The Nahant Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the addition of one joint-ownership telephone pole on Ward Road after holding a public hearing at its latest meeting.
“National Grid to install one JO pole on Ward Road beginning at a point approximately 246 feet south of the centerline of the intersection of Ward Road and Castle Way, continuing approximately 10 feet in the west direction,” Vice Chairman Josh Antrim said, reading the details of the proposal. “National Grid is petitioning on behalf of the Nahant Pump Station to install a new JO pole number 3-5, where it is going to be fed the new upgrade of the existing secondary underground service.”
George Mihovan, a resident of Nahant, asked whether the pole could be installed underground to protect it from any severe weather conditions. Town Administrator Tony Barletta responded that the pole would be connected to an underground service.
Rafael Kerguelen represented National Grid at the meeting. He explained that the new pole will not initially have any new telecommunication instruments on it.
Barletta said that once the new pole is installed, the town can request the telecommunications companies to transfer their lines from the old pole to the new one. The old pole could then be removed altogether.
Board Chairman Mark Cullinan emphasized that he would like to see that transfer prioritized, saying that it had not been in the past.
