A long-standing double utility pole on Central Street has become a point of frustration for Norwell resident Suzanne Jevne, who raised the issue before the Select Board on February 5.
Speaking during the meeting’s public comment session, Jevne described her years-long effort to have the pole removed, highlighting its impact on the neighborhood and the lack of action from utility companies.
“I've been dealing with a bit of an annoyance for a number of years now. There it is—the famous double pole,” Jevne said.
Jevne has taken creative steps to draw attention to the issue, decorating the pole for different seasons in an effort to make it more tolerable. Despite these efforts, she remains frustrated by the inaction from service providers.
“I climbed it. I thought, and someone took my picture and I can't find that picture anywhere, but I climbed it, got up above the sign and tried to get someone to send it to Verizon so they could see this is dangerous,” she said. “If a 75-year-old can do that, climb up there, certainly kids can.”
The issue of double poles, where an old utility pole remains standing alongside a newly installed one, has been a recurring problem in Norwell and other South Shore towns. The delay in removal often stems from the complex coordination needed among multiple utility companies.
“The double pole issue is an ongoing saga in the town of Norwell,” Select Board Chair Jason Brown acknowledged.
National Grid's Response
The South Shore Times reached out to both National Grid and Verizon about the Central Street pole.
"Just by way of background on shared utility poles: National Grid sets the poles and Verizon is responsible for the removal," said National Grid spokesperson Christine Milligan. "We use a system called NJUNS which each utility and City or Town monitors to see who is next up to remove their infrastructure from the pole. Once National Grid sets a pole and transfers our lines to a new pole, a ticket is generated in this shared system notifying other utilities of the work that needs to be done."
Mililgan added: "At that point we are done with the pole. There is a currently an active ticket for this pole showing the ball is in the court of a third party, and Verizon also has work to complete."
Verizon's response: "When multiple entities are involved at the site of a pole that needs to be replaced, for safety and logistical reasons, Verizon sometimes must wait for other teams to complete their work before ours can begin. Along those lines, the National Joint Utilities Notification system (NJUNS) has informed us that a third party (not Verizon) must complete work at this Norwell site before we can begin transferring wires to the new pole and removing the old pole."
An Ongoing Issue
Town Administrator Darlene Sullivan McKenna confirmed that Norwell has been tracking the issue and recently sent another request to utility providers for action.
“We had 30 some-odd poles in January of 2024. September 2024, we had 54 double poles,” McKenna said. “I'm well aware of your pole, by the way. First of all, thank you for your patience.”
Several Select Board members voiced support for holding utility companies accountable. Board member Andrew Reardon suggested that the town take a more aggressive approach by blocking new permits for companies that have unresolved double pole issues.
“I'm going to recommend that we put an agenda item that we take and put a hold on all permits for National Grid, Comcast, or Verizon until we get a plan in place that we can address this pole and several others,” Reardon said.
Jevne’s determination has drawn attention to the broader problem, and officials say they will continue working with utility providers to expedite removals.
“It’s not okay,” McKenna said. “It’s a perfect example of a breakdown in communication.”
For now, Jevne remains hopeful but firm in her stance.
“I'm hoping I don't have to do this. I'll give you till June,” she said. “We'll be in touch.”
Watch the full discussion on Norwell Spotlight TV