The Ancram Planning Board approved a site plan and special use permit for a proposed 100-foot cell tower at 6534 Route 22 on July 9, exactly one year after a public hearing on the project first opened.
Town Attorney John Lyons presented the draft resolution, a 34-page document detailing the board’s deliberations throughout the review process, including discussions of camouflage, environmental review, public input, and compliance with local laws.
Board members Donald Tasch, Palmer Irving, Tom Brondolo, and Chair Joe Crocco voted in favor of the resolution, while Phil Hack voted against it. Board members Jessica Lovelace and Christine Brown were absent.
Since the proposal came before the Planning Board more than a year ago, the cell tower has been a contentious issue in Ancram. Some residents have welcomed the prospect of improved cell service along Route 22, while others have opposed the project, arguing that it threatens views and the environmental integrity of the town’s Scenic Corridor Overlay Zone.
The board issued a negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act in April. In June, it determined that the application met the standards for a special use permit and site plan approval under town zoning law, and asked the applicant to provide paint options for the tower.
At the July 9 meeting, Vincent Xavier, regional manager for Homeland Towers, presented the board with three color options: Sierra Spruce, Pine Cone Brown, and Thunder Gray.
“The visibility of this structure is predominantly from the east,” Xavier said. “You can’t paint certain angles different colors, that’s not going to work, so you optimize and you make the camouflage as effective as possible by using the color that is best for the predominant area.”
Homeland Towers attorney David Kenny also said the applicant had submitted a decommissioning plan that had yet to be reviewed by the town’s engineer.
The structure will also be subject to a review by the board every five years to ensure it is properly maintained. Lyons and Kenny clarified that the review does not allow the applicant to delay repairs. If the paint began chipping in the second year, for example, Homeland Towers would be required to repaint the tower before the five-year review.
Xavier said construction could begin as early as September, after the company submits and obtains building permits, and could take about three months to complete.
In other business, the board deemed a subdivision application submitted by Sky High Farm complete and scheduled a public hearing for 7 p.m. Aug. 6.
The board also directed applicant Kevin Sabet to establish a $750 escrow account to cover the cost of professional planner Nan Stolzenburg, who serves as a town consultant. Sabet is seeking an abbreviated site plan review for changes to the basement of his Witts Lane property, along with short-term rental permits for both the basement and the main house.
Board members said they had not yet considered an application involving two short-term rentals on a single property, and that Stolzenburg would advise them on how to proceed.