Millis planning board approves Verizon colocation at 1073 Main Street with one dissent

The Town of Millis Planning Board voted to approve a modification to an existing telecommunications facility at 1073 Main Street on June 10, granting Verizon permission to colocate antennas on a Crown Castle monopole after a public hearing.

At the public hearing, Dominika Tavishore, a Crown Castle representative, told the board that Verizon proposes to mount antennas at the 104-foot level of an existing 151-foot monopole and to install ancillary ground equipment within the current leased compound. "Verizon is seeking to colocate at the 104 foot level of the existing 151 foot telecommunications monopole tower located at 1073 Main Street," Tavishore said, adding that the carrier would place antennas and supporting radio equipment on a new platform mount and install a 12-by-20-foot concrete pad for equipment cabinets and a 50-kilowatt diesel generator.

The application materials on file include construction drawings, a structural analysis that the applicant said showed 53% capacity remaining, and an emissions analysis reported at 6.88% of the applicable guideline for general-population exposure. Tavishore characterized the request as covered by the FCC-eligible facilities process and said the application does not propose a change to tower height or compound size.

Consulting engineer Mike Carter of GCG Associates told the board the firm had submitted comments and that the applicant had addressed them in a letter submitted the day before the meeting. "They had addressed our comments in a letter from yesterday. So everything's been addressed," Carter said.

Board members and members of the public asked questions about the proposed 50-kilowatt diesel generator and about site screening next to an adjacent cemetery. Tavishore said each carrier typically installs its own backup generator and confirmed the unit would be a backup to operate if there were a power failure. The board heard from an audience member who noted concerns about fencing and shading adjacent to the cemetery, and a Planning Board member said the town’s ability to require additional landscaping or fencing is limited when an eligible facilities request is properly documented.

After closing the public hearing, the board voted to approve the modification. The chair announced the decision would be prepared and filed with the town clerk within two weeks, and the applicant would receive an electronic copy.

The application notice on file in the Town of Millis clerk’s office identified the applicant as Crown Castle USA, Inc., with Verizon as the colocation carrier.