One Tree Receives Reprieve After Second Look at Pole Locations to Meet Business Electricity Need

Public Works Director Robert E. Ward during an earlier appearance before the Haverhill City Council. (WHAV News file photograph.)

A promised second look at trees in the way of bringing electricity to new businesses brought a reprieve last week to one large tree.

Haverhill City Councilors Melinda E. Barrett, Melissa J. Lewandowski, representatives of National Grid, neighbors and interim Public Works Director Robert E. Ward reviewed plans to remove more than 100 trees.

“We saved a big tree on the West Lowell Avenue end of Forest Street,” Ward told WHAV. He said “three of the big ones,” that were the subject of an opposition petition, are coming down along West Rochambault Street.

The second look came as a compromise two weeks ago when councilors voted to allow National Grid to install utility poles to serve Monogram Food Solutions and Edwards Vacuum—two new businesses under construction in the Broadway Industrial Park.

Observing the tagging of trees along the power line corridor, Lewandowski asked for another opinion. She told her colleagues, “It’s like alarming to go up there and see how many.”

A National Grid representative told councilors his company’s arborist inspected the trees and found most are diseased and must come down.

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