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Citizen petition would ease board‑approval for new cell facilities where coverage gaps exist
Summary
A resident filed a petition aimed at enabling the Zoning Board of Appeals to permit wireless facilities in locations not on Concord’s 2019 overlay map when there is a demonstrated coverage gap, and sought to remove an expert‑testimony requirement for coverage gaps in certain circumstances.
A citizen petition presented at the Planning Board hearing seeks to ease siting of personal wireless communications facilities in Concord Center by revising the town’s overlay‑district relief standard. Petitioner Henry Dane (former Select Board member) described long‑running difficulties in getting cellular coverage in downtown Concord and said the town’s 2019 overlay map limits potential locations for wireless facilities to a few parcels and leaves downtown without an obviously permissible site.
The petition would allow the Zoning Board of Appeals to grant relief from location requirements on the overlay map where the board determines there is a significant gap in coverage and finds the proposed relief would reduce or eliminate that gap without substantial detriment to the neighborhood. Dane proposed removing or easing a requirement in the existing bylaw that the board must rely on professional expert testimony to determine whether a coverage gap exists; he argued the downtown gap has long been evident and that the expert‑testimony trigger had been an unnecessary barrier in past negotiations with carriers.
Dane said the change would not remove other regulatory checks: approvals would still be subject to historic‑district review, wetlands permitting, and standard board procedures. He argued the rewrite would help the town pursue private wireless partners more effectively; residents and planning members agreed that Verizon’s decisions drove much of prior negotiation outcomes but asked for clarity on application standards.
Why it matters: cellular coverage affects safety, commerce and everyday use; petitioners framed the change as a narrow procedural fix to make it possible to site facilities to fill known downtown gaps. Opponents or cautious commenters asked for clear standards and a process to avoid ad hoc siting.
Ending: Planning staff indicated the petition will be carried forward to Town Meeting materials; the hearing closed with the petitioner and board acknowledging the need to preserve other environmental and historic protections.
