Petition for National Grid to install underground facilities at the intersection of Franklin Street and Greenwood Street as well as install 2 JO Poles and remove 1 JO Pole on Greenwood Street

Transcript (~10 min @ 1:18:35)

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▶ 1:18:35 Leila Migliorelli: Okay. Next up is the Petition for National Grid to install underground facilities at the intersection of Franklin Street in Greed, wind Street, and Greenwood Street, as well as install two Jo Poles and remove one Jo Pole on Greenwood Street.

▶ 1:18:48 Speaker 11: So this is for the, the one that we just mentioned is for the new building in 5 21 Franklin Street. So the reason that we are requesting to move the poles to the other side first, we are gonna be removing a pole just installing a new wire in the other side because the building is gonna be so close to the primary wires that is gonna be at risk. So we are diverting the part of the, of the, of the line. And also, eh, to feed that property, we need, uh, an underground primary service that, so we are gonna be crossing from the other side of the sidewalk through the property to install up a transformer that will be placed inside of the customers property. So the main reason is for the new building, uh, they need like, uh, a huge service. So that's the only way that we can provide that service to them. We were trying like to maybe from the other side of, uh, Belmont Street, but will be harder and because it's close to the MBTA, so we can take life forever maybe from that side.

▶ 1:20:01 Speaker 7: Okay. Thank you. Uh, Councillor Kram Shady.

▶ 1:20:03 Manjula Karamcheti: Um, hi, how are you? Thank you for being here. Yes, you, you, um, I do have a few questions. I'm the counselor for Ward One, which is where this property is located. Yes. And actually my first question, and I may have missed it, and it's more for the planning and community development, this property has been caught up in litigation. Um, and so I'm just curious about the timing of this request and like making these changes. So that is sort of my first question. Um, and then I guess what I am, what is the, like expanse of the underground facilities, what has to be dug up? It sounds pretty intense, sounds like it might take a while. That is a very busy intersection of Greenwood and Franklin. So if you could speak more to Yes. Like what the process would be, that would be really helpful.

▶ 1:20:57 Speaker 11: Excellent. No, it's a, it's a really good question. So for installing the poles is really easy. So the installation of the poles, uh, can be like in a day. Uh, obviously everything is gonna be done by with police details in that case. And we have worked with these developer before they, they did the 5 43 Franklin Street project and they are really good developers. So the trenching, uh, it can take like obviously all the sea work is done by the customer in this case. So they break the roll, they install the conduit, and after they do that, they need a trench inspection for, for national grid. So in the worst case scenario, that can be done, like really in one day, the whole process of the breaking and in the inspection and they can cover it and then restore it in the way that you request so that the seal water is done by the customer.

▶ 1:21:55 Speaker 11: So I don't think it's gonna be like very traumatic because the trenching is obviously, um, how, how, how I, the it is gonna be like from the other sidewalk directly to, to the property. So I think that in National Grid job will be done like in two days. Two days. Okay. And, and, and we have done this before in Chap Chap Chapman, Chapman app in the other side. So they did it like in one day. So I know that they are really good that, and they do that job and they have the equipment and the per and the label to do it.

▶ 1:22:38 Manjula Karamcheti: Okay. Thank you for that. You're welcome. Um, another like piece of this property. So the 5 21 Greenwood has no sidewalk, which or anything, which I think is part of why you're wanting to move the poles and stuff across the street as well. 'cause it's a pretty big development in a pretty dense area, um, that abuts a cliff. Um, and so just in thinking about like that, the sidewalk that is available, like just in terms of keeping the integrity of the, of that sidewalk, which is the only side where people can like, walk on Greenwood. So just sort of, again, curious about that. Um, and what types of disruption and then what work you do afterwards, after the trenching to like make sure the sidewalk is smooth and cleared and all of that good stuff.

▶ 1:23:30 Speaker 11: So whatever I think that the city requires, uh, the developer is gonna be doing, I, I say again. So all the civil work is done by, by the customer, by the owner of the project. So we just gonna be like, after they do the job, we are gonna just install the cable in those cases. And the pole in the other case, the reason is because not only because the sidewalk is tight is because it's gonna be close to the front of the building and it's a primary voltage, like 13 kilovolts. So it requires minimum like between minimum, minimum 10 feet away from the front. So that's the reason that we are moving it to the other side of the, of the sidewalk. And the, and the pole is not gonna be disturbing actually in the, the fish proposal things like to the city engineer, he proposed like a better, a better, uh, place to the pool that is not gonna be like, uh, interfering to the entrance to the in front property that is just like in front to the buildings.

▶ 1:24:32 Manjula Karamcheti: Okay. And then I just wanna lift up one of the residents who spoke who is in that area. Just, and I think I heard the answer already, but I just wanna make sure Yes. Just in terms of any trees that might be lost, the replacing of would go through the same system of replacing at least one for one, if not more, and we could work on that. Yes. Is that correct? Yes. Okay.

▶ 1:25:02 Speaker 4: Yeah, as of right now, they're just, they're just, they, they think that they're just gonna need to trim part of a tree there, there's no plan to remove any trees, but if there was, it would go through the tree hearing process that Elena had spoken on.

▶ 1:25:14 Speaker 9: Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Okay.

▶ 1:25:17 Speaker 7: Councillor Williams and Councillor

▶ 1:25:19 Ryan Williams: Hamilton. Thank you. Um, I just wanted to say again out loud how important it is that in all of these poles underground or underground service or aboveground pole service, that we, um, protect not only the present integrity of sidewalk facilities, but the potential future location of sidewalk facilities as well. And I think you guys have done a really good job of this recently. Um, and so that's not always been the case in Massachusetts. It's famous for having polls in the middle of sidewalks. But, um, there are many places in Melrose where thanks to the good work of our Public works team, we're adding new sidewalks all the time and we're trying to get 'em as wide as possible. So, you know, really like push it all the way to the edge of the right of way where you can.

▶ 1:26:00 Speaker 7: Thank you. Councillor Hamilton. Thank

▶ 1:26:02 Speaker 5: You. Uh, just to clarify, so this,

▶ 1:26:06 Ward Hamilton: we're talking about the intersection of Franklin Street and Greenwood Street. Yes. And this is for the development in Franklin on Greenwood Street? Franklin Franklin, The, the, so this is where tapas is? Yes. That development, this isn't correct. The one on Greenwood? Yes.

▶ 1:26:25 Speaker 4: It's the one that's going to be attached to the back of Thomas.

▶ 1:26:28 Speaker 5: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. Thank you. Yes. 'cause it's 5 21. Right. Understood. Thanks. Just clarify. Thank you. Thank you,

▶ 1:26:36 Speaker 7: Councillor Ver Um, thank you.

▶ 1:26:37 Kimberly Vandiver: Just a quick question with, uh, I understand that there aren't any trees that we expect to come out here, but with the replacement, um, just the way that that process works, where would the new trees go? Do they go anywhere in Melrose or do they go near where the previous tree had been?

▶ 1:26:55 Speaker 9: They ideally go, um, in the vicinity of where the previous tree had been. But like in the case of, you know, if someone's taking down a three foot tree and has to plant tr 12 trees, they're gonna end up in various locations. Okay. Thank you. Councillor Stewart,

▶ 1:27:12 Robb Stewart: Madam President, I'll make a motion to recommend contingent on the, the con comm, uh, approval. If there's any three.

▶ 1:27:22 Speaker 7: Does this need a No, there's no conservation. No.

▶ 1:27:24 Robb Stewart: Yeah, yeah. Then I'll make a recommendation. Recommendation for approval second without any contingency.

▶ 1:27:30 Leila Migliorelli: Okay. Uh, motion for, uh, rec to approve made by Councillor Stewart. Seconded by Councillor Garbe. On discussion. Councilor Carrum Shady, just

▶ 1:27:38 Manjula Karamcheti: Really quickly, I want to, just to clarify, I was thinking of, there's so much development going on in the area of Ward one. So this is for 5 21 Franklin Yes. Street? Yes. Okay. I was thinking it was for the Greenwood property. That is so, my apologies. And if you were confused, it was because I was confused. Okay.

▶ 1:28:01 Speaker 4: Your questions were still applicable, so great.

▶ 1:28:04 Speaker 9: Yeah, so glad. Alright,

▶ 1:28:06 Leila Migliorelli: Wonderful. Uh, okay, any other, okay. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? That passes. Okay, two more polls. Um, one, uh, the next one is at on East Emerson Street.

▶ 1:28:30 Speaker 11: Okay. Yeah. Okay. The, this is, uh, for a new, a new building, a new project that is gonna be in 6 81 Main Street. So they need, um,