Town considers wireless telecommunications facility
AT&T proposes a galvanized pole instead of a 165-foot tower disguised as a tree Warwick The Warwick Town Board resumed its due diligence work on a proposed wireless telecommunications facility on town property located at 144 Route 94 South. AT&T Wireless proposed disguising the 165-foot tower to look like a tree. However, in a presentation by AT&T during the regular board meeting on Sept. 8, Neil Alexander proposed a galvanized pole as an alternative. “We recently did a tree but it wasn’t as tall as this,” said Alexander in response to councilman Leonard DeBuck, who asked about landscaping such a tall monopole. The proposed facility includes room for “five additional carriers as well as some space for the municipality,” said Alexander. AT&T’s presentation included large photo simulations of the antenna from 1,400 feet away on Route 94 and from 3,200 feet away from Warwick Turnpike. “(AT&T) will also provide space for emergency services as well as backup power for them to operate their equipment (in) this area that is underserved in service for them,” said supervisor Michael Sweeton addressing the public directly. The service will cover more of Route 94 South. The carrier already has a new wireless facility on the rooftop of St. Anthony Community Hospital in the Village of Warwick. “Which views are more upsetting for your community and what is the best way to mitigate those views,” remains to be seen, said Alexander, who believes that residents are used to seeing power infrastructure in galvanized steel. Alexander is a partner at Cuddy & Feder and chairs the Environment & Sustainability Practice group. The aesthetics of monopine versus monopole will likely be debated at the public hearing scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in Warwick Town Hall, 132 Kings Highway. Both the town planner and town engineer will be present. Back in April, the town board authorized the supervisor to sign a lease agreement with AT&T to place a cell tower on the town’s municipal water lot in the Fairgrounds Water District. That lease allows for the town to place an antenna on the tower and use related equipment for emergency preparedness purposes while generating between $1,750 and $1,800 per month in revenue. AT&T is seeking a lease of between 20 and 30 years, during which time the town will have rights on ground leases for additional carriers. In other news The board will hold a public hearing about Castle Tavern owned by Michael Colandra of Greenwood Lake for Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in Warwick Town Hall, 132 Kings Highway. The building inspector determined it to be a hazard to the community in August. This summer 38 road signs were stolen out of the town at a cost of several hundred dollars each. Stop signs and street signs are missing, creating public safety hazards. Officials believe the signs are being sold for scrap metal. Residents with information should call police. The board voted unanimously to approve purchase, for back taxes, a one-acre parcel SBL# 56-6-1.12 for $5,000 to protect the Bellvale Water District and a 10.3-acre parcel SBL# 69-1-5 at the entrance to Cascade Lake Park.