by David Flint
“Everything is on target” with the Cherry Plain cell tower, according to landowner Doug Goodermote. Despite earlier reports that work on the project had ground to a halt because of a legal matter concerning the proposed source of gravel for the access road, Goodermote and the tower builder both say that the work has been and is proceeding on schedule. Goodermote noted that Tim Giumarra Logging & Excavating was busy on Wednesday, despite the rain, working on the access road and digging a foundation for the tower.
Goodermote said he might have hit a snag with DEC regarding his right to move material on his own property. He claims he has exemptions from DEC mining regulations for agricultural and construction purposes – he is preparing to construct a pole barn on the mined property for storage of hay and equipment. He said his lawyer is dealing with the DEC on that issue but in any case it has nothing to do with progress on the cell tower which will be constructed on his property on the other side, the west side, of Route 22.
Tower builder Chris Ciolfi of Mariner Tower LLC confirmed that things are on schedule with this project. He said Tim Giumarra was hoping for some drier weather but that work on the access road was moving along, and the steel for the tower has been ordered. Ciolfi was not aware of any problems regarding gravel for the road. He believed that it might be possible to use gravel from Goodermote’s property across Route 22, and since it would be just moved from one part of the same parcel of land to another, and used on an existing dirt farm road and an existing trail up through the woods, Ciolfi did not see why there would be any problem with that. He was not surprised that there might be, however, because he said in his experience it seems to be a recurring theme in this area with neighbors disputing with neighbors about gravel mines and getting the DEC involved. In any case, Ciolfi said, his company will put down appropriate and legal gravel and will comply with DEC regulations. Whether or not the gravel comes from Goodermote’s property or from somewhere else, he said, is irrelevant to the cell tower project. The project, he said, is moving forward, and he is planning on it being completed before the end of the year.
