STURBRIDGE - A public hearing regarding a cell phone tower to be built on town land has been continued to Wednesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. in the Senior Center.
The hearing was scheduled for the June 9 meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals. It was opened on May 12 where an extensive discussion took place. The board must approve or deny a zoning variance for a proposed 130-foot cell phone tower to be built by telecommunications company MetroPCS near the Department of Public Works garage. It would be visible from the Sturbridge Hills Condominiums. Many residents were present for last week’s hearing.
It was postponed because additional information requested by the board was received the day prior to the scheduled hearing. Board Chairman Adam Gaudette said members did not have enough time to properly review the new material, which included a report from a radio frequency engineer.
“This is a serious application and we know we have a lot of abutters concerned,” Gaudette said, adding he wanted to assure those present the issue would get the “full attention” of the board.
Condominium residents turned out in force for the second night last week, as a large contingent had also been present at the board of selectmen’s meeting last Monday. At that meeting, Sturbridge Hills Condominium Association Treasurer Edward Heywood read a letter listing the association’s reasons for opposing the move and offered alternatives.
At the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting he asked members to reject the variance application because he said MetroPCS failed to properly notify all abutters of the hearing.
Gaudette said that would not be a valid reason to reject the variance. At most, it would delay the process, he said.
“Typically just not notifying someone, or missing someone, is not a reason for an application to be denied,” Gaudette said. He would not entertain a motion to reject the applicant based on that argument, he said.
Board member Thomas Creeden said the move would simply delay the process about four weeks. It was better to move forward, he said.
“Let’s get to where we need to go,” Creeden said.
The board did take questions from those gathered regarding technical aspects of the project. Gaudette said they would be forwarded to the applicant and addressed at the next public hearing.
Gaining approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals is just one step in the process, which Gaudette said could take as long as 100 days. Selectmen would still need to vote on entering into a lease with MetroPCS before construction could begin.
The idea to lease a tower on town land was proposed by former Town Administrator James Malloy as a revenue generating measure. The process moved forward under interim Town Administrator Michael Racicot.
In letters to selectmen and the Zoning Board of Appeals the condominium association detailed their reasons for opposing the move citing a possible drop in property values, aesthetic reasons and safety and health hazards.