Fences may make good neighbors. But that's not always the case with telephone poles, a Drift Road resident told the Westport Select Board Monday evening, in an unsuccessful bid to forestall the installation of a Verizon pole just down the street from her home.

Judy Pemstein, of 1148 Drift Road, appeared before the board to inquire about a Verizon request to install a new support pole just down the road from her home, adjacent to conservation land. It would be placed on the east side of the road, where no poles are currently sited, directly opposite a pole on the west side of the street that is leaning. Verizon officials alerted the town recently that the new pole needs to be put in opposite the sagging one to prevent the lean from getting worse. A guy wire would run from the new pole to the old, holding it up and keeping tension on it.

"I have as many questions as I have concerns about it," Pemstein said of Verizon's request. "The proposed location is directly adjacent to a conservation easement. There is nothing but open pasture and forest in this area. It just seems a shame to put a pole up to support a pole across the street, rather than just fix the pole across the street."

She also said the new pole would be a safety hazard. Sited at a curve in the road where accidents have occurred in the past, she said, "the pole would be in the exact location where you might be wrapped around the pole if you happen to miss the turn there."

Though no Verizon representative was present when she began her presentation, board member Brian Valcourt said after listening to her that he tended to side with Verizon's request:

"If they fix that (leaning) pole it'll happen again" due to the constant tension placed on it by two poles to its north and south, before and after the road's curve.

"They have to put something opposing it on the opposite side. I understand your concern, but if we didn't put a pole on the road because people would hit them, we'd have no poles on the road."

Pemstein was one of the first to speak at Monday's meeting; as she began her presentation, a Verizon representative had not yet arrived, and board members voted to continue the matter until the next meeting in mid-October.

But shortly after the vote, a Verizon representative arrived and confirmed what Valcourt said: "The tension because of the turn of the road ... is pulling the pole that way. It will continue until it pulls it over."

With that, the board withdrew the continuance, and approved Verizon's request unanimously.

Cell tower appeal

Another appeal has been filed following the Zoning Board of Appeals' August vote to reject a Georgia cell phone tower contractor's bid to install a 150-foot monopole at Route 88 and Masquesatch Road.

Municipal Communications LLC filed an appeal to the board's decision earlier this month in Massachusetts Superior Court (see Sept. 22 Westport Shorelines).

In addition, zoning board chairman Roger Menard informed the select board, he learned Monday that an additional appeal has since been filed, this one in federal court.

Most licenses approved, some held

The select board approved hundreds of various yearly business licenses Monday evening, holding back a handful for further review.

Chairwoman Shufelt said those held, marked in red on a master list prepared for the meeting, will be required to appear again before the board before their yearly licenses are renewed.

"There's nothing wrong with the red," she said. "These are just people that in the past we have had interest in."

Those licenses held for further review include Bay-Breeze Inc. (restaurant-wine and malt license), Westport Rivers (pouring permit, farmer series and entertainment licenses), The Harbor Inn (inn holders' and common victualers licenses), The Paquachuck Inn (club-all alcohol license), TownePlace Suites (hotel-wine and malt license), and JK&Sons and S&K Auto Sales (various automotive licenses).

William Harkins

Board members spoke out on the loss of a colleague and friend, when they noted the recent passing of William Harkins, a Vietnam veteran and long-time town volunteer who passed away earlier this month.

"Bill was very active," board chairwoman Shana Shufelt said. "He's going to be missed."