Coast 2 Coast Telcom crews were busy over the holidays preparing a new AT&T Mobility tower near Otter Creek, ME. When completed, the 125-foot monopine will resemble an Eastern White Pine and will be near the boundary of Acadia National Park. The 47,000-acre Atlantic coast recreation area is marked by woodland, rocky beaches and glacier-scoured granite peaks such as Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the United States’ East Coast.
AT&T’s application to build the tower was approved in August 2014, reports the Mount Desert Islander. However, the initial plan to build a standard monopole tower was nixed after Acadia officials pushed for the tower to be shortened and disguised to blend with the surrounding area after concerns arose that a taller tower would ruin the scenic views.
Park Management Assistant John Kelly said a monopine tower was an improvement, but not as unobtrusive as they had hoped. The compromise of designing the tower to look like an Eastern White Pine was made by AT&T and Acadia officials. “But we also want a very well camouflaged and authentic as possible tree,” Kelly said. “So, there is some give and take. We’re satisfied with a well-camouflaged tree in lieu of a shorter tower.”
Reader Interactions