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Verizon proposes 50‑foot small wireless facility at Big Indian Fire Department to fill coverage gaps
Summary
Verizon representative Scott Olsen presented plans for a 46–50 foot wooden utility pole with an antenna to improve Verizon 700 MHz coverage along Route 28 near Big Indian, saying the installation complies with FCC standards but will require local variances because small wireless facilities do not accommodate the town's two‑carrier requirement.
Verizon told the Town of Shandaken planning board it plans to install a small wireless facility on the Big Indian Fire Department property off Route 28 to improve Verizon service in a known coverage gap.
"It's a basically, a 50 foot wooden utility pole with an antenna at the top," said Scott Olsen, the Verizon representative, explaining the proposed facility would be low‑power and designed to blend with existing utility poles. Olsen showed coverage maps for the carrier's 700 MHz band and said the site is intended for Verizon alone, not for county emergency radio systems. "This is just for Verizon," he said.
Olsen said the company has filed a detailed application including radio‑frequency exhibits, an environmental assessment and an engineer's certificate attesting to FCC compliance. He told the board the federal definition categorizes the proposal as a "small wireless facility" (no taller than 50 feet). Because the parcel sits in the HB zoning district and the town's code requires two carriers for new cell towers, Olsen said the company will seek a use variance and area variances and has also applied for a special use permit to avoid procedural delay.
Board members pressed for technical and siting details, including whether the installation would support county emergency communications; staff and Olsen replied it would not. The board asked Verizon to provide colored RF exhibits and a site selection representative at a subsequent meeting to explain why this municipal or quasi‑municipal location was selected. The board also asked for confirmation of lease arrangements with the fire company and for larger printed maps for review.
Next steps: Verizon will supply clearer color exhibits and a site‑acquisition speaker at a future meeting; variances and a special use permit will be pursued with the town's ZBA and the planning board as needed.
