PORTSMOUTH — Saying they don’t want noisy utility workers keeping neighbors up all night, the Town Council Monday imposed several conditions in granting National Grid a variance to the town noise ordinance for its upcoming electrical system overhaul for Aquidneck Island.

The council’s action on National Grid’s $93 million Aquidneck Island Reliability Project, however, is only an advisory opinion to the R.I. Energy Facility Siting Board.

“We’re not giving a variance, we’re giving an opinion,” said Council President Keith Hamilton.

Town Solicitor Kevin Gavin agreed, saying if the council voted not to grant a sound variance, the siting board could simply ignore it. “All the permitting authority is consolidated in the facility siting board,” Mr. Gavin said.

National Grid requested a variance from the town’s construction noise hour limitation for the entire 30-month construction phase of the Aquidneck Island Reliability Project, also known as the “Onisland” project. Work isn’t expected to begin until 2019.

Under the town ordinance, construction and demolition noise is limited to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The utility company requested occasional extended hours of construction noise when doing tasks that must be completed once started. These include concrete pours and transformer installation as well as preparations for wire-pulling and related activities.

Utility’s plan

National Grid plans to rebuild two transmission lines that run 4.5 miles through the center of the island along the utility’s right-of-way between substations on Dexter Street in Portsmouth and Jepson Lane, just over the Middletown line. The lines would be converted from 69 kilovolts to 115 kilovolts and be replaced on new, taller structures — 86 to 96 feet high, compared to the current 45 to 65 feet — in a more streamlined configuration, according to National Grid.

The project also calls for building a new and upgraded substation on National Grid property on Jepson Lane in Middletown, which will replace an existing substation across the street in Portsmouth. In addition, the substation off Dexter Street in Portsmouth will undergo a reconfiguration following the removal of some existing equipment, although the site footprint would remain intact under National Grid’s plans.

Endrit Fiku, lead project manager for National Grid, said the utility plans to do most of the work during normal business hours in a 40-hour work week. “Only on rare occasions” will workers need to extend those hours. 

Dan McIntyre, a civil engineer for National Grid, agreed. “The normal work day is to start at 7 o’clock and end at either 3 or 5, depending on how the contractor wants to work,” he said.

Some council members and members of the public, however, said National Grid was being too vague, especially when it came to the exact type of relief it was seeking and how often it expected to work after the permitted 9 p.m.

“There is that fear you could be out in front of someone’s house past 11 o’clock three nights in a row,” said council member Kevin Aguiar. 

Police Chief Thomas Lee said he was also concerned about how late National Grid would be working in areas that abutted homes.

Resident Judith Staven agreed. “There’s no time limit in here, as the chief brought out — just do whatever they want, where they want for two and a half years,” she said. Any night work would require lights, which in turn require noisy generators, she said.

“It’s so broad. They could be there until 2 o’clock in the morning,” said Ms. Staven, adding that utility workers often make noise before they’re supposed to start work in the morning as well. “I truly hope you put some parameters on this. When they say they’re going to start at 7, that’s not what happens.”

Mr. Fiku assured council members that National Grid will work closely with abutters by hosting workshops and sending out letters to inform them on up-to-date construction projects so they’ll know when and where the utility will be working.

Mr. Fiku acknowledged the utility was also seeking to exceed the town’s 75-decibel limit on construction noise. According to its plans, the installation of foundations and pole structures will reach noise levels of up to 85 decibels, which Mr. Hamilton described as “a little bit quieter than a lawn mower.”

Conditions placed

In granting the sound variance, the council voted 5-0 to place several conditions on National Grid:

• All construction activity takes place between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

• In the event when National Grid must work outside that timeframe, it must inform the specific households that are impacted, as well the police and fire departments and the town administrator’s office, within 72 hours.

• No drilling of rock will take place after 9 p.m.

• No vegetation will be cut after 5 p.m.

Council member David Gleason recused himself from the public hearing, citing a potential conflict of interest. Council member Michael Buddemeyer was absent from the meeting.

For more information about National Grid’s “Onisland” project, visit http://onislandngrid.com.