With the backing of the Sag Harbor, New York, Village Board, a Cell on Wheels, or COW is due to roll into temporary residence at WLNG-FM. After mounting concerns about the struggle for good cell reception in the area, Verizon is saddling up to wrangle the COW into place, reports SagHarborExpress.com.
The COW will include a 60-foot guyed tower during its stay in the WLNG parking lot pasture. Eventual plans foresee constructing a 175-foot permanent cell tower with multiple tenants. Bill Evans, a WLNG owner, had proposed a second structure to support the COW, a 100-foot temporary tower that could be the precursor to a permanent tower on the radio station property on Long Island.
Choosing to concentrate on improving coverage as quickly as possible, the Board held off on discussing any permanent structures and hurried to usher in the COW. The Board noted that a COW wouldn’t require a public hearing or a building review, and could be in place in as little as two weeks.
Trustee Aidan Corish pointed out that despite differing viewpoints on the best way to bring better wireless coverage to Sag Harbor, it has become a necessity. “It’s gone beyond a luxury,” he said. “A lot of people don’t have landlines anymore.”
“I’ve had more people complain about cell service than anything else since I joined the board,” agreed Trustee James Larocca.
“God forbid, you’re in the IGA [grocery store] and you try to call home to ask if we need milk,” said Mayor Kathleen Mulcahy. “You’re better off to shout.”
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