Delays and Frustration with National Grid at Economic Development Meeting
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The Gardner Economic and Human Development Committee recently convened (October 30th) to review ongoing municipal projects, notably addressing delays at the Waterford Community Center and the Rear Main Street Project. Officials highlighted that asbestos abatement in the two-story wing must be completed before the senior center can relocate, though the mayor is actively reviewing proposals for the project manager. Meanwhile, municipal leaders expressed frustration over National Grid delivering an undersized electrical transformer and missing deadlines, which has stalled downtown construction and pushed park paving into the spring. Despite these setbacks and potential financial burdens, the committee emphasized prioritizing public safety by rejecting temporary winter generator setups. The meeting touched upon solar installation updates, neighborhood communication signage, and upcoming departmental reports.
:
- Waterford Community Center & Senior Center Move: The Senior Center’s relocation to the Waterford facility remains temporarily paused due to mandatory asbestos abatement in the two-story wing. The city is seeking to allocate $122,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds toward abatement. The Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) RFQ responses and draft scope of work from Bond / Titanium Bond are currently under executive review, with work set to commence once OPM and bidding contracts are awarded.
- Rear Main Project Severe Delays: The project faces significant delays driven primarily by National Grid and its subcontractor, Bond Construction Services. At week four of an estimated six-week turnaround, only 10% of the electrical utility conduit work is complete. National Grid cited “unforeseen underground utilities” and delivered an undersized, improper transformer.
- Impact & Legal/Financial Strategy: Because asphalt plants close around Thanksgiving, paving by contractor UEL cannot be completed before winter, delaying the opening of the park until spring 2027. Options for temporary winter opening using generators were rejected due to public safety concerns. In response to financial damages from demobilization, remobilization, and rising material costs, Director Stevens, Mayor Nicholson, and the City Solicitor are seeking in-kind service compensation from National Grid.
More Detail on the Rear Main Street Project Delays
Rear Main Project: Infrastructure Delays & Strategy: The Rear Main Project was intended to achieve completion prior to the winter season; however, serious performance delays by utility partner National Grid have altered project timelines.
| Project Component | Responsible Party | Status / Issues Identified |
|---|---|---|
| Off-Site Conduit & Grid Connection | National Grid / Bond Construction Services | 10% Complete at Week 4 (out of 6-week timeline). Cited “unforeseen utilities.” Delivered improper transformer. |
| On-Site Conduit Connections | Daigle (“Dagel”) | On Hold. Cannot connect meters to transformer pad until correct transformer is installed by National Grid. |
| Paving & Surface Completion | UEL | Blocked. Cannot perform paving until underground electrical connections are completed. |
| Project Oversight & Legal Action | City of Gardner (Stevens, Mayor, Solicitor) | Strategy developed to demand in-kind services/compensation from National Grid for delay-induced expenses. |
Causes of Delay & City Assessment
- Utility Work Progress: National Grid and Bond Construction Services estimated a 6-week turnaround to lay conduit from transformers to the site. At the end of week four, only 10% of the work was finished.
- “Unforeseen Conditions” Defense Rejected: National Grid attributed delays to unexpected underground utilities lacking historical as-built plans. Director Stevens strongly rejected this explanation, noting that unmapped utilities (ranging from 10 to 100 years old) are standard for any New England urban downtown shovel site.
- Equipment Misconfiguration: National Grid ordered and supplied an improper transformer with insufficient electrical capacity for the project site’s required service. This mistake halted subcontractor Daigle from completing on-site connections between meters and the transformer pad.
Winter Closure & Resident Safety Concerns
- Paving Deadlines: Asphalt plants typically cease operations around Thanksgiving (3 to 4 weeks from the meeting date). Due to electrical delays, UEL will be unable to pave and open the park before winter.
- Rejection of Temporary Winter Opening: The city evaluated using temporary diesel/power generators to supply interim electricity and open the parking lot for winter use. Director Stevens rejected this alternative due to explicit public safety risks:
- Hazardous vertical poles protruding in uncompleted parking areas.
- Risk of temporary generator power failure overnight leading to unlit lots and undetected black ice.
- Concerns that National Grid would prioritize municipal outages elsewhere over maintaining a temporary generator setup in Gardner.
Financial Mitigation & Legal Strategy: The delay forces contractor UEL to demobilize for the winter and remobilize in spring 2027, introducing additional costs alongside projected increases in asphalt and construction material prices.
- Available Capital: Although the city appropriated $800,000 for the project earlier in the year (March/April 2026)—with many line items coming in under budget—city leadership refuses to absorb delay costs caused by utility negligence.
- Strategy: Director Stevens, Mayor Nicholson, and the City Solicitor formed a legal strategy for an upcoming meeting with National Grid, UEL, and engineering firm Fenn & O’Neal. The city will insist that National Grid provide in-kind services to offset demobilization, remobilization, and material cost inflation directly caused by National Grid’s inaction and equipment errors.
D. Proposed Public Signage: To combat public confusion regarding the seemingly finished surface of the site, Chair Kazinskus suggested placing informative signage along the project fencing. The signs will explain to residents why the site remains closed pending utility completion, providing transparency without resorting to unprofessional finger-pointing.
