Two towns and a red balloon: Selling residents on a cell tower site

The Town of Chester held its first public hearing about a proposed Verizon cell tower at the intersection of Juniper Lane and Poplar Drive on August 3. This project affects both Chester and Monroe residents and potentially affects visitors to Goosepond Mountain State Park.

Paul Ryan, of Murray Law Firm, who represents ARX Wireless, LLC, started the presentation to the Planning Board and attendees. The proposed site is a 4.6-acre parcel of flat wooded land leased by the Town of Chester at the top of the Walton Park subdivision between two other lots owned by the Town. As the crow flies, it is less than a mile from the southeast edge of Goosepond Mountain.

The plot is currently zoned SR2, which allows for cell towers. The proposed cell tower is a 150’ “monopole” topped with a four-foot-tall lightning rod creating a total height of 154’. Verizon would have three panels with three antennas at the 146’ level, the highest level. As soon as the tower is built, they will begin the search for colocation vendors to rent the lower levels. At this low height, the FAA does not require aerial lights.

Access to the cell tower would be from the west end of Poplar Drive, with security provided by a sixty-foot by sixty-foot fence. Additionally, setback requirements are met in all directions, and the land will be minimally impacted. A satellite image of the location from Google Maps shows a driveway leading up to a partial land clearing within the trees:

Engineering Review

The Town’s consultant engineer, Fusco Engineering, reviewed all materials submitted by ARX Wireless, including the results of the balloon test, and recommended that the Board evaluate the photos. Other items tasked to ARX Wireless and Verizon included: detailing the storage location of diesel for the generator and performing an endangered species audit of the site. They found the geotechnical work and foundation acceptable.

Balloon Test

Virtual Site Simulations, LLC, performed a balloon test on Saturday, July 30, 2022, with Don Serotta, Justin Brigandi, and Larry Dysinger from the Planning Board in attendance. Page two of the report shows a satellite map of where the contractor took photographs. Of the 35 sites chosen, seven (20%) of the locations were marked as having visibility to the proposed tower. Three of these locations are in the Walton Park subdivision, where one site was very close to the playground on Oak Drive. The entire report is viewable from bit.ly/ToCRedBln.

Interestingly, only a few days after completion of the balloon test, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) addressed a letter to the Planning Board Chairman, Dan Serotta, requesting the same test. This letter, dated August 2, 2022, and signed by Gabriella M. Cebada Mora, expressed concerns that Goosepond Mountain State Park’s viewsheds from over one-third of the park could be impacted. Palisades Interstate Park Commission also shares these concerns, per Ms. Cebada Mora.

Why this location?

Before Verizon presented the RF Report, Mr. Serotta informed the audience of the Federal regulation mandating the allowance of cell towers, called the “Telecommunications Act of 1996” (bit.ly/ToC_1996Tele). This Act tasks Town Boards across the nation with governing the installation of said towers while following Federal regulations. One of these rules states that Town Boards must ignore the RF factor if the frequency is below the FCC’s guidelines of twenty watts per hour.

The Town of Chester leased this land specifically to install a cell tower to service that area, given the low quality of cell service. The Town Board approached ARX Wireless to apply to the Town and provide all documents and studies. Since the Town Board chose the site location, the Planning Board can only support or deny the aesthetics at the site.

During a detailed presentation by Verizon engineer Wasif Sharif on current and future cell coverage, he discussed the limitations of the existing cell towers for the number of users in the area. He showed, in great detail, how attempts at load balancing were unsuccessful. Furthermore, if cell coverage was of a low quality outside a given building (office, home, shop, etc.), users would have little to no service inside a building.

Public Hearing

Tom B., from Chester, said he wanted to bring visibility to a water supply project he was working on with the consulting engineer near the site. Mr. Fusco stated he would ensure that the water supply is delineated on the plans for the cell tower.

Next, Larry M. from Monroe expressed concerns about the proximity of the cell tower to the playground and basketball court on Oak Drive. He questioned the Planning Board about moving the structure further back on the property within the setback requirements. From his experience, children use this park quite often, and he is concerned about EMF exposure.

The last public comment came from Linda, who did not say where she resided. She questioned the urgency for the cell tower, given that the Town of Chester approached ARX Wireless, not the other way around.

A letter was also submitted to the Planning Board by Tracy S. about the hearing. Among concerns about the tower location was the Town’s outreach to residents in the area. They recommended expanding the radius of residents notified beyond 500 feet to include more residents. They also requested advanced notice of future red balloon tests.

The public and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historical Preservation mostly agree with the Town of Chester regarding the need for a cell tower in the Walton Park area. Except for one patron who spoke up, most of the commentary revolved around the actual placement and aesthetics of the tower to minimize viewshed impact.

The Board’s Closing Comments

Mr. Serotta reminded ARX Wireless of their follow-up items. He also moved to keep this item open for a public hearing at the next Planning Board meeting on September 7, 2022.