After years of fielding concerns from residents who don’t like the idea of cellular antennas atop the Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, MA, the Select Board says that it is now hearing from neighbors who are more interested in reliable connectivity. As The Concord Bridge reports, the safety afforded by a strong signal has displaced both aesthetics and phantom health fears as the primary concern.
“People are becoming more and more insistent that we have coverage,” stated Select Board Chair Mary Hartman. “We heard a lot of frustration and impatience. Frankly, people were worried about safety. The sentiment of the town, I think, is that we need coverage — [if] something terrible happened, how would we communicate with each other?”
Several possible cell tower sites in Concord have been considered, with the cupola atop the Umbrella building suggested as the best location to reach numerous downtown locations. Deputy Town Manager Megan Zammuto told the Select Board that the Zoning Board would have to approve variations, but she expected that a waiver could be granted for a cell site in the cupula of the Umbrella building. She also indicated that the town expected to put out an RFP later this summer for another cell tower on Walden Street landfill property.
“Exploring this option through an RFP will provide more specific information about a potential project at this location, including a plan for how a proposer would minimize the impact of an installation on the Umbrella Arts Center and surrounding residents,” Zammuto stated, adding, “The Umbrella is the only municipal site that can both address the significant gap in coverage in the downtown area and house the necessary equipment on the property, eliminating the need for the construction of a standalone tower in Concord’s downtown.”
Some of the Concord cell tower possibilities have been under discussion since 2018. The Concord Bridge noted that the town seems ready to move forward with their connectivity plans, including plans for another tower at the TriCon church. Attorney Henry Dane noted that once old Sprint equipment is removed, Verizon is poised to begin construction at that location.
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