Public Safety Communications Project Pulled From Town Meeting

NEEDHAM, MA — A proposal to improve the town’s public safety communication system is going back to the drawing board following large public opposition to parts of the plan.

Needham Board of Selectmen Chairperson Dan Matthews revealed at a recent meeting that the board has pulled the articles related to the system upgrade from the Annual Town Meeting warrant, sending the proposal back to the public safety building committee for further review.

Town officials were hoping to update the communication system, which they say does not cover the entire town. The most recent plan called for four new communication towers located at the Recycling & Transfer Station, Fire Station 1, and the town’s two water towers. The towers on top of the water towers and the use of monopoles meant that while many residents supported the upgrade, they couldn’t say the same about that component.

“I think it’s fair to say without visiting everything, we did not hold some meetings we intended to hold. There was a lot of opposition,” Matthews said.

Now the selectmen will wait to get a new recommendation from the public safety building committee and project consultant. The board noted that the now-failed proposal was the most reliable option they could build for the lowest price. Other options may be more expensive and could rely on renting space on private land.

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