Attorney flags aesthetic and structural questions after carrier proposes antennas atop village water tower

Village Attorney Kovar updated trustees on negotiations with Verizon and Horizon over a possible lease for antennas on the village water tower. He said the carriers' plans show antennas mounted on top of the ball rather than clustered on the stem, which ‘‘is gonna look a little different’’ and could raise aesthetic concerns.

Kovar said a structural analysis would be required ‘‘no matter what they do up there because we're obviously increasing the wind load.’’ He added that from his wireless-site experience ‘‘I would not anticipate this to be anything that we have to structurally reinforce this water tank,’’ but stressed he had not yet reviewed drawings or a prior structural analysis. He said screening (for example, a fiberglass shroud) could hide antenna panels but could change engineering considerations and would require additional analysis.

Trustees asked whether the carrier or village would pay for screening; Kovar said the village typically requires the carrier to provide screening. Discussion included a desire to minimize visual impact and consider painting and other mitigation to preserve the tower’s appearance.

Why it matters: placement of telecommunications equipment on municipal structures raises structural, aesthetic and procedural questions; the board will need to review proposed drawings, structural analysis and screening plans and to decide whether to require mitigation by the carrier.

Provenance: Kovar’s remarks beginning at 00:36:34 through 00:41:27 capture the carrier proposal details, structural-analysis requirement and screening discussion (topicintro/topicfinish).