Planning board approves permanent American Tower site near Comstock Road

The Tanner and Martha Smithfield Planning Board voted unanimously Jan. 9 to grant dimensional variances, a special-use permit and development plan review that clear the way for American Tower to build a permanent wireless monopole on town property near Comstock Road.

The approvals let American Tower relocate carrier antennas from two municipal water tanks to a new 50-by-50-foot fenced compound about 290 feet northeast of the temporary site. The board’s vote included stipulated conditions from planning staff and will allow the company to remove the temporary facility once the new site is operating.

Board members and the applicant emphasized that the proposed monopole is shorter than the temporary structure and that the company submitted reports on coverage and safety. Edward Parry, attorney for American Tower, said the permanent tower will be 40 feet tall (the temporary tower was 46 feet) and sited roughly 331 feet from the condominium property line near Comstock; the leased compound is 50 by 50 feet and will use the existing access drive from Comstock. Parry also said the company provided a fall‑zone letter and will underground utilities and remove the temporary installation after the permanent site is operational.

Why it matters: the move is intended to consolidate antennas off the town’s water tanks and provide continued wireless coverage for the carriers that currently use the temporary facility. The board approved three separate but related actions — a dimensional variance (setback reductions), a special-use permit and development plan review — that together authorize the project under local zoning when implemented with the planning office stipulations.

American Tower said its submission included an appraisal by Valentine Appraisers addressing property-value effects. Parry told the board the appraisal concluded “there’s no data to support [a] negative impact on property values” and said the company located the site to minimize visibility for nearby residences. Keith Valente, a radio-frequency engineer with C Squared Systems who prepared the coverage maps, said the proposed configuration is intended to provide both 4G LTE and 5G service for the three carriers currently on the water tank (AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile); if Dish Wireless locates on the new tower later, its equipment and service choices would be the carrier’s decision.

Residents raised questions during the public hearing about whether the site will support 5G, whether radio-frequency emissions are safe, and whether antenna orientation could cause dropped calls. Franklin Bado, a Laurelwood condominium resident, asked whether the facility will deliver 5G and about radiation levels; Parry stated the installation complies with Federal Communications Commission limits and said the carriers on the site represent roughly a quarter of the allowable exposure. Valente said the three current carriers’ cumulative emissions are reported in the application packet (engineer-stated cumulative figure: 21.26%), and that any additional carrier would add incrementally but must remain below FCC limits.

Board members questioned access, foundation depth and tax treatment. Parry said most of the access drive is already paved, with minimal grading expected where the compound will tie into the drive. He said a foundation design has not yet been finalized and that the tower’s footing will be designed to meet building-code requirements at the time of building-permit review. On tax questions, Parry said he was not certain whether the town taxes this equipment but that many jurisdictions tax tower equipment; the planning office said it would follow up.

The planning board took three formal votes on the application. The roll-call votes recorded unanimous approval by the five voting members present: Dr. Benoit, Dr. Roberts, Mr. Porter, Ms. Ramos and the chair. The board’s approvals are conditioned on the planning office stipulations included in the development plan and special-use permit (planning office recommended conditions 1–6 for the special-use permit; development plan review approved with the listed stipulations). Once the new site is constructed and operating, American Tower will remove the temporary installation on the water tanks.

The approvals do not change federal regulatory requirements; carriers must remain within FCC exposure limits and obtain applicable building permits. The board and staff noted that additional minor adjustments — for example, adding a small cabinet for a future carrier or slightly enlarging the compound — would require further permitting or review.