Press Alt + R to read the document text or Alt + P to download or print.
This document contains no pages.
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCell Tower 2005SECTION B THE ITHACA JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12,2005
Enfield town board to
hear tower proposal
By KERRIE FRISINGER
Jounral Staff'
ENFIELD — The Enfield
Town Council will hear a pro-
posal tonight to put a Cingular
Wireless cellular tower on pri-
vately owned land on North
Van Dom Road.
Supervisor Gary Fisher said
the presentation went to the
town planning board last week
A site plan review would need
to be completed before the
plan could advance, he said.
The choice of location, near
the intersection with Hayts
Road is intended to improve
service between Tntmansburg
and Ithaca, primarily along
Route 96. according to Marty
Nee, a Cingular spokesman.
"The site is not designed to
cover the Village of Enfield,"
he said.
Cingular Wireless already
has one tower in Enfield that
does not include the village,
Nee said. But, he added, the
company hopes to eventually
bring in a third tower to ower
that area.
"There are a number of
areas in Enfield that you can't
get service in," Fisher said.
The board meets at 7 tonight
in the Enfield Community
Building, 182 Enfield Main
Road.
C wad: kfnvMra irha gw.rp cam
Enfield town council hears
(proposal to install cell tower
3y KERRIE FRISINGER
Journal Staff
ENFWI.-D — A new cellular
tower won't fit aesthetically in a
bucolic area like Enfield, some
residents and town council
members argued on
Wednesday night — but if
Cingular Wireless is going to
install one anyway, some added
it should at least help those who
live nearby.
"I would much rather be dri-
hng down the road seeing a tree
rather than something that
looks like theEiffel
a council
said Pegg Hubbell,
member.
A representative hired by
Lingular Wireless told town
council members on
Wednesday night that the com-
pany hopes to install a Mi -foot
pole tower on North Van Dom
Road near Hayts Road on
property owned by Raymond
and Betty Poole. A similar pre-
sentation went last week to the
town planning board, which is
not expected to come to a deri-
sion for several months.
If approved. the Enfield
tower would connect average
between current Cingular tow-
ers in Ithaca and Trumansburg,
`You can't stand in the way of prosperity.
— William Eisenhardt
-tykXZ 4CArAj%—l�ISjc,i Enfield resident
strengthening the signal primar-
ly along Route 96, as well as
pert of Roue 79.
There's a hole there.' said
Terri Burkholder. of Syracuse -
based FMHC Corporation.
Which handles land acquisition
and zoning matters for
Crag Enfield tower
Thee proposed
would also overlap with another
antenna Cingular wants to
install in Lansing, in order to
provide more consistent cover-
age between communities, said
Marry Nee, a Cingular
spokesman who did not attend
Wednesdays meeting.
"The connection between
the two is that they would hand
off to one another:' Nee said.
What the Enfield tower
wouldn't do, however, is stretch
service into Enfield's low-Ivurg
dead spots, especially the cen-
tral part of town.
"1 dont know what we can do
to get some wireless through
this valley." said William
Eisenhardt, adding that he can't
use his cell phone at his
Shudaben Road home and has
rmtrhle receiving wR for his
duties as a volunteer fficfighicr.
'You ain't stand in the way of
prospenty.,
Burkholder said Cingular
would like to add another tower
targeted for Enfield but the
company mint filst complete
networks it has already started
such as Tnlmansburg.
The tower currently Pro-
posed would have no lights and
would be hidden at close range
by trees. Burkholder said
Wednesday's meeting also
marked the official return of
Jean Owens, who in 20 lost
her seat as town supervisor.
Owens won reelection as a
awncilperson in November.
"No energy goes into past
conflicts." Owens said after the
meeting. "There's too much
work to do:'
C~. vrmrw(a itlmm.t,+uaMrran
Mather: Tower a bargaining chip - ithacajournal.com
Home News
Page 1 of 2
11
Entertainment Communities Classifieds Shopping Homes Cars Jobs Customer Sei
Archive (1999-)
® i PYRAMID PacSun. 1.11;1que
MALL Past Web Editions stores
Home
News Local News - Thursday, February 24, 2005
Local News
Archives
20 8 1�SCPJAE TO THE ITHACA JOURNAL,
Local Sports
Mather: Tower a bargaining chip
Lifestyle
Elections
Nation/World
KERRIE FRISINGER
a it
Obituaries
Journal Staff
614 S raeedm
Next to 9arnae
Celebrations
"•
t6o7)2724816
hebdeto5theca
Opinion
ENFIELD -- In a sparsely attended Planning Board public hearing that lasted
- ----
less than half an hour, Enfield residents on Wednesday asked technical
Technology
questions about a cell tower that Cingular Wireless wants to install on North
Weather
Van Dorn Road.
Harm
Entertainment
Bill Mather, an Iradell Road resident and former town supervisor, asked for
46
Communities
Classifieds
details on the planning board's role in deciding whether the tower goes up.
"
But the major point that Mather made was that the whole town isn't opposed
Shopping
to the tower just because it won't improve service throughout Enfield.
Homes
Cars
"A lot of what we're able to do with this tower is able to help some people in
Jobs
some other towns," Mather said. "I think that's significant.
Customer Service
more ma
"It gives us a bargaining chip down the road," said Mather.
per mat
Cingular needs to place the 150 -foot pole tower on property owned by
Raymond and Betty Poole to complete the network between Ithaca and
Lansing, according to Terri Burkholder, of Syracuse -based FMHC
Corporation, which is representing Cingular.
Officials expect the proposed tower to improve coverage in the northeast
valley of Enfield, but not in Enfield Center -- a point of contention some
residents raised at a Town Board meeting last month.
Mather and Gary Fisher, the town supervisor and only other audience
member to speak up at the hearing, pushed on Wednesday for more details
on Cingular's future plans for Enfield. Burkholder said Cingular has tentative
plans to eventually expand Enfield's network, but the company had not yet
finalized the budget for upcoming years.
When Cingular does start to focus on Enfield, the town may find itself In a
similar position as the current one, needing to put a tower in another
municipality to get full coverage, Mather said.
Fisher also asked for details on the strength of the pole and potential for
http://ithacajoumal.com/news/stories/20050224/localnews/2021600.html 2/24/2005
Mather: Tower a bargaining chip - ithacajournal.com
collocating Cingular antennas on tower with emergency radio system the
county plans to build.
Burkholder said Cingular's planned structure could hold up to three different
antennas and could be made to bend and withstand gusts of 75 mph.
"Similar to when you see pine trees, palm trees bow," Burkholder said.
Cingular Wireless is also attempting to install a 195 -foot tower in Lansing,
which company officials have said could overlap with the proposed Enfield
tower. The process has stalled for several months with the Lansing Town
Board amid questions over the site selection and potential health impacts
In Enfield, Planning Board Chairman Rick Chase said the board will
incorporate the feedback from Wednesday's hearing as it reviews the site
plan. According to the town's cell tower ordinance, Chase said, a tower
should only go up "where the Planning Board determines it to be most
effective."
Contact: kfrisina(d)ithaca.aannett.com
20 Email this story
Originally published Thursday, February 24, 2005
Page 2 of 2
Home I News I Entertainment I Communities 1 Customer Service
Classifieds 1 Sh000ino I Homes I Cars I Jobs
Contact Us I Subscribe I Place an ad
Copyright ©2005 The Ithaca Journal. All -rights
reserved.GF
Q~ qNUse of this site indicates your agreement to the Terms of Service c��n ..
(Terms updated 12/20/02)
http://ithacajoumal.com/news/stories/20050224/localnews/2021600.html 2/24/2005
SECTION B THE ITHACA JOURNAL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2005
Mather: Tower a bargaining
Former town supervisor says cell service could help
By KERRIE FRISINGER
Journal Stafj'
ENFIELD — In a sparsely
attended Planning Board pub-
lic hearing that lasted less than
half an hour, Enfield residents
on Wednesday asked techni-
cal questions about a cell
tower that Cingular Wireless
wants to install on North Van
Dom Road.
Bill Mather, an tradell
Road resident and former
town supervisor, asked for
details on the planning board's
role in deciding whether the
tower goes up. But the major
point that Mather made was
that the whole town isn't
opposed to the tower just
because it won't improve ser-
vice throughout Enfield.
"A lot of what wf re able to
do with this tower!is able to
help some peopl in some
other towns, Mat r said. "I
think that's signifrc I.
"It gives us a argaining
chip - down the r ad," said
Mather.
Lingular needs ti place the
150 -fool pole toveron property
owned by Raymor-J and Betty
Poole to complete the network
between Ith- aid 1 ang%
according to Terri Burkholder,
of Syracuse-baszd FMHC
Corporation, which is repre-
senting Cingular.
Officials expect, the pro-
posed tower to im a cover-
age in the northe�t valley of
Enfield, but nut in Enfield
Center — a point of con.
tention some residents raised
at a Town Board meeting last
month.
Mather and Gary Fisher,
the unvn supervisor and only
other audience member to
speak up at the hearing,
pushed on Wednesday for
more details ..
ruture plans for Enfield.
Burkholder said Lingular has
tentative plans to eventually
expand Enfield's network, but
the company had not yet final-
ized the budget for upcoming
years.
When Cingular does start to
focus on Enfield, the town
may find itself in a similar
position as the current one.
needing to put a tower in
another municipality to get
full mverage, Mather said.
Fisher also asked for details
on the strength of the pole and
potential for colloeatinry
Cingular antennas on w-er
with emergency radi.; -ystem
the county plans n °wld•
o..Al-...o�t77rr"aid Cingulars
planned�shulture could hold
up to ilkeeand yould be made to bend
anal withstand gusts of 75 mph.
!' imilar to when you see
ItiAe trees, palm trees bow,"
B rkholder said.
�Cingular Wireless is also
attempting to install a 195 -foot
tower in l.ansinz which com-
chip
others
panyofficials h,,.. caiJ could
overlap will -'he proposed
Enfield..+cr. The process
has str" for several months
witt..ne Lansing Town Board
.wd questions over the site
selection and potential health
impacts.
In Enfield, Planning Board
Chairman Rick Chase said the
board will incorporate the
feedback from Wednesday's
plan. Ao8orrgv ♦wethe .s-te
cell
tower ordinance. Chase
said, a tower should only go up
'lvhere the Planning Board
determines it to he most effec-
tive."
L"19aaCF. l�itiVa(� (rc i(l�ad�yay{r.['p�1