[MassHistPres] Electrical transformers in historic districts

[slater at alum.rpi.edu]

Thanks for the information, Charles. You raise some very good points for
rebuttal, including the "hit by a car" and the "how would you do this in
a downtown" issues.

It sounds like it is absolutely possible to keep these transformers
buried, it seems like the technology exists to have an underground vault
which can house these units. 

I can see that this is going to be a difficult issue because it will
involve balancing historic issues with a nebulous concept of
"reliability". I anticipate that a cost analysis will be difficult to
get.

Does anyone else have experience with this kind of thing?

Thanks,

Ralph

<-----Original Message----->Ralph,
> 
>This issue has come up in Cambridge more than once. I would make the
following
>points:
> 
>· Typically, utilities are underground because the legislature in the
>late 1920s established a five-year window during which municipalities
could
>require utilities to bury their lines and transformers. This was done
because of
>a public outcry against the proliferation of overhead wires. The lines
in your
>area are underground because the Springfield City Council made that
decision
>many years ago. All installations in these areas must be underground
unless the
>city allows an exemption.
> 
>· Transformers are routinely placed in sidewalk vaults in every city,
>especially in downtown areas. I've never heard that a pad-mounted
transformer is
>more reliable than one in a vault. The main requirements are that the
vault be
>dry and that the utility has overhead clearance to be able to lift out
and
>replace the transformers. Anything above ground has the potential to be
hit by a
>car or a falling tree, so I'm puzzled by the 'reliability' argument.
> 
>· The utility may claim that they are somehow exempt from historic
>district review. We consider transformers to be structures and subject
to the
>usual historic district procedures.. A few years ago preservationists
in Rhode
>Island had to go to the legislature to get this point clarified.
> 
>· A key agency in these matters is your local Pole & Conduit
Commission,
>which has jurisdiction over utility installations in public ways. They
will have
>to have a public hearing on the utility's request; use that opportunity
to make
>your views known, but make clear that you also have jurisdiction in
historic
>districts.
> 
>Good luck. Let us know how it works out.
> 
>Charles Sullivan
> 
>__________________________________
>Charles M. Sullivan, Executive Director
>Cambridge Historical Commission
>831 Massachusetts Avenue
>Cambridge, Mass. 02139
>617 349-4684 (direct line)
>617 349-3116 (fax)
> 
>From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu]
>On Behalf Of slater at alum.rpi.edu
>Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 4:08 PM
>To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
>Subject: [MassHistPres] Electrical transformers in historic districts
> 
>I'm trying to learn more about this issue, I'm hoping someone on this
list has
>some information.
>
>Our local electric company is proposing to install several pad mounted
>transformers in one of our historic districts. The service in this
district is
>primarily underground, and there are apparently existing transformers
currently
>underground.
>
>The electric company is stating that they want to move some of these
devices
>above ground to improve reliability in the area. One is to be about 2.5
feet
>tall, and about 4' square. The other is supposedly about 5 feet in
height.
>
>I would like to learn about other options so that I am not at the mercy
of what
>the electric company tells me. For example, is it imperative that these
devices
>move above ground, or is this merely the most convenient method for the
electric
>company? Is there any flexibility in siting these devices - for
example, could
>they be moved 1/2 mile so they would be out of the district? 
>
>I need to be able to separate true hardship from "it's going to cost
the
>electric company a bit more money" from "it can only be done this way,
period".
>In prior dealings regarding meters being moved from the basement to the
outside
>[front] of houses, the electric company has told us that they will only
do it
>the way they want to, which means that the historical commission's
decision
>prevents the upgrade of electrical service.
>
>We have not had such devices installed in our districts, so we have no
precedent
>in Springfield. Have other communities dealt with this matter?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Ralph Slate
>Chair, Springfield Historical Commission 
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