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05/09/2023 08:25 AMA long-planned systems upgrade project by power company Eversource, which will require the removal of hundreds of trees and also see 45-foot telephone poles erected along portions of Great Hill Road, has affected residents frustrated by the changes wrought by the work. The company has already felled a number of trees as part of its “vegetation management” aspect of the project, but the company also has plans to erect a number of taller than average transmission poles that will require even more culling and which neighbors say will ruin the aesthetics of their roads.
According to both residents and Eversource, the area of North Guilford, roughly west of Lake Quonnipaug, north of Route 80, and east of West Street, suffers from frequent long and short-term outages. Eversource states that the area is one of the top ten sections of their coverage sites in terms of power outages.
Great Hill Road Resident Cynthia Damer said she understands the clearing needed for maintenance but takes issue with the further cutting required for the transmission line plan and the height of the transmission poles.
“We certainly understand the need for maintenance, but these are roads that are labeled as “scenic,” and we are very concerned about the overall project. We don’t have an objection to required trimming and maintenance; what we object to is the seemingly unnecessary amount of trees that Eversource has marked for removal. It is going to completely change the character and look of the road, and I want to preserve and protect as many trees as we can. The crux of the matter is balancing the need for power while balancing the environmental concerns that would preserve the character of the roads and the scenic value of the roads, and the beneficial nature of mature roadside trees,” Damer said.
Eversource Connecticut Media Relations spokesperson Mitch Gross said that clearing projects often upset residents as there is little remedy in regard to making tree cutting a pretty sight, and maintenance is critical, especially for this particular section of town.
“We’re constantly looking at our electric delivery system to ensure it is reliable and resilient. And part of that examination is looking at the history of the circuits across our system. Unfortunately, the circuit serving that part of Guilford has had nearly a dozen outages over the past four years, and that is unacceptable,” Gross said. “That’s why this work is needed. By upgrading our equipment and completing the necessary tree work, we’re strengthening that circuit which will significantly improve its reliability and resiliency and reduce the risk of outages. It’s all about delivering more dependable power to our customers in Guilford and all of the communities we serve.”
Damer and others have taken their concerns to both Eversource and the town’s tree warden. There has been a “pause” in the project enacted by the company to receive resident feedback. Still, it is unknown how long that period will be and if there is any chance the company will review its project and reduce the number of removed trees.
First Selectman Matt Hoey said he understands residents’ concerns, as the process of tree removal can heavily alter the landscape, but stated that town governments have little power to intervene in the broad authority that power companies have.
Hoey, members of the Tree Advisory Committee, and the town’s tree warden met with Eversource representatives at the end of April, which helped put in place the “pause,” but he had little confidence that the company would significantly alter their design or plans.
“I had asked them to address a series of questions, which they did to a large degree,” said Hoey. “They did agree to put a summary of this project in writing and provide it to us. They have given us the initial draft of that document. We hope they will continue to delay this project as we go through the process. This is an interesting conflict in many respects between two sets of folks. You have people on both sides of the issues. Those who wish to preserve the scenic nature and those who are looking for an enhanced reliability of the network. I received multiple calls about this issue, but the fact of the matter is that we’re in a process that was, at best, delayed, but Eversource is at the table, and they are willing to meet with the neighbors and then explain in particular the justification of their reasoning for the project. These residents have legitimate questions, and hopefully, some measure of a compromise can be found.”
Hoey added, ‘Ultimately, we, as a town, have no authority over Eversource’s capital plans or projects.”