Cityscape presents wireless master-plan options; asks Shelter Island to vet town-owned sites

Cityscape, a consultant working with North Fork communities on wireless infrastructure, presented a draft wireless master plan at the Town Board's Jan. 13 meeting and walked through the town's existing antenna sites and coverage gaps.

The consultant explained technical differences between macro cell towers and small wireless facilities, noting that by federal definition a "small wireless facility" is generally limited to about 50 feet in height and has a much smaller propagation footprint than a macro site. Cityscape identified three nearby facilities in the Shelter Island inventory (the fire department monopole, a lattice tower at the recycling center and a public-safety tower) and a handful of off-island sites that affect local coverage. The firm presented theoretical propagation maps, address-level coverage modeling and described how seasonal population surges can reduce capacity.

The consultant asked the board to provide a vetted list of town-owned properties that could be candidates for future wireless siting (excluding properties with deed restrictions or historic constraints). Cityscape said that once the town provides a vetted list it could produce scenario maps and a community poll in about 2–3 weeks and then return with final recommendations and draft code changes if needed. The assessor's office had already completed an inventory of town-owned properties and staff will forward the data to the consultant.