Inside Towers told you recently about the uproar over a proposed tower in New Seabury, MA on Cape Cod. Now, it seems the quality of cell service for the Cape Cod berg of less than 1,000 residents will not improve, at least in the foreseeable future. In a letter sent to the Mashpee Zoning Board of Appeals on November 30, developer Michael Wilson withdrew his application for a communications tower in the face of lengthy proceedings in front of the Cape Cod Commission.
Wilson and Garrison Development LLC, had recently submitted plans for a 150-foot cell tower to the Mashpee Conservation Commission. In turn, the Conservation Commission submitted the application to Cape Cod Commission to see if the project would require a review on the expected regional impact of a new tower. The application was not going to be heard by the Cape Commission until January 14.
Wilson, quoted in the Mashpee Enterprise, said of the Cape Cod Commission, “I understand why they are a board and I appreciate what they do. But I don’t have the appetite to risk the money nor the time.”
The project was opposed by many residents who were worried about the tower’s effect on the neighborhood’s character, as well as the usual potential health hazards from radiation. However, the Peninsula Council, New Seabury’s homeowner’s association, had expressed apprehension over the lack of cell coverage in the area. Michael R. Richardson, executive director of the council, said, “We want the availability of a cell phone tower, but we are just not sure where. The only certainty is that people want coverage.”
Wilson, who is also a resident of New Seabury, had hoped the tower would be a means of improving wireless service in the area, and making emergency calls more reliable. Wilson said, “I know as good as or better than anyone else how bad cell reception is. I’m frustrated by it daily when I am down there.”
According to Wilson, a major service provider had already been lined up if the building permit had been approved.
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