permission. No encroachments on the existing easement will be allowed without permission from the company. Select Board member Dan LaValley noted that any changes to a scenic road must be approved by the Planning Board.
“We would need to address that before we move forward,” Fuller said. “If there was private funding to bring that forward and bring that out to the public way, sure, we would have that discussion.”
Bruce Coombs, of 33 Manhan Rd., has been a resident for about 40 years. He knows the area well, but still couldn’t see where the poles would go in and where they currently stand. He requested a detailed plan be drawn up.
“It’s hard for people to visualize what people are talking about,” Coombs said. “That would be very helpful for everybody.”
Corey spoke in support of the suggestion, after which board member Jon Lumbra proposed the hearing be continued until 6:05 p.m. on Nov. 21, the next Select Board meeting. In the interim, he moved that several issues be confirmed or clarified, a visual aid be provided by the company and all the gathered information be published on the town’s website.