Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Property topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Property owner alerts Select Board to abandoned communications tower, ownership unclear
Summary
A Tamworth resident said an aging communications tower on his Cleveland Hill Road parcel is unmaintained and that multiple successor companies are disclaiming ownership; he asked the Select Board for guidance and the board said staff would follow up.
Norman Clutier, a property owner on Cleveland Hill Road, told the Select Board he and his wife have an abandoned communications tower on their parcel and that no party is claiming ownership.
Clutier said the tower was erected roughly 12–14 years ago by Tamworth Wireless with funding from the Tamworth Foundation and was sited on his property to extend wireless coverage beyond the hill. He said Tamworth Wireless’s assets were later transferred to a successor (Hub 66 as he understands it), and that Hub 66 and a company he referred to as Grasshopper — and other successor entities — are now disclaiming ownership. Clutier said the tower has not been maintained for many years; it includes a small solar array, warning signs, and is overgrown.
Clutier told the board he has been taxed for the tower as part of his property, and that historically the original operator reimbursed the tax before that arrangement ended. He said he would like the tower removed and the land restored to its prior current-use status so he can sell or manage the parcel as intended.
A Select Board member suggested checking a memorandum of understanding signed July 25, 2020 between the town and parties identified as Tamworth Wireless and Grasshopper, which might contain ownership or management details. Town staff agreed to investigate and follow up. Clutier said he did not wish to immediately pursue legal action and asked the board for any suggestions the town might offer.
Why it matters: the structure sits on private property, the owner is being taxed for it and there are potential safety, liability and property-use implications if the structure remains unmaintained and ownership is unclear. Town staff said they would look into records and notify the property owner of any findings.
