Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Hearing to focus on Barrington cell-phone bylaw

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 13:45:18 -0400

Hearing to focus on Barrington cell-phone bylaw

Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - By Ellen G. Lahr

Berkshire Eagle Staff

GREAT BARRINGTON -- The Selectmen have endorsed a Planning Board
proposal for a cellular communications "overlay district," which will be
presented along with several other bylaw proposals at a public hearing
tomorrow.

Minimum impact locations

The Planning Board's new bylaw would replace an outdated one and is
intended to encourage cellular tower or antenna construction in parts of
town deemed ideal by five cellular communication companies that were
consulted.

Planning Board member Jack Musgrove, who helped create the new bylaw --
which would replace one that is considered too restrictive -- told the
Selectmen Monday that the bylaw was created through an initial
consideration of 19 locations in town.

With input from wireless carriers, the designated sites were narrowed to
seven.

"Go for it," said Selectwoman Margaret Beckwith, after hearing about the
new bylaw's proposed sites.

Musgrove said former Selectman Anthony Blair, an original author of the
earlier bylaw, contributed his own funds to help pay for engineering
costs associated with a new overlay district plan.

"The purpose of the overlay district is to put towers in locations with
minimum impact and provide more than adequate service in town," said
Musgrove after the meeting.

The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce has urged its members to get
behind the bylaw proposal and to show up at tomorrow's public hearing.
For years, poor cellular phone service in South County has been a
troublesome problem for residents, businesses, emergency personnel and
tourists.

In an e-mail message to members this week, chamber Executive Director
Sharon Palma urged business owners to attend tomorrow's meeting at 7
p.m. at Town Hall, even if they are not residents of the town.

"It is extremely important that as many of you as possible show up at
this meeting on Thursday," Palma wrote. "We all know that good cell
phone coverage will be good for business and good for tourism, which
comes right back to being good for business."

Palma noted, "Apparently there is still some dissension among the ranks
of the Planning Committee. They need to hear from you, the business
people in the region, how important this is."

Not a slam dunk

Musgrove confirmed that not all board members are in favor of the
proposal, and that debate is likely among officials tomorrow.

Presently, only Cingular Wireless has limited service in town with its
antennas on Fairview Hospital. Verizon Wireless is tied up in court over
a Zoning Board of Appeals decision last year that nixed plans for more
antennas on the hospital.

In the meantime, the Selectmen called a special town meeting in March to
make a language amendment to the old bylaw, and only then did Nextel
Communications receive a permit to install antennas on the auxiliary
radio tower at radio station WSBS (AM 860) on Stockbridge Road.

The WSBS facility is available for other wireless company antennas, but
the site is not considered adequate to provide broad cellular coverage
throughout town and into Housatonic. Other sites are needed to
accommodate hilly terrain areas where signals are blocked.

Seven areas cited

The locations identified by the Planning Board are the WSBS radio tower,
property around the Great Barrington Fish and Game Club north of town;
property in and around the town-owned McAllister Park off Berkshire
Heights, Butternut ski area, the town transfer station on Route 7, the
Modolo VFW post south of town, and Vosburgh Hill, just off West
Sheffield Road.

Among the sites that were considered, but eliminated, from the plan were
the old Housatonic water tower, the top of the old Housatonic Elementary
School building, the Great Barrington Fire District property off Pine
Street, Camp Eisner, the Amerigas property in Housatonic, the First
Congregational Church and several other spots.

Regarding three other Planning Board proposals on tomorrow night's
agenda, the Selectmen offered mixed recommendations.

The board unanimously supported a change that clarifies the town bylaw
governing commercial and residential "mixed use" properties. The board
voted, 4-1, against a proposed bylaw that would ban professional offices
in residential areas. The board gave full support to changing the zoning
designation around the Thornewood Inn on Route 7.

The Planning Board's proposals are subject to final action by voters at
the Great Barrington annual town meeting on Monday, May 17.

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/Stories/0,1413,101~7516~2112697,00.html#

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