UPDATE Communities and local governments are now banding together to oppose the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and their plan to install hundreds of 75-feet monopoles along railroad lines, reported The Salem News.
Inside Towers recently reported on the initial ‘thumbs down’ given by local authorities for the project, intended to improve WiFi on commuter trains. Introduced in 2008, and plagued with complaints from out-of-date technology to disturbance of archeological sites, residents have also expressed concerns regarding aesthetics and property values. The project is currently on hold, since June 26, and opponents are seeking alternatives from MBTA’s fiscal control board, since the suspension expires next week.
“It was a very questionable deal, using technology that is already outdated,” said Alex Vispoli, chairman of the Andover Board of Selectmen, who opposes the project.
There are many towns slated for tower construction – Beverly, Andover, Hamilton, Ipswich, Wenham, Salem, Swampscott, Rowley, Newbury, and more – and some are working together to explore legal options if the MBTA moves forward with construction.
The Salem News reported that the MBTA is largely exempt from local zoning rules and already obtained state and federal permits required to install the towers. But the bigger complaint by residents is that they feel “blindsided” by the project. Communication to local officials was non-existent from the MBTA; many learned of the project via news sources.
“We’ve had very little time to react to this,” said William Craft, chairman of the Ipswich Board of Selectmen. Ipswich Town Manager Robin Crosbie added, “The lack of communication is troubling. The MBTA seems to feel that they operate in a vacuum and don’t need to reach out to communities and the public.”
July 27, 2017
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