Representatives from Verizon Wireless have proposed to install a temporary cellular tower on town-owned property off Stephen Hand's Path in East Hampton. The tower, they told the East Hampton Town Board on Tuesday, would alleviate "substantial dead zones" in the area and would also accommodate a substantial uptick in wireless traffic in the town.
The sizable and possibly permanent influx of second-home owners and visitors that began in March has increased demand for wireless service, Denise Vista, an attorney representing Verizon, told the board. In addition to existing dead zones where customers experience frequent dropouts, "You have the influx of folks going to their second homes, working from home, children remote-learning. There's been an increase in traffic based on that. Our understanding is that a lot of folks won't be going back," she said.
Verizon has applied to the planning board to install a permanent tower on the site, at 106 Stephen Hand's Path near the corner of Route 27, where a Highway Department building stands. That proposal is being modified based on the planning board's comments, Ms. Vista said, and will be resubmitted this month. In the meantime, she said, "We're looking to address those imminent concerns, and the permanent pole would address those permanently."
Verizon is proposing a 100-foot-tall temporary tower on a steel foundation; Ms. Vista described it as "a monopole with exposed antennas." An eight-foot-high chain-link fence would enclose the structure, on 1,444 square feet of land, about 300 feet northeast of the proposed site for the permanent tower. No clearing would be required, and the temporary tower would be removed when the permanent one is approved, she said.
The temporary tower would improve service along Montauk Highway and to the south and west, Ms. Vista said, and would provide connectivity to a tower now under construction at East Hampton Airport.
Rob Monteleone, a Verizon employee, noted that another telecommunications carrier could install its own antenna on the temporary tower. The permanent tower, he said, would likely be able to accommodate four carriers. He estimated it would take three weeks to a month to erect and install the temporary tower, following the town's approval.
John Jilnicki, the town attorney, said the town would enter into a license agreement with Verizon for installation of the temporary tower.
Given the pandemic-related influx, plus the annual summer population increase and the proliferation of remote work and learning, "our systems are really under a lot of stress," Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said. The pandemic has compounded that already-stressed infrastructure, he said later in the meeting, citing a surge in streaming video along with working and learning remotely as people have been spending more time indoors.
A townwide review of communications is in order, Mr. Van Scoyoc said, along with an update to the town code with respect to cellular communications. A requirement that any tower have more than one carrier's antenna could be part of that update, he said. "This could be a first step toward addressing coverage in the short term," the supervisor added.
The board will confer, Mr. Van Scoyoc told Verizon's representatives, and make a determination as to granting a license for Verizon to install a temporary tower.
