By the Time We Got to Woodstock We Couldn’t Get a Signal

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Woodstock, New York will soon implement a new comprehensive plan set to improve cell coverage for rural areas of the town, Hudson Valley One reported. The comprehensive plan is a document created, following a town survey and several meetings with the public, detailing future town operations for the next 10-20 years.

During a public hearing, local Woodstock officials pressed to have some of the language changed to lower the urgency of solving cell coverage issues. Supervisor Bill McKenna said, “It’s a great sentiment and I know the public wants it, but we’re not in a position to extend anything.” According to Hudson Valley One, the only way to improve coverage in suffering areas would be to have new towers installed, but the town is expected to raise opposition to that solution. 

Councilman Richard Heppner said the plan guidelines for improving coverage would mean the town would need to consider new towers. Heppner believes it would be better to avoid this, as residents would likely push back on that. According to Councilwoman Laura Ricci, large portions of residents do not have landlines in their homes and this severe lack of coverage is a public safety issue. Ricci said, “People are desperate to get service.”

Searching for a compromise, comprehensive plan Chairman Kirk Ritchey recommended the town focus on improving existing infrastructure to enhance coverage. After the hearing, the Town Board agreed to change a few lines that made the language more in line with the officials’ desired approach to use existing towers to improve coverage. The comprehensive plan will be accepted at an upcoming Town Board meeting on November 13 or November 20.

November 13, 2018