Power line problems
By Dana Griffin
@DanaRGriffin
Steve Braidman lives in one of about a dozen homes on the private street where metal wires, twine, straps and power lines hang so low, you can touch them if you jump.
“I’m not an electrician but it doesn’t look safe to me that we could have a fire, lose power, or somebody could get hurt,” said Braidman.
Today, wires aren’t hanging as low as during the winter where rain and snow weigh them down.
Delivery trucks have had trouble getting to one drive way and safety is the biggest concern.
“We’ve seen kids trying to knock the wires; you know driving by on bikes and what not,” said neighbor, Molly Jacques.
Another major concern for residents is a utility pole that sticks so far out into the street, they say it’s only a matter of time before a car hits it.
Since this is a private road, the town doesn’t have to fix poles or plow during the winter.
The lines are owned by Verizon, Comcast and National Grid.
Four years ago representatives from each company met on the street to see how the issue could be fixed. Braidman says there was a plan to add and re–space poles, but nothing was ever done.
And after a recent town meeting where a pole installation was proposed to carry power to a new solar farm, residents said they would not give permission until the hanging wires were fixed first.
“So, I guess all we can do is keep trying to block anything future with whatever vote we might have in the town until they come and take care of it,” said Braidman.
Jacques added, “We’re paying the same tax dollars that everyone else does in the town so we hope that we would still have the same benefits that the other streets in town do as well.”
The town manager said if the residents want added poles to fix the hanging wires, they all have to agree and a company could come in and take care of the issue. Residents are now looking into that option.
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