Pleasant Street is turning out to be anything but that, as a possible Verizon cell tower at Plymouth Congregational Church on that street has come under scrutiny. The church at 582 Pleasant St. in Belmont, MA, says that it held “an open, transparent process that ultimately led to the best decision for the church and the town,” according to Wicked Local’s Belmont Citizen-Herald. However, some residents disagree.
The cell antenna, which was first introduced to the city a year and a half ago, would go in the steeple of the church, and some residents state that they were not given proper legal notification required by state law prior to a January 5, hearing when the planning board approved the design and site. The legal notice was submitted in the December 31, edition of the Citizen-Herald. Some residents claim they should have been given notification by mail.
Residents, now amounting to over 140 according to a signed petition, also have addressed concerns about noise, radio frequency emissions, health effects, architectural integrity of the church and a possible decline in property values. Other churches and buildings in Belmont do house towers, according to a map on the church’s website.
Verizon would pay the church for allowing for the installation, reports the Belmont Citizen-Herald, and the church plans to use the monies for local missions and building maintenance. Jeffrey Wheeler, senior planner, said that the town counsel is reviewing the complaint.
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