Town officials in Stoneham, Massachusetts slowed an effort by the town counsel to expand a wireless overlay in order to prevent telecom companies from erecting new antennas on utility poles and in public rights-of-way. Elected officials argued the public should get a chance to debate whether they want new wireless arrays in their neighborhoods as they tabled two items originally slated for the town hall meeting later this month.
Citing “fears about cell towers” and their safety, “whether that’s a valid [concern] or not,” there should be a public hearing on the issue, Selectmen Chair Ann Marie O’Neill told the Stoneham Independent.
Earlier this month, Town Counsel William Solomon pitched town officials on a new ordinance to expand the wireless overlay and discourage Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and other carriers from trying to erect new “canister” antennas on public rights-of-way without local oversight. Noting a variance application submitted to Stoneham’s Board of Appeals by Cellco Partnership on behalf of Verizon Wireless, Solomon warned that carriers appear to be changing how they expand or bolster service by applying to build on utility poles, rather than by pursuing leases or building cell towers on private property.
In these applications, the carriers are trying to be treated more like utilities and landline providers under state and federal regulations, reported the Stoneham Independent.
“There’s some advantages to that over [more towers,] but on the other hand, the town probably doesn’t want every pole in town with an antenna,” said the town attorney earlier this month.
Stoneham’s wireless overlay was established to ban the erection of more cell towers, encourage carriers to build their arrays away from residential neighborhoods and to disguise installations atop existing buildings. The town also doesn’t allow such arrays on utility poles, but does enable the wireless infrastructure on some public and private properties with buildings, according to the account.
This week, Solomon said he wants to expand the wireless overlay to include buildings in an area near Reading in hopes of discouraging carriers from making claims about coverage gaps. Under federal law, cities and towns cannot block telecommunications companies from installing new equipment, if it can prove service is weak or virtually non-existent within that area. If the town tells a telecom company they can’t use land in a public right-of way, “and we can show there’s a place on private property” where they could site a tower, “then we’re not effectively denying service,” said Solomon.
October 19, 2016
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