NAHANT — The Select Board voted unanimously to authorize National Grid to begin an excavation project on Willow Road for the purpose of maintaining underground electrical conduits.
Town Administrator Tony Barletta explained the details of the project, which includes the installation of a 40-foot PVC conduit from an electrical pole. The conduit will stretch from 192 to 201 Willow Road.
Willow Road resident John Dolhun described himself as a direct abutter to the location of the work, and asked if power lines in front of his home could also be buried underground.
“This is kind of the last power lines almost on the entire block that are not buried underground,” Dolhun said. “It seems like it would be an opportune time to do this… I’d be happy to write a check for $50,000.”
Dolhun also cited other reasons why he feels the wires should be placed underground, such as the leaking of oil from the transformers and municipal signage being damaged by wires.
“Our neighbors would be walking and they’d look up and say, ‘It’s raining,’ and the oil was coming down,” Dolhun said. “Eventually, I called the Public Works and they looked up and said it was the transformer.”
National Grid’s John Jankowski responded with interest to Dolhun’s request, however, he said that more information would need to be gathered before the lines are moved underground.
“There’s at least two other utilities that are involved,” Jankowski said. “The distance is very important. Is it one pole? Five poles? We don’t know.”
