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Dobbs Ferry keeps Verizon cable franchise public hearing open while seeking answers on wireless coverage and downtown aesthetics
Summary
Trustees voted to continue the Verizon cable franchise public hearing to Jan. 27 while staff pursues further information from Verizon on wireless small cells, potential tower locations, and overhead wire cleanup including double‑pole remediation and PEG fund use.
The Dobbs Ferry Board of Trustees voted Jan. 13 to adjourn the public hearing on the Verizon cable franchise renewal to the board's Jan. 27 meeting while discussions continue with Verizon and its affiliated wireless business.
During the continuation, trustees and staff described two strands of Verizon's wireless plan: a full tower (requiring a lease and significant height) or deploying multiple smaller "suitcase" cell sites in the downtown core. Staff warned that many small cell installations include ground‑level cabinets and that communities sometimes end up with several cabinets along the street. Trustee concerns focused on downtown aesthetics, double poles and extraneous wiring, and whether Verizon has met its obligations under previous franchise discussions.
An administrator noted Verizon had proposed placing equipment on rooftops and in a back parking lot but had deemed Village Hall structurally unsuitable for a tower. Trustees said they have been connected to Verizon wireless representatives and that Verizon has indicated it will send a technical team to survey possible installations. "They have towers already on their property for AT&T and a tower antenna. And so once they're done moving theirs around, they'll know whether they have the space for Verizon," a trustee said during the discussion.
Trustees directed staff to follow up with Verizon and to ask for visual examples of potential small‑cell installations and cabinet footprints; they also asked staff to check the village's options for local enforcement around double poles and wire cleanup. The board will revisit the franchise on Jan. 27 after receiving additional information and coordination updates with the vendor and the townwide consortium working on cable franchises.
