Committee asks Eversource to avoid easement across abutter’s land

Town administrator Mark told the Southside Fire Station building committee June 30 that Eversource’s service proposal currently includes acquiring an easement from an adjoining property owner to deliver power to the new station. Mark said obtaining that easement would require town meeting approval and represents a significant uncertainty for a project about to enter construction.

"We would need town meeting approval to acquire an easement and that frankly adds a huge question mark in a project that we're going into construction on," Mark said, and asked Eversource engineers to re-evaluate whether the service can be routed within the town parcel or across public layout instead. He added the redesign might require additional equipment — for example, another pole — and could increase cost, but said the town’s budget could accommodate adding a pole if necessary.

Project staff and committee members expressed agreement that the town should avoid taking the risk of losing site control or negotiating an easement from a private owner if an alternative exists. Staff said they plan a meeting with the design team and Eversource to explore options and to report back to the committee.

The discussion did not include a formal vote; staff framed the item as a direction to pursue alternatives with Eversource and to quantify any additional cost and schedule implications for the committee to consider.