Planning board hears pre-application for 160-foot monopole at One Cook Road; signals peer review when application is filed

Fran Paresi, an attorney for Atlantic Tower LLC, told the Planning Board on March 5 that his company plans to file for a special permit for a 160-foot wireless telecommunications monopole at One Cook Road in Southampton.

Paresi said the proposed facility would sit about 1,000 feet back from Cook Road on a large, already-cleared portion of the property that he described as a horse farm. He told the board the project would use the existing access driveway, extend utility service underground to the tower site and require minimal tree clearing — “three or four at most,” he said. Paresi also said the applicant will request waivers under the town zoning bylaw, including for the tower height, and expects to file application materials before the end of the month with a goal of appearing on an April or May agenda.

The board pressed Paresi on visual impact and proximity to nearby transmission infrastructure. When asked whether the tower would sit near high-tension power lines, Paresi replied that it is “right next to it” and that the power company has handled similar siting in past projects. He said the team will conduct a visibility demonstration — including a balloon test and photo simulations — and provide those materials to the town and abutters to show where the structure will and will not be visible.

Paresi also told the board that siting a wireless facility triggers federal reviews that address environmental and historic-resource impacts. “There’s a very independent and extensive federal environmental review that we do to make sure that we have no environmental impact,” he said, listing reviews for endangered species, migratory birds and historic resources. He said the town can and should request the federal documentation as part of its local permitting file.

Richard Harris, the board’s consultant, urged the Planning Board to plan for an independent peer review of the application’s technical elements, noting that only a few firms perform radio-frequency and fall-setback peer reviews and that soliciting and scheduling a reviewer can add weeks to the process. Harris said past peer reviews have helped both towns and applicants by clarifying technical needs and demonstrating where towers were required or could be sited to meet setback rules.

Board members agreed they wanted to have a peer reviewer lined up and took an informal, non-binding voice vote that expressed support for seeking a peer review when a formal application is filed. The motion was made by Jim and seconded by Paul; members who voiced support during the roll call included Jim, Paul and Mark. The board characterized the decision as guidance to facilitate timely procurement once the application is submitted rather than as a formal permit condition.

What’s next: Paresi said he will assemble and file application materials, including technical RF data and visibility simulations. The board’s staff will work to identify potential peer reviewers and solicit interest so pricing and availability can be known when the application arrives.

(Reporting note: Atlantic Tower was described in the meeting as an affiliate of Vertex Tower; the applicant used the name Fran Paresi in introducing himself.)