Planning board schedules public hearing on 126-foot Blue Sky Towers telecom proposal; applicant must provide agency letters

The board opened consideration of a conditional-use permit for a telecommunication facility proposed by Blue Sky Towers; Nicholas Richardson is listed as the property owner. The chair instructed the applicant to submit a full-size site plan with the owner and the applicant's name on each sheet; several revised sheets dated 04/30/2026 and a submission dated 05/01/2026 were discussed.

"The height of this tower is a 126 feet plus 6 feet lightning rod on top of that," the Chair said while reading the tower specification and setbacks to Gray Road and adjacent lots. The board reviewed carrier-equipment details, structural galvanization and inspection intervals, and discussed a required performance guarantee for removal: the applicant provided an estimated removal cost and a 125% performance bond/guarantee. The Chair reported both a removal estimate and an approval by the select board for a bond amount and that the bond documents were sent to the town attorney for review.

Environmental and public-safety checks remained outstanding. Board members asked for a letter from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (or equivalent confirmation) to demonstrate no impacts to protected resources, and for the fire chief's written statement on site safety items (a Knox box and a fire extinguisher). The applicant and consultant said they were working on NEPA/environmental reviews and would request MDIFW verification. The board voted to schedule a public hearing at the next meeting to present the proposal to the public and to keep the 40-day decision timeline in mind; the hearing can proceed while some outstanding documents are being finalized but the board indicated it would not approve without required agency confirmations.