BZA approves DISH Wireless rooftop canisters at 1 Brattle Square with reporting and safety conditions

The Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals on Jan. 9 granted DISH Wireless a special permit to install two cylindrical, camouflaged antenna canisters and associated equipment at 1 Brattle Square, near Harvard Square.

DISH’s representative, Keenan Bridal, told the board the plan places two 36-inch-diameter canisters—each about 10 feet tall—on the building’s roof and an equipment shelter that will be invisible from street level. "We got a positive recommendation" from the Harvard Square Advisory Committee, Bridal said, and noted the Planning Board’s neutral stance. RF engineer Elijah Ruto said the company explored alternative designs but faced technical limits: the proposed installation must keep roughly 40 feet of horizontal separation from an existing T‑Mobile installation on the same lower-frequency band to avoid interference, and roofline setbacks mean the antennas must be raised to clear obstructions.

City staff had recommended further study of lower-profile alternatives and listed examples including co-locating on penthouse façades or lowering chimneys. In response, Ruto said the team evaluated lower placements and shorter chimneys but that roof geometry and required setbacks would block signals or force even taller installations: "If we do that, then part of that signal will be blocked by the roof," he said.

Before voting, the board played its required findings recording that enumerates the conditions for approving a special permit. Those conditions—read into the record as part of the motion—include: work must follow the plans and photo simulations initialed by the chair; the petitioner must maintain the installation so its appearance remains consistent with the simulations; removal is required if the equipment is unused for six continuous months; and the petitioner must file with the Inspectional Services Department any federal reports regarding electromagnetic emissions within 10 business days of filing with federal authorities. The recording also stated the special permit would terminate automatically if the petitioner’s federal licenses were suspended, revoked, or terminated.

The board then took a roll-call voice vote. Virginia Keesler, Steven Ng, Daniel (as recorded), Thomas Miller and Chair Jim Monteverdi voted in favor; the relief was granted unanimously by the five-member panel present for the case.

The board’s conditions are procedural and technical: they require conformance to the submitted photo simulations, ongoing maintenance to preserve that visual profile, submission of federal emission reports to local staff, and a sworn affidavit within 10 business days after receipt of a building permit attesting that the installation will comply with federal safety rules and provide protections for nearby occupants. The affidavit requirement was read into the findings as part of the motion.

Next steps: the petitioner may proceed to request a building permit. Under the special-permit conditions, failure to file required federal reports with the Inspectional Services Department would cause the permit to terminate automatically.