Verizon Cellphone Tower Announcement Turns Heads
by Doug La Rocque
It wasn’t until the very end of the Brunswick Planning Board meeting on Thursday, February 17, that the item drawing the most interest from Board members came forth. Building Inspector Chuck Golden announced he had received an application from Verizon Wireless to extend the cell tower under construction on land at the corner of Creek Road and Menemsha Lane. It was the original tower application that was before the Planning Board for nearly a year, with the visual impact being the largest sticking point. Verizon originally requested a 105-foot high tower that met with vehement objection from neighbors at a public hearing, with some even contending the balloon test conducted to simulate the tower’s visibility was faulty.
The Planners and Verizon Wireless eventually settled on an 85-foot tower, located in a grove of pine trees with the portion rising above the evergreens made to look like a natural tree. Planning Board Attorney Andy Gilchrist indicated the application would most likely require at least another look at the visual impacts, how it would affect setback and the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) variance that was issued along with the changes in the environmental impact. The Board determined such an application would also require an additional public hearing. The Planners took no further action, waiting to see if Verizon Wireless does indeed follow through on their request.
Another Wireless Application Is Approved
An application by Dish Wireless to add three antennae to an existing cell tower located at 809 Hoosick Road was approved. An engineering report stating the tower could handle the additional weight was presented at a previous meeting.
Solar Proposals
A special Town Board meeting was held at 6 pm just prior to the Planning Board’s gathering. At that meeting, the Town Board voted to change the zoning on land where CVE North America is looking to construct a commercial solar farm located off Belair Lane. Specifically, two parts of the parcel did not have an agricultural overlay attached to them, something that is required to allow solar on what is zoned residential. The Town Board approved the overlay on the portion being used by CVE, specifically for an access road, some panels and a setback. The Planners then approved the long form environmental impact assessment but did not take final action, as the proposal is still before the ZBA and requires the submission of additional engineering data.
The group that wants to construct a 5 megawatt solar farm on Oakwood Avenue was back before the Board, this time to discuss a location change. In 2021, they indicated they wanted to build on top of an old landfill, pending approval from the Department of Environmental Conservation. When that approval came, it had many conditions attached to it, so much so that construction was no longer economically feasible. The group, known as North Troy Solar, now hopes to build on land adjacent to the original site. The Board placed them on a future agenda for more detailed review.
