Abutters packed the Hancock meeting house Wednesday night to challenge a setback waiver that would let a proposed 150-foot communication tower stand just 150 feet from the nearest property line, well short of the 187.5 feet normally required.
The July 1 meeting was a continuation of a June 27 public hearing that ran out of time, and drew a full house of residents and abutters who spoke out against Industrial Tower & Wireless LLC’s plans. Board chair Kevin Murphy opened by confirming he’d found a firm to review the tower’s structural safety, for $1,050 to the applicant.
Murphy started the meeting by announcing that he had found a firm willing to assess the tower’s structural safety, as requested at the prior meeting. While the financial logistics would continue to unfold, he clarified the applicant is required to pay $1,050 for the services.
Murphy also shared that residents, abutters and Industrial Tower & Wireless had submitted multiple letters. The Antrim Planning Board also sent a letter requesting the town reconsider their decision at the prior meeting about regional impacts.
The Planning Board decided to reaffirm their decision that the communication tower will not have regional impacts.
Murphy explained the Planning Board cannot make decisions about the visibility of the tower, and that discussion would be left up to the Hancock Historical Society and Hancock Historic District Commission.
The majority of concerns from the crowd related to the waiver by Industrial Tower & Wireless for a shorter than required setback.
As outlined in their Conditional Use Permit Site Plan Review, communication towers generally require a setback distance of 125% of the height of the tower, 187.5 feet in this case, but they are requesting a setback of 150 feet because the tower will be located about that distance from the nearest property line. The 150-foot distance is the height of the tower itself.
Kristen and Jean-Pierre Bernier, who abut the property, shared their fears about the setback requirements and safety of the people living near the proposed tower.
“As was mentioned by my neighbors, in the drawings provided by the applicant, they are utilizing the best-case scenario,” Jean-Pierre said.
Many of the abutters also referenced the unpredictable weather and how this could impact the safety of the tower.
Erosion became a big question given the state’s history with issues on the highways like Route 123. The representatives of Industrial Tower & Wireless at the meeting said they will continue to look into this issue.
Eventually, the impact on property value centered the discussion. All the abutters present shared concerns about their homes losing value and the evidence provided by Industrial Tower & Wireless as inapplicable to their specific situation.
“We’re talking about large chunks of our wallets for a for-profit business,” Jean-Pierre said.
Industrial Tower & Wireless provided a market study done by FairMarket Advisors LLC in 2020 for the construction of a communications tower in Richmond.
Based on the research of six properties in five towns including Plainfield, Springfield, Winchester, Rindge and Richmond, the investigation concluded that the communication tower proposed in Richmond at the time would not affect the property value of the neighboring properties.
The Planning Board agreed that there needs to be clear evidence specifically based on the current situation in Hancock. Murphy will speak to the town attorney about a property value analysis while trying to stay on schedule.
Murphy clarified the town has 65 days to decide, which puts them at the end of August, but because this is a new communications tower, the federal government allows for a 150-day extension. This would need to be agreed upon with the applicant, Industrial Tower & Wireless.
“If we need more information, I want to make sure we ask the right expertise for the question,” Murphy said.
The Planning Board cannot decide against the communications tower based on property value unless there is clear evidence the neighboring properties will be impacted more than others.
Nonabutting residents expressed the importance of improving cell reception in the area, but requested the communication tower to be moved somewhere else in town.
For the following meeting, the board requested Industrial Tower & Wireless provide clearer applications for the waivers they requested for erosion, storm water run off and tower height.
The balloon test will take place on July 11 from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. with a three-and-a-half-foot red balloon. Rain dates will be July 14 or 15. Photos will be taken from different views within a two-mile radius to superimpose a cell tower to provide a visual.
The Planning Board said they will join the Hancock Historical Society and Historical District Commission in the morning to view the balloon from downtown.
The public hearing was pushed until Aug. 5 in the meeting house at 7 p.m. because the balloon test and the study on the structural safety of the tower will not be finished by the next meeting on July 15.
All information from the documents can be found on the Hancock Town Website. The town plans to upload the letters as well.