UPDATE Residents in York, ME have been struggling with poor cell service. Plans to address the problem by adding antennas to an existing water tower would greatly improve digital connectivity.
However, as SeacoastOnline.com reports, the proposal has agitated a small but loud collection of Roots Rock Road neighbors who have argued against any involvement of cell signals claiming phantom threats to their health and property values. “I don’t know that I need that much radiation coming into my house, because that water tower is my backyard,” stated opponent Janet Drew.
Reputable sources like the American Cancer Society and Centers for Disease Control continue to assert that cell towers pose no health risks to humans. The water tower in York already hosts some cellular equipment, making the proposal more of a modification than a new structure. This latest proposal from AT&T would add a six panel antennas on top of the 71-foot water tower, raising the total height to 79 feet. The new units would be camouflaged with RF transparent mirrored film to make the antenna blend in with the sky.
AT&T’s representative Michael Dolan explained to the Planning Board, “Such a facility is encouraged under the ordinance seeing as it involves the use of an existing structure,” adding, “The facility will help fill a notorious coverage gap in this subject area of York.”
Acting as the facilitator, Planning Board Chair, Wayne Boardman, advised that the existing cell tower equipment is for the exclusive use of the town’s emergency responders and the York Water District. Additional antennas would improve coverage in the area, he noted, acknowledging that not everyone supports the prospect of more cell tower equipment. Revising existing equipment at an established location would not violate town ordinances.
“We just have to go by what the regulations and laws tell us,” he told SeacoastOnline.com. “It is a concern of both townspeople and our emergency responders, police and fire, as well as small businesses.” The Planning Board did not make a decision on the cell tower equipment at this time, choosing to mull the matter further.
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