Versant Power (formerly Emera Maine) To Set Three Utility Poles on Main Street

June 22, 2020 to July 1, 2020
Utility Poles

NOTICE

Versant Power (formerly Emera Maine) To Set Three Utility Poles on Main Street for the Northeast Harbor Main Street Improvements Project

June 22, 2020 to July 1, 2020

 

I have been told that Versant will be doing the work described below “hot” or “live” – no power interruption. It is slow, tedious, dangerous work, hence one reason for the length of time it will take.

On June 17, 2020 it was confirmed that Versant Power (Versant) intends to be on Main Street in Northeast Harbor beginning Monday, June 22, 2020 for 10 days to install three utility poles and wires on the east side (Romantic Room side) of Main Street as part of their work for the Main Street improvements project. Consolidated Communications will be working in that same 10-day window; we are not sure about Spectrum. Versant has been aware of our project schedule that calls for work to end in May just before Memorial Day weekend and not restart until mid-October. If we tell Versant that they cannot work these 10-days and they have to wait until October, I have no idea when they will be back to do the work. In situations similar to this that I have been involved with in the past, our telling them they cannot work now might result in our being seen as the reason for any delays they might encounter in future Main Street related work.

Based on information Versant has provided to date, the three poles to be set are in the following locations, on the east side of Main Street between the south side of Kimball Lane and the Romantic Room.

Versant Pole Number 6: just south of Kimball Lane; across Main Street from the Kimball Shop Boutique and Smart Studio.

Versant Pole Number 5.5: north of Pole Number 6; between the new building being built and what had been the location of The Cottage, a small white building that has been torn down; across Main Street from the south side of the vacant lot south of McGraths meet (the approximate location of a new fire hydrant at this location just past The Kimball Shop).

Versant Pole Number 5: north of pole Number 5.5; located just south of the Romantic Room between it and what had been the location of The Cottage, a small white building that has been torn down; across Main Street from the approximate center of the vacant lot south of McGraths.

Based on the information presented above, the town engineers have been authorized to tell Versant and the other two utility companies they can proceed with the setting of the three poles and wires between June 22nd and July 1st.

I have instructed our engineers to tell Versant that they, Versant, will maintain one-way traffic at all times just as the rest of the work in the street requires and they are to have their own qualified flaggers for traffic control. I have been told that Versant will have a drill rig on site in case they encounter ledge when drilling the holes for the poles. They will also have a large vacuum truck on site to suck up any broken ledge pieces produced by the drilling of the holes. These are usually sand-to-pebble sized pieces.

My personnel preference, and those I have spoken with, is to conform to the work schedule of mid-October to the end of May. However, in the best interests of getting the project completed and completed somewhere near on time, we need to let Versant work now as explained above.  If this were a regular, non-CV-19 summer, I would say absolutely not but:

1. It is a CV-19 summer, traffic is noticeably down, and it is still June.

2. Some parking spaces will not be accessible due to the large trucks needed to set the poles and the need to maintain one-way traffic. I have tempered this with the fact that the town is considering allowing Main Street businesses to use parking spots in front of their establishment as a place to put tables, chairs, wares, etc. to help them with sales.

3. Due to reasons beyond our control, we are behind schedule. The work by Versant just discussed will help us catch up a certain degree.

4. As noted above, if Versant is not allowed to work now, I have no idea when they will be back.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, I am at 276-5743 and director@mtdesert.org.

Thank you for your understanding.

Tony Smith, Public Works Director