Tall Requests Postponed

Attorney Ed Angley arrived at the Zoning Board meeting in Town Hall Wednesday night without his customary tie and jacket. He stayed only long enough to put off the two projects whose proponents he represents.

He gave the board a brief letter regarding the cell phone tower proposed for the Center Hill section of Cedarville.

"On behalf of Industrial Tower and Wireless, we request the above referenced matter be withdrawn without prejudice," the letter said. "We are withdrawing in order to discuss the matter with various neighbors in an attempt to find some areas of agreement."

Many residents of Center Hill Road object to the proposed tower. It would stand across the street from the Center Hill Preserve.

State law favors the erection of cell phone towers. Opponents have few grounds for objection. Industrial Tower and Wireless, of Marshfield, owns several towers in town.

"We're looking at other sites," Angley told the board. "We're running new studies to see if we can make it a lower tower."

"The law is generally on the side of the applicant," Angley said later. "But, they want to work with the neighborhood as much as possible. Someone objected to the lattice work tower. They suggested making it a monopole. We don't know if we can, so we're running new studies."

The second letter asked for a continuance of the public hearing on construction of a wind turbine at Colony Place. It would have a potential fall zone onto the Route 44 interchange.

"We have heard from Federal Highway District 5 Highway Director that there is nothing in Federal highway Regulations concerning wind turbines," the letter said. "We just need a little more time to get this resolved. If I did not think it would be resolved, I would not ask for a continuance."

What Angley needs resolved is the question of which government agency has jurisdiction over wind turbines next to highways.

The Zoning Board assented to both requests and rescheduled the wind turbine hearing to April 20.

The board heard two other matters and approved both requests.

The board granted a special permit to allow the owners of the house at 32 Emerson Road in Priscilla Beach to demolish and replace it.

Owners of the house at 32 Nameloc Road in Cedarville moved it away from the eroding sand cliff in the back yard five years ago. It has stood on blocks since then. The board approved a plan to place the house back on a foundation closer to the road and protected from erosion by extending a seawall 125 feet. The owners also need the approval of the Conservation Commission for the sea wall. They meet with that board Tuesday night.