Belmont Light's New Substation Enters Building Stage

You paid for it and now Belmont ratepayers and residents will soon be seeing the first physical development in Belmont Light's project to bring a new substation and transmission lines to town.

Approved by Special Town Meeting in February 2012 to approve $53.7 million in financing to meet the immediate and long-term capacity and reliability needs for town households and businesses, Belmont Light General Manager Jim Palmer said the initial work of performing analysis of potential transmission options and costs – that led to negotiations with NSTAR that will reduce the cost of the project by nearly $30 million – in addition to gaining land and easement rights from private owners as well as the MBTA is now completed and the project is preparing to enter the physical development stage.

“We filed a Notice of Intent in September with the Belmont Conservation Commission for the demolition of the existing building and further site work at 20 Flanders Rd., the site of the future substation,” Palmer said. 

The notice was required because portions of the parcel lie within environmentally protected wetlands and within a flood plain. 

Palmer said the future use of the Flanders Road site "will not impact the resource areas to any greater degree than the current use" as the utility will employ erosion control measures and the existing storm water management will be improved.

When the Conservation Commission has reviewed the project details – which should be occurring in the next month, bids will be accepted and a contractor will be chosen for the demolition, the first phase of physically constructing the new facility. 

Questions regarding the project can be addressed by calling Belmont Light at 617-993-2838.