YORK, Maine — AT&T gained approval to place an antenna on top of the water tank at Roots Rock Road to improve cellular service that town officials say is needed.
Planning Board members said the new 8-foot antenna was not the ideal solution to improve service in town. They said they would have preferred a solution that included multiple carriers rather than just one. Wall Shelf
The proposal fits the town’s ordinance, however, and board members unanimously voted to approve the project in their Nov. 30 meeting. The project will boost cell service by adding antennas to an existing structure, which is encouraged by town ordinance.
“It’s an opportunity to use an existing structure which the wireless ordinance promotes,” Planning Board member Peter Smith said. “They found an opportunity to take advantage of it.”
Cellular service has been contentious in York over the years. While there is a need for additional coverage, some residents have expressed concerns about their health and property values.
Board members said the existing water tower already impacts property values, and adding the antenna would not make a difference.
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Smith said he was speaking directly to homeowners who sent many letters to the board with concerns about property values.
“I hear you, it’s an emotional thing,” Smith said. “I don’t think this is going to make any real changes to your neighborhood.”
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AT&T’s wireless network, Cingular Wireless PCS, will now place six-panel antennas on top of the 71-foot water tower at 5 Roots Rock Road.
Representatives from the company say that the installation will solve York’s lack of coverage without obstructing the landscape with a new tower. The antenna will also have a film to make it appear to blend in with the sky when seen from the ground.
Town officials have said the coverage in York is lacking. The town’s police and fire chiefs have endorsed the project and other cellular facility proposals as a matter of public safety.
AT&T submitted a similar application in 2020 but withdrew it after receiving pushback from members of the York Heights neighborhood.
The latest application also received negative feedback.
Janet Drew, who can see the tower from her home on Avon Avenue, told Planning Board members in a public hearing to “stop this” project and that she didn’t “need that much radiation” coming to her property.
AT&T argued they demonstrated their proposal would not exceed federal regulations for radio frequency output. AT&T representative Michael Dolan told the Planning Board the Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits municipalities from rejecting projects over health concerns if the project is within federal regulations for radio frequency waves.
Dolan also said the project met setback requirements, and AT&T agreed to meet certain conditions if approved. Those included a fence to enclose the generator, propane tank and walk-in cabinet.
As board members made their 5-0 vote to approve the project, board member Meredith Goodwin joined Smith in speaking to residents concerned about property values.
She said she has owned property in another town where a similar concern arose about a nearby cellular facility on an existing structure.
“I have gone through this as well,” Goodwin said. “But so far, I don’t see that that has made any difference.”
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Planning Board members said they wished there was a more comprehensive plan for the town to tackle cell service. The town’s current ordinance limits where towers can be placed.
One application by Vertex Towers to put a tower in York Village against the town’s ordinance was rejected by the Board of Appeals for a variance. The town was taken to federal court over the denial, though Vertex has since withdrawn its case saying it would watch for the outcome of the AT&T application.
A representative from Vertex did not return a call seeking comment on whether they will try to work again in York.
Board member Meredith Goodwin said she wished the AT&T project could include some kind of requirement for colocation with other cell service providers. She said there could be future construction of towers in York that could serve as a better home for the AT&T equipment if the company was willing to eventually relocate.
Dolan said AT&T has no plans of moving from the water tank if the project is completed, however. AT&T representatives have said in a previous Planning Board meeting that sharing space with another provider on top of the tower could disrupt service.
Apron Farm Sink Dolan told the board the tank was the only place in York where AT&T could place their antenna to help fill the void.