The Common Council wants to put regulations in place to deal with 5G small cells — specifically to prevent a plethora of them popping up all over the city without any oversight, reported The Post Star.
Mayor Dan Hall assigned Ward 3 Supervisor and attorney Claudia Braymer to draft proposed regulations. Braymer said the city does not currently have anything in its zoning code, governing telecommunications facilities.
She said, ideally, the equipment would be placed on existing infrastructure, such as telephone poles, traffic lights, and streetlights or existing towers. “The idea is to co-locate them, so we don’t have a zillion different little towers along the city streets,” said Braymer.
Applicants seeking to install the small cell equipment would be able to use a streamlined process through the city Building and Codes Department. Larger structures would have to be reviewed by the Planning Board, according to Braymer.
Any telecommunications provider would have to pay a deposit of $8,500 for a new wireless tower and $5,000 for any co-location or modification. The fee would be capped at $17,000, or 10 percent of the highest annual lease payment made by the applicant to the owner of the property, according to the draft document.
In addition, there would be a special-use permit for $500 for up to five small wireless telecommunications facilities in one application, plus $100 for each additional one; $200 for co-location of other wireless telecommunications facilities; and $1,000 for new facilities, reported the Star.
Braymer said telecommunications companies would be required to minimize the visual impacts by burying equipment, where possible, and using downward directed lighting.
“To have 5G service would be great. I think it will take a while for it to come to Glens Falls in reality,” she said.
The council has set a public hearing for March 26 to review the new rules, reported the Star. Comments? Email Us.
March 18, 2019
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