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Colonie ZBA hears T‑Mobile antenna upgrade request; vote deferred to June 17
Summary
Barclay Damon, on behalf of T‑Mobile Northeast LLC, presented a request to upgrade antennas on a town‑owned tower at 534 Loudon Road. The Zoning Board closed the hearing for lack of a quorum and will vote on the variance at its June 17 meeting; the applicant says the tower height will remain 160 feet.
The Town of Colonie Zoning Board of Appeals on June 3 heard an application from Barclay Damon LLP on behalf of T‑Mobile Northeast LLC to upgrade antennas and related equipment on a town‑owned telecommunications tower at 534 Loudon Road, but the board, lacking a quorum, closed the hearing and said it will take a vote at its June 17 meeting.
Dan Kristy of Barclay Damon, presenting the application, said the work would update antennas, remote radio units and some ground equipment to "improve coverage to the town." He told the board that T‑Mobile has had antennas on the tower since 1997 and that the company’s sixth lease amendment with the town was approved earlier this year. "These are just upgraded equipment and facilities to improve coverage to the town," Kristy said.
Why it matters: The proposal affects a town‑owned tower adjacent to residential neighborhoods and requires a special use permit and variances under the Town of Colonie land‑use code. The board read into the record relevant sections of the town code and noted that the state environmental review regulations classify the request as a Type II action under 6 NYCRR Part 617.5, which the board said requires no further SEQR review.
Board members asked technical questions about placement and engineering. One member asked where on the structure the new antennas would be placed and the overall tower height; Kristy said the tower is 160 feet and that the attachments would be installed at about 153 feet. "We have a passing structural analysis from an engineer that evaluated the weighting and how it's being balanced on the tower," Kristy said when asked about load and support. Mr. Weinreb cautioned the board to confirm that the engineering fully addresses any new weight: "Just to make sure the engineering was done."
The board read an emailed public comment from Brian Griffin of Campus View Drive, who asked how much taller or wider the tower would become and sought clarity on the visual impact for the nearby neighborhood. Kristy responded that the tower height will remain 160 feet, the proposed work might "gain a foot in width" at the attachment elevation, and there would be "no visual change" at ground level; he added that the ground lease area remains the same though new cables and an "ice bridge" will be installed.
Because there was no quorum and no public attendees in person, the board closed the hearing and the record and said it will take a formal vote on the variance at its June 17 meeting when a quorum is expected. The board indicated the applicant does not need to attend the next meeting. A board member stated, "I'll make the recommendation to close this request as submitted," and the chair confirmed the June 17 date.
Next steps: The Zoning Board will consider the variance and special use permit at its next scheduled meeting, June 17, 2026. The town’s building department and staff will continue their review of structural documentation in the interim.
