Falmouth council backs CMP review pause, letter to utility

The Falmouth Town Council voted unanimously on Sept. 28 to have staff file support for a motion seeking a threshold merits phase in the Public Utilities Commission case over CMP's proposed transmission line upgrade, and to authorize the chair and vice chair to draft a letter to CMP's president relaying residents' concerns. The votes followed about an hour of public comment from residents who said the project would clear-cut neighborhoods, pass near schools, and lower property values, and who criticized CMP for what they called poor outreach.

Key points

• The council voted unanimously to suspend its rules to take action the same night, then voted unanimously to have town staff file support for the motion to establish a threshold merits phase in PUC docket 2025-00276.
• The council voted unanimously to authorize the chair and vice chair to work with staff on a letter to the CMP president conveying residents' frustration and requesting more information on routes, route selection, and alternatives.
• Residents from Stapleford Drive, Chandler Drive, Allen Avenue Extension, and other streets said they learned of the project by word of mouth, not from CMP, and described potential clear-cutting, herbicide use, and 80 to 110 steel monopoles.
• Several speakers raised health concerns about high-voltage lines near schools and homes, and asked the town to consider a 300-foot setback ordinance for transmission lines.
• Councilor Morton said she does not support remaining neutral on the proposal as submitted and proposed a resolution opposing it, which the council agreed to take up at its Oct. 14 meeting.
• Earlier in the meeting, residents asked the town to fold traffic calming into the scheduled 2027 repaving of Johnson Road, citing speeding and a petition with 90 signatures.

Next steps

• Town staff to file support for the threshold merits phase motion in the PUC docket.
• Chair and vice chair, with staff, to draft and send a letter to the CMP president.
• A resolution opposing the proposal as submitted to be prepared for the Oct. 14 council meeting, ahead of the Oct. 23 testimony deadline.
• Staff to continue coordinating with the Alliance for Responsible Infrastructure and to gather impact data for intervener testimony.

Read the full transcript