SBA/consultant seeks approval for 130‑foot ‘monopine’ at Gardner Walmart; ZBA schedules site visit and continues case

Representatives for SBA Communications and its consultant Kimley Horn proposed a 130‑foot monopine cell tower at the Walmart property on Timpani Boulevard at a Gardner City Zoning Board of Appeals hearing April 22, saying the site would improve coverage and provide space for multiple carriers.

Shahzad Mahmood, who said he works with Kimley Horn, told the board the proposed site meets state, local, FCC and FAA requirements, described a 45‑by‑50‑foot compound for ground equipment and said the design includes camouflage and landscaping to limit visual impact. “The site meets all FCC requirements as well as FAA requirements,” Mahmood said. He also cited the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ("section 704"), stating that federal law “prohibits denial based off of RF emissions” where a facility complies with FCC regulations.

Board members pressed on location alternatives, utilities and easements that constrained rear‑lot options, and on the fall‑zone interpretation in the zoning code. A board member asked, “I’m still wrestling with why you can’t put that more towards the rear of the property,” expressing concern about a tall structure rising above neighboring tree lines. Mahmood said the applicant evaluated multiple locations and found utilities and easements prevented a rear placement and that engineering letters from the tower manufacturer describe a breakpoint design intended to limit a structural fall radius.

Members also discussed how any fall zone would intersect a Walmart parking area and whether the board could or should require marking or parking restrictions in that zone. Mahmood said his interpretation of the ordinance is that required fall‑zone distances are measured to property lines and that signed and sealed engineering documentation shows the tower would fall within the compound rather than into adjoining properties.

The board asked for a site visit to mark the proposed base and a 130‑foot radius on the ground so members can see where any fall‑zone boundary would lie relative to parking. The applicant said he needed time to get a surveyor and agreed to a site visit three weeks out; the board set the visit for May 9 at 10:00 a.m. and then voted to continue the case to the May meeting to allow marking and follow‑up with the building commissioner.

An AT&T‑contracted representative, Chris Dwight, spoke in support of the proposal and said collocation on a single tower would help address the coverage gaps shown on the applicant’s maps. The applicant emphasized the site is designed to allow multiple carriers to colocate, reducing the need for additional local towers.

The board did not take a final vote and continued the application so members can conduct the site visit and review certified engineering letters and any fall‑zone documentation.