Planning Board sets public hearing for Verizon 120-foot monopole near Del Webb High School

The Town of De Witt Planning Board voted to set a public hearing for Verizon Wireless’ application to build a 120-foot monopole on school property, a company representative said at the April 24 meeting.

Verizon attorney Darren Luskin told the board the company has identified a long-running coverage “hole” in the Woodchuck Hill Road area and that surrounding towers are operating near or above capacity. “Verizon has been searching for a site hole since 2020,” Luskin said during the presentation, showing RF plots and traffic graphs the company submitted as Exhibit G.

The board’s action schedules a planning-board public hearing on the application for the May meeting and requires mailed notice to properties within a 1,500-foot radius, publication in the Syracuse Standard, and a sign posted on the school grounds at least 10 days before the hearing. Jamie (Planning Board chair) called for the motion and the board approved it.

Why it matters: Verizon says the proposed site will provide stronger low- and mid-band coverage (including 700 MHz and 2,100 MHz bands) in the residential valley around Woodchuck Hill Road and will reduce traffic load on three nearby towers. Greg Handley, Verizon project manager, and Tim (the company’s RF engineer) presented simulations showing the difference in predicted coverage with and without the new tower; Tim said the higher antenna height is needed to clear the local tree canopy and local ground elevations.

What Verizon presented: Company engineers showed RF maps that color-code indoor/vehicle coverage (green as reliable, yellow marginal, orange/white poor). Their models indicate that a 120-foot monopole (with antennas cited at about 115 feet above ground level) would convert much of the white/orange area into yellow/green coverage and would off-load traffic from the Peck Hill, Jamesville and Linden Corners sites. Tim explained that higher frequencies (e.g., 2,100 MHz) have shorter range and therefore the coverage gap is larger on those bands; raising the antenna above the surrounding trees was central to the engineers’ height justification.

Alternatives and school coordination: Verizon said it examined other potential locations, including co‑location on a 60‑foot water tower and parcels within the search ring (the Limestone Hill Association property), but that those options did not meet coverage or leasing constraints. The company said it engaged with the school district and that the district’s board had previously voted to approve lease authorization; Verizon also said the district engaged an outside wireless consultant as part of its review.

Board process and next steps: The board’s motion sets a public hearing on the planning-board calendar (the application record references a public hearing at the board’s May meeting). After the planning-board hearing, the application will be routed to the Zoning Board of Appeals for any required height variances or special use permits, as described by Verizon’s team. The file will include the RF exhibits Verizon submitted, photo simulations and a visibility map taken under leaf‑off conditions.

Concerns and clarifications: Board members repeatedly asked about tower height alternatives, tree canopy interference and whether co‑location on existing structures was feasible. Verizon’s presenters reiterated that the 120-foot monopole is intended to clear a 60–90-foot tree canopy and local topography; Tim said being above the canopy reduces signal loss and extends reliable coverage into homes and vehicles. The company also said the tower is engineered to accept additional carriers or public-safety equipment in the future.

What the motion did not decide: The hearing scheduling decision does not authorize construction, grant a variance or approve a lease. It directs the town to provide public notice and sets the formal opportunity for public comment and testimony that the board and ZBA will use when they evaluate the application.

A public hearing notice and the full application package will be posted and mailed as required; the board asked Verizon to be prepared to show photo simulations and to summarize alternate sites that were evaluated.