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Mariner Tower advises study of cellular site options; town open to leasing public‑safety tower space
Summary
A Mariner Tower representative briefed the Select Board on a study to pinpoint where new cellular towers would best serve Bow. The town confirmed it will consider allowing carriers on the public safety tower if that improves coverage, but no binding lease or site selection was approved.
Louis Vitale of Mariner Tower briefed the Bow Select Board on May 27 about options to expand cellular coverage in town and the next steps for a detailed siting study.
Mariner Tower’s role and study needs
Mariner Tower is a New England‑focused tower developer; Vitale described his firm as a "neutral host" that seeks multi‑carrier installations to limit the number of separate towers. He told the board his firm had done site reviews and a windshield survey within a five‑mile radius of the candidate search rings and that a more detailed study would identify exact search rings, show which existing towers host which carriers and indicate which sites are technically feasible.
Public‑safety tower question
A key question from the telecommunications committee and the board was whether the town would lease space on the existing Public Safety Building tower to a commercial carrier. Vitale said the Public Safety tower currently has capacity for one carrier and that whether that option is viable affects the economics and the location of other candidate sites. "Some towns have a policy that site is for public safety only; other towns lease capacity. The consultant needs to know whether to include the public safety site in the analysis," Vitale said.
Board guidance
Board members agreed to keep options open: the town will consider commercial use of the Public Safety Building tower if an approach by a carrier is made, but the board did not make a binding commitment to a lease during the meeting. The board directed that the telecommunications study proceed with the assumption that the Public Safety site can be evaluated as part of the analysis so the consultant can assess whether including that site makes other candidate sites unnecessary.
What happens next
Mariner Tower and the telecommunications committee will proceed with a more detailed technical analysis that identifies search rings, existing carrier host sites, and the economics of new build vs. collocation. That study will inform any later lease negotiations, zoning steps and planning board applications. No planning board application, lease, or contract was approved at the May 27 meeting.
Ending
The town reiterated its goal of improving coverage for residents and public safety while keeping options open on siting and ownership. The telecommunications committee and Mariner Tower will return with the technical evaluation to support future decisions.
