Massachusetts
Vital statistics: Two Nearby Towers Yield $120K/yr in Revenue to The Township
An orange balloon was seen floating 170-feet in the air over the town of Cotuit to test the visual impact of a possible cell tower last Friday. Raynham-based Centerline Communications is proposing the tower, which would be constructed on property owned by the Cotuit Water Department, reported the Cape Cod Times.
The site is the former home of a 160-foot water tower that was demolished earlier this year, serving customers of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. In the interim, two temporary towers – standing 70 and 80 feet respectively – have been placed at the site.
According to Chris Wiseman, superintendent of the Cotuit Water Department, the leasing of the space by wireless carriers yields $120,000 per year. “We’re trying not to lose revenue,” said Wiseman. “And we feel we have a duty not to take it [cell service reception] away from the village.”
Additionally, according to GHD Consulting Services engineer Russ Kleekamp, Centerline Communications has agreed to pay the Water Department $1.2 million for a 20-year lease. Centerline will have to build and maintain a new structure since a new water tower will not be constructed.
Regarding the height of the tower, some residents question the need for such a high structure, especially since people aren’t complaining about service disruption, according to Barnstable Town Councilor Jessica Rapp Grassetti. Additionally, concerns about health safety and property devaluation were raised; Grassetti also suggested a monopine to camouflage the tower. According to Wiseman, the structure will be placed deep in the woods to keep it out of the sight lines of area residents and passersby.
June 27, 2017
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