Revere ZBA grants variance for 145-foot radio tower at new McKinley 911 center

The Revere Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to grant the city of Revere a height variance to allow construction of a 145-foot radio tower at 65 Human Street for the new McKinley School rebuild and regional 911 call center.

Tom Skrovsky, Revere chief of planning and community development, told the board the variance request covers the tower’s height and setback requirements and that the city is simultaneously conducting a microwave-path analysis and peer review to determine whether the tower’s height can be reduced without compromising public-safety communications. "We are doing everything we could we can to see if that height could be lowered," Skrovsky said.

The tower is part of a regional emergency communications plan to serve Revere and neighboring communities. Paul Agenzio, Ward 4 city councilor, said he supports the McKinley project but that the 145-foot height surprised residents when it emerged late in the design process. "I was a little bit disappointed that the 145-foot tower came to light just at the end of this project. It caught me and it caught the residents," Agenzio said, and added he had received calls from early-childhood teachers concerned about radio waves and student safety.

Skrovsky and public-safety staff told the board the tower is intended to provide redundancy so first responders and call-takers do not rely on a single communications system during major incidents. A city spokesman referenced recent national events as a reminder of communications risks; Skrovsky said the system is designed to support emergency response for events ranging from mass-casualty incidents to extreme storms and earthquakes and to serve Revere, Chelsea and Winthrop.

Chairman Tucker called the roll for the motion to grant the variance. The board recorded the following votes: Mister Lemina, yes; Mister Lopes, yes; Mister O'Brien, yes; Mister Pelton, yes; Chairman Tucker, yes. The chair announced the variance granted.

The city told the ZBA it will return to the City Council later in the McKinley project process for bond-issuance approval required to complete the rebuild. The peer review and microwave-path analysis will inform whether the tower’s final height can be lowered before construction.