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Commission finds no adverse effect for rooftop antennas at 1155 Downstreet; staff will send Section 106 letter
Summary
The Manchester commission, acting as a consulting party under the certified local government process, agreed the proposed rooftop telecommunication equipment at 1155 Downstreet is unlikely to cause adverse effects to historic properties and instructed staff to send a 'no adverse effect' determination to the state.
At its March meeting the Manchester Historic Preservation Commission reviewed a Section 106 consultation for additional rooftop telecommunication antennas proposed at 1155 Downstreet by EBI Consulting on behalf of Centerline Communications LLC for T-Mobile network capacity upgrades.
A planning/historic-preservation staff member explained the Section 106 process required for federal permits and federally funded activities and said the commission, as a consulting party under the city's certified local government status, had 30 days to provide feedback. Staff described the proposed antennas as roof-top additions less than 10 feet above the building roofline and said the applicant plans to keep most equipment inside the building; the external antennas would be modest in height and, in staff’s view, not visually intrusive from sidewalks and nearby vantage points.
Staff recommendation and commission response The staff member recommended a determination of "no adverse effect" on historic properties and said the state's review would follow that determination with any required mitigation. The commission opened the proposal to public comment; no public speakers appeared. Commissioners indicated no objection and staff said they would draft and send the formal letter to the state documenting the commission's determination.
Context and technical notes Staff explained that modern telecom deployments increasingly add rooftop antennas to increase network capacity rather than only coverage, and that some rooftop facilities are disguised or color-matched to building finishes when feasible. The proposed antennas sit near the southeast corner of the roof and are about eight feet higher than the rooftop parapet, according to staff's description.
Action taken The commission agreed to send a "no adverse effect" determination letter for the Section 106 review to the state's historic preservation office and the applicant; staff will prepare the letter and file it within the Section 106 review timeline.
