Applicant says tower site moved to avoid protected zone; residents worry about wetlands and rare plants

Louie Hodges, senior project engineer with Du Bois and Kean Engineering, told attendees the tower’s center was sited to stay within the conserve zoning district after initial feedback identified rare, threatened or endangered plant populations near the original proposal. Hodges said the team conducted wetland delineation and consulted the state botanist, and that Agency of Natural Resources review would continue when a formal application is filed.

“Where we had originally proposed the tower, it had encroached within the protection district… After some feedback from the town and some neighbors, we adjusted the location of the tower to be fully within the conserve zone,” Hodges said. He added the proposed compound maintains an engineered buffer to nearby wetlands and that the nearest point to a local wetland buffer is approximately 100 feet, with a 300‑foot buffer applying to the state’s class‑1 wetland complex.

Several residents and environmental speakers urged the applicant to expand visibility simulations and to demonstrate the balloon test from more vantage points, including views from the valley channel and from cemetery grounds. Ed Smith (Vermonters for a Clean Environment) asked for greater sensitivity to scenic resources and said tourism studies show unspoiled landscapes are a central reason visitors come to Vermont.

The Department of Public Service and company representatives repeatedly noted the PUC and Agency of Natural Resources will review environmental filings as part of the Section 248a process; local bodies can submit recommendations and file to intervene if they wish to play a formal role in the proceeding.