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End in Sight For Springs Tower Standoff

Thu, 04/20/2023 - 12:01

Fire department offers plan for new shorter pole

The Springs Fire Department has a cell tower in its backyard that has never been operational. Now it plans to have a tower instead at the center of the property in a location that requires no variances.
Carissa Katz

The nearly 10-year tale of a communications tower at the Springs Fire Department took a turn last week when the department offered a new preliminary plan to the East Hampton Town Planning Board. In a powerful change of script, the two sides appeared aligned.

The location of the 150-foot pole, at the center of the fire department property, coupled with a code change enacted last fall that reduced fall-zone restrictions, means no variances are required and the project could receive relatively speedy approval.

Greg Alvarez, a lawyer speaking for the fire department, hoped the changes were beneficial enough to make a lengthy environmental review unnecessary.

An approval would mark the conclusion of a circuitous and long-controversial project that may not go as quietly as either side hopes.

“We’ve been fighting this thing for 17 years,” Jonathan Coven said at the April 12 planning board meeting. His property abuts the fire department’s at 179 Fort Pond Boulevard. “We’re going to fight this thing tooth and nail. This garbage will not land in our yard.”

In 2014, the fire department applied for and received a building permit for the current pole and erected it before the town zoning board of appeals revoked the permit in 2015. The fire department sued the town in 2016, meanwhile remaining in conversation about locating emergency services equipment on the property, which led to an application for a larger, 180-foot tower to accommodate such equipment in 2019.

In 2020, the Z.B.A. decision was upheld by a county court and by September 2021, the planning board had decided the large emergency services tower, that it in part encouraged, created enough environmental disturbance, pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, for it to require further environmental review. In other words, more time and more money before the fire department would get its tower.

That review never occurred. The fire department sat on the application and watched as another emergency services pole, at Camp Blue Bay, won approval by the planning board last August.

Eric Schantz, the assistant town planning director, said the building permit for the Camp Blue Bay tower has been issued and that work is set to begin in early May.

The Springs Fire Department has yet to submit a formal application for its new design. To do so, it would have to withdraw the application for the 180-foot tower.

“The applicants are offering this as an alternative to the other 180-foot pole,” said Mr. Schantz. “The site is appropriate and does not meet any of the avoidance area criteria” for cell towers, he said, indicating that the Planning Department supports the application.

He explained that the stealth monopole, without hanging antennas, would reduce its visibility, as would its central location on the 2.7-acre parcel. He said despite the 185-foot tower going up in Camp Blue Bay, a tower in eastern Springs is “absolutely necessary.”

“Is this entire application posited on the idea that that still-pending, nothing-happening-since-September-2021 application will be withdrawn?” Samuel Kramer, the board’s chairman, asked Mr. Alvarez. “If so, when?”

“Subject to this discussion we can withdraw in short order with the intention to refile,” said Mr. Alvarez.

“It’s been looming,” said Mr. Kramer.

“Are you just going to trash the existing tower, or just move it to the center of the site?” asked Michael Hansen, a board member.

“If it is in sufficient shape and can be relocated and secured, the intention is to move the pole to the new location,” said Mr. Alvarez. He said the color of the pole, and type of backup generators needed, would be part of the formal application.

“I’m going to want to know, how low can you go?” said Randy Parsons, a board member. Mr. Alvarez had said all four cell carriers were interested in being located on the pole. “If you can’t get all the carriers on there, I care less about that than the impacts on the neighbors,” he said.

“I share Randy’s view,” said Ed Krug, a board member. “If coverage can be met with a shorter tower, I think we’d really like to know about that.”

“The idea is to accommodate all four major carriers,” said Mr. Alvarez. “That analysis will fall to the carrier at the lowest position” on the pole. The carriers are stacked in the pole. So, the company that is at the top has the widest coverage. Mr. Alvarez said fire department communications equipment would be located on top of the pole, despite the emergency communications tower going up at Camp Blue Bay.

“This is definitely a better proposal than what you had,” said Sharon McCobb, a board member. “Now that we have the tower going up at the Girl Scout camp, maybe you don’t need as much height.”

“I’m not advocating for height,” said Ian Calder-Piedmonte, a board member, “but as a planning board with a long-term view, certainly we should consider that every carrier is going to want coverage.” He wondered if they had kicked a carrier or two off the pole to reduce height, whether those carriers would just propose another monopole, in perhaps a worse location.

“Since September 2021 this board and the town board were subject to unwarranted criticism that this application was sitting, and it wasn’t. The ball was in the applicant’s court,” said Mr. Kramer.

“We will admit to that,” said Mr. Alvarez.

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Mr. Kramer. “And I’m glad the change of the law has allowed the applicant to move forward.”

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