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TOWN OF TOLLAND
MINUTES OF PLANNING BOARD
Meeting of 03/15/2010
Present: James Deming
Thomas Paine
Jeffery LaCasse
Gertrude McKay
Meeting was called to order at 7:10 by Chairman James Deming.
Public Hearing: SBA’s application for the construction of a cell tower on property of the Tolland Highway Department at 162 Colebrook River Road (Map 410, Lot 14.2), was called to order. Hearing notification has been sent and acknowledgements received from all abutting landowners.
- Tolland’s Zoning Board of Appeals granted variances effecting this application to SBA. These variances
- Reduce the required distance of this project from a wetlands to 100 feet
- Reduce the required distance of the tower from the nearest sideline of the property by 42.5 feet
- Reduce the required limit on the height of the monopole tower. The planned tower will be 155 feet, in order to accommodate AT&T’s special needs.
- AT&T and Verizon’s plans for adding antenna to the tower, will be combined into one hearing.
- A Balloon Test was performed on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. During the test, pictures of the balloon were taken from Town Hall, and shown to the public attending the hearing.
- Mr. Finnegan, representing SBA and AT&T, made a presentation.
- Peter Perkins described the compound
- It will be 70’x70’ in size, with a distance of 180’ to 200’ between tower and Highway Department shed.
- The monopole will be 155’ tall with a 21’ whip on the top which yields 176’ of height.
- The entrance to the compound is planned to be thru the Highway Department area; however, the Highway Department has requested that the driveway be moved to the road side of its shed.
- This may create a problem with a nearby wetlands.
- SBA’s contract with the Town of Tolland gives the Town the right to change the access to this site, at any time.
- A neighbor asked that the chain-link fence be hidden by landscaping.
- An abutting property owner, Ralph Morrison, expressed concern that the shortened fall zone will adversely affect this ability to build a house on his property. His property is 190 feet from the proposed tower.
- Someone asked what the Town will receive in compensation for the lease of this property for the building of a cell tower. The Town will receiver $2000 per month plus 10 to 15% of that fee from any second, third or fourth carrier that rent antenna space on the tower. The contract is for five (5) years and can be extended for an additional ten (10) terms of five(5) years each.
- As there were no additional questions or comments from the floor, the Public Hearing was closed at 8:00 pm
The Regular meeting of the Planning Board was opened at 8:01. A brief discussion of the preceding Public Hearing followed.
At 8:35 the meeting was continued until April 19th at 7:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Gertrude T. McKay
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