Noise-dampening fence planned for Verizon site

Verizon plans to construct a fence along its Enterprise Street facility’s eastern property line to help dampen work noise that residents of abutting historic properties say has seriously disturbed their quality of life.

Caretakers in both the historic William Clapp house and the Lemuel Clap house say that near constant noise has emanated from the Verizon property since it became a Fios cable distribution center in August.

According to the city’s Inspectional Services Department, the company’s contractor applied for a construction permit on Monday. The permit, which had not yet been issued on Wednesday, says the contractor plans to install 290 feet of 8-foot tall tongue-and-groove board privacy fence, with pressure treated trim board to cover any gaps at the bottom of the fence.

Workers have started assembling materials for the fence, but no construction has yet taken place. It will stand inside the Verizon lot, two feet from an existing chain link fence that separates it from the Boston Street historic properties.

Dorchester Historical Society president Earl Taylor told the Reporter on Wednesday that neighbors and city officials had been working to set a meeting with Verizon representatives to discuss noise abatement measures. The fence, which was proposed in an email from Verizon, is presently being put in place without direct feedback from the caretakers or the historical society.

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