More Cell Tower Expansion In Hoosick

by Gary Danforth
The Town of Hoosick Planning Board meeting took place this past Monday evening, August 17, in stifling heat inside the Hoosick Falls Armory with Chairman Jim Dunigan calling the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. Following the Pledge of Allegiance the minutes of the previous month’s meeting were approved with minor corrections noted. There were six of seven Board members present. Planning Board Attorney Stan King was in attendance as was Recording Secretary Karen Jennings.
In what seems to be regular action before this Board, another telephone carrier made a presentation to the Board for addition of services to an existing cell tower structure. Chris Bevins, representing Black and Beach, appeared before the Board wanting to put up a 12 foot by 20 foot structure below a pre-existing cell tower at 469 Wilson Hill Road. He said Nextel, Verizon and Sprint all have operations on this tower and his company would like to represent AT&T on same. The company would also like to build a five foot by eleven foot generator pad. A generator would be transported to the site three to four hours after a power outage so that phone service could continue in the event of emergencies. It was explained that his company would lease six antennas for five years with an option for four renewals of this contract.
An application for this action had been received. A site plan for same was also submitted. A long form environmental assessment form (EAF) would also need to be submitted as well as a copy of the applicant’s Federal Communication License. A report by the company’s engineer as to the tower’s structure was submitted. The Board passed a motion to have Russ Reave look at the tower and this proposal on the Town’s behalf. The Board wants a $75,000 bond on the tower to protect the Town in case the tower has to be taken down and a certificate of insurance for protection for the Town for liability. The Board also wanted insurance for workers’ compensation and disability.
The Planning Board had already approved this cell tower structure in 2001. The Board would need a letter from Reave about the structural stability of this tower and agreed to contact Reave at once to get started on this matter on the Town’s behalf. Bevins will be back before the Board next month to go over the EAF and set a date on a public hearing for this matter if all is in place.
Baker Subdivision
Earlier, the Board heard from Sherman Baker, executor of the Walter Baker Estate, to subdivide lands off Bovie Hill Road from the present Baker estate. Baker wants to buy a ten acre parcel of land from the Baker estate which has parcels totaling 158 acres. There is an existing house, two barns and a machinery shed on the land he wants to purchase with one parcel having 120 feet of road frontage and the other parcel having 800 feet of road frontage. No prior subdivisions had been done to these parcels. The Board declared this a simple subdivision and also said a boundary line change would have to be approved at a later date between Elon Baker and Sherman Baker for this action to be complete .
The two topic meeting adjourned on this hot, sticky, muggy night at 8:15 pm.