CAC, residents say brown paint won’t make tower blend into scenic corridor

Members of the Citizens Advisory Committee and nearby residents urged the planning board to deny the Homeland Towers/Verizon application on the grounds that the proposed brown monopole would not "blend into the surrounding natural environment" as required by the town’s Scenic Corridor overlay.

Walter Williamson of the CAC presented a written memorandum and told the board that the Scenic Corridor law’s unqualified camouflage requirement should be applied. "If you apply the principles outlined by Mr. Lyons and Ms. Garrison, you should deny this application," Williamson said. Several residents echoed the point; Linda G. Campbell, who identified herself as having lived in the town for 62 years, told the board she did not believe the tower would be camouflaged by painting and would stand out from the valley and ridgeline views.

Applicant representatives responded that the design met the code requirements and that the board had reviewed alternative designs; they emphasized that the permit includes monitoring and renewal mechanisms. The board ultimately approved the resolution with conditions designed to preserve options for future enforcement (annual reports, bond for landscaping, five-year renewals), but the CAC’s written memorandum and public comments were entered into the record for possible legal review.

The exchange highlights the tension between the Planning Board’s discretion under the zoning code and the Scenic Corridor overlay’s strict language. The board’s resolution documents the findings of fact and includes specific conditions intended to create an enforceable record.