CHESTERFIELD — With substantial public interest in the potential installation of a cell phone tower in town, and additional questions being addressed by AT&T, the Chesterfield Planning Board has once again continued its public hearing on the proposed monopole until Oct. 7.
On Tuesday, a meeting room at the Town Office building was crowded with people as the Planning Board heard input from the public and accepted additional information from AT&T regarding a special permit and site plan approval for a 130-foot monopole proposed for Ireland Street Extension.
Representing AT&T, Edward D. Pare Jr. of Brown Rudnick law firm in Providence, Rhode Island said that the pole would allow AT&T to provide cell phone service to areas along Route 112 where he says there is currently a gap in service.
Several residents in Chesterfield and nearby Worthington have expressed concerns about the potential loss of property value, the impact on the natural surroundings and also called into question the diligence with which AT&T conducted their research on the area.
Others have expressed support for the plan saying that the improved service is necessary for public safety and to boost the reliability of their individual cell phone service.
According to the proposal, the monopole would be situated on a 100 feet by 100 feet equipment pad, together with a walk-in electrical equipment cabinet and a backup generator. The facility would be surrounded by a chain-link fence and located on a 75-acre parcel belonging to Kim and Paul Sarafin.
“There is so much information being submitted that, of course, you don’t want to close the hearing until everyone has had the opportunity to comment,” Planning Board member Judy Terry said.
In 2011, the Planning Board approved an almost identical AT&T proposal for a monopole at this location, but the project never came to fruition. Pare has said that rising demand for improved cell service, and fulfilling an FCC mandate to provide improvements to wireless 911 services, motivated the company to revisit the plan.
The original hearing took place on Aug. 5 and was continued until Sept 3.
Terry said that no decision on the proposal will be made until after the period for public comment has closed.
“Right now we are putting all of the documentation together so we can put it into some semblance of order before we close the hearing,” Terry said. “Once the hearing is closed, then we will be able to discuss this as a board.”
The continuation of the hearing will be on Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Davenport Town Office Building at 422 Main Road.