Cemetery Cell Tower Could be Lifesaver

T-Mobile is hoping to build a 120-foot tower in a South Portland, Maine, cemetery. If the tower is approved for the 30-year land lease, the Highland Memorial Cemetery would have enough money to continue operating. The Board of Appeals must first grant T-Mobile a series of variances because the cemetery is located in a residential district and the land use ordinances generally don’t allow for cell towers. Arthur Smith, president of the cemetery board, advocated on behalf of the tower at a recent meeting, and there will be a public hearing on March 25. But City Attorney Sally Dagget already told the Board of Appeals that it cannot deny the tower based on health concerns. In a letter to the board, Daggett said the board’s only job is to determine whether there is “a significant gap in coverage” in that area of the city and whether there are any “feasible alternatives” to the proposed cell tower site, which would be owned and operated by T-Mobile. (Keep ME Current) Earlier this year, an independent consultant from IDK Communications found several gaps in T-Mobile service in the area.