Cell Phone Tower Study Shows Montgomery Pinetum Location May Be Optimal

An independent consultant reviewing options of where to best place a cell phone tower to improve T-Mobile service in the North Mianus, Cos Cob and Riverside areas of town shows the town-owned Montgomery Pinetum may be the best location.

In explaining the report during a two-plus hour presentation at Thursday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, David Maxson, CEO of the Medford, MA –based Isotrope LLC , said installation of a 160-foot tall tower at the pinetum at 129 Bible St. would provide better service to sections west, east and north of site  and along the Mianus River area.

The town commissioned the study – which cost about $8,000 – after T-Mobile’s proposal to erect an 80-foot tower at 328 Palmer Hill Road, near the North Mianus School, was deemed unsuitable by the Planning and Zoning Commission, First Selectman Peter Tesei said. “This is the start of seeing what our options are,” Tesei added.

Maxson estimated that the number of residences served by a tower installed at 129 Bible St. would be double that served by a tower on Palmer Hill Road. He also said the reach of signals from a tower in the pinetum probably will reduce the need to install secondary towers in the other areas of town to improve service overall. Representatives from T-Mobile did not attend the meeting which drew about two dozen residents, some of whom said they did not experience cell phone service issues in the neighborhood.

Adding taller towers to the rooftop equipment already installed at the headquarters of the Greenwich Emergency Medical Service at 1111 E. Putnam Ave. in Riverside would not be tall enough to transmit signals over a nearby rock ledge, according to Maxson. He also said other sites investigated by his firm including St. Catherine of Siena Church in Riverside, the Aquarion water company water tower on Valley Road and the E. Gaynor Brennan golf course just across the border in Stamford, did not offer the advantages of the pinetum site.

Maxson said that it is optimal to install towers in developed or "disturbed areas." He said that the town-owned property which is home to the Garden Education Center and its greenhouses, as well as a town parks garage and shed, "would have less impact ... if using municipal property and the town could make a little revenue (in rent form T-mobile) and they would be using non-residential land that is already disturbed."