Select Board seeks compensation from Eversource for 345kV project

May 09, 2023

WINCHESTER - It seems like Eversource has been in town forever and the Select Board expressed their frustration with all the ongoing work. The electrical company just finished up the 115kV power line project and continues to work on the 345kV power line project.

Moving forward, they need the board's assistance in two areas: extending an agreement allowing them to store some equipment in Washington Street Park and letting them lay down a 700 ft long pipe in the Davidson Park area. The board appeared ready to move on both requests until member Michael Bettencourt suggested the board amend the agreement(s), asking Eversource to compensate the Cross, Forest Street neighborhood in the area of Winchester Hospital, Kidstock Creative Theater, Russian School of Mathematics, Muraco Elementary School, and Leonard Field among others.

"I’m concerned (Eversource) is not giving a lot back to the neighborhood," Bettencourt said, calling the area a "hub" of summer activities for the children of Winchester. "Give the kids something back."

He proposed Eversource invest in Leonard Field and said his board would be happy to work with them on that project.

"Let's show the neighborhood we’re working together," the Select Board member stated.

While Eversource will repair any road or surface it damages, the board clearly wanted more.

"The neighborhood is torn up," a frustrated Select Board Chair Rich Mucci told Eversource. "I get that you have to do it. Now, give something back to the neighborhood."

Even though Town Manager Beth Rudolph reminded the board Eversource was already using Washington Street Park to store equipment, and extending that license agreement would help get that portion of the project done quicker, vice-chair Anthea Brady rescinded her motion to extend that agreement. Instead, the board will reconvene in a couple of weeks and meet again with Eversource.

"The neighbors don't see a benefit to this burden," Bettencourt said, adding his board wasn't trying to shake down the electrical company for an unreasonable sum of money.

Before the board made their decision, Eversource requested both an extension of an existing agreement to use Washington Street Park and an agreement to utilize Davidson Park for one or two months to store a fused pipe needed to go under the Aberjona River.

Eversource said this project would be completed in three phases: Phase I calls for fusing two pipes together; Phase II calls for finding a staging area (Davidson Park seemed to be the agreed upon location); and Phase III calls for the removal of the pipe from the area.

Eversource said it would take four weeks to drill under the Aberjona River, but only five days to fuse the pipes together. However, because they need the pipe immediately once they complete the drilling, the company said they need to store it somewhere.

Traffic will still flow in the area, though Eversource said they might have to take several parking spaces (an original plan closed the area to traffic for 2-3 months). They hoped to start this month, but that will require all the approvals (which the board chose not to give them at this time).

Mucci alerted the company to the fact that "60 percent of after-school activities happen there" and asked they finish up before school begins again in the fall.

"We need to get local traffic through," he noted.

If Eversource eventually obtains the right to use Davidson Park, they said they would create two work zones; however, once the pipe is fused, Eversource said they wouldn't need as large a storage area.

Mucci also asked if the timeline of 4-8 weeks seemed realistic and Eversource admitted any crossing (underneath the Aberjona River in this case) could have a problem, noting how they did a similar job in Woburn and found boulders. They said that cost them a week.

"We’ve done all the pre-work we can," Eversource officials noted.

The company will apparently have time for more, as the board will wait at least a couple more weeks before signing off on any license agreements or extensions. Eversource will likely have to agree to pony up a sum of money the board can use to make repairs to Leonard Field. While an already agreed to Memorandum of Understanding between Eversource and the town gives it money for traffic improvements, any money for Leonard Field would need to be negotiated separately.

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