The Community Development Board approved the special permit on Tuesday.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Verizon has jumped the first hurdle in its attempt to build a new wireless tower on West Housatonic Street.

 

The company is planning to place a 105-foot wireless tower and a storage shed at property leased at 769 West Housatonic St.

 

Despite concerns about the appearance of the tower, which will be near the road, the Community Development Board approved a special permit for the project on Tuesday.

 

"Visually, from the road, it isn't very appealing," said Community Development Board member Floriana Fitzgerald said.

 

Verizon officials said they will be screening the equipment from public view with the planting of trees. Those trees will start at 6-feet tall and then grow to cover the storage facility and equipment.

 

However, the tower itself can't be screened.

 

"It is a fairly short tower for the industry. When you stick something 100 feet in the air, you can't make it entirely invisible," said Michael Libertine, who is in charge of environmental siting and permitting for All Points Technology, which is consulting on the project.

 

Libertine said the company could consider additional screening or creating berms to raise the trees up higher in the air to immediately cover the structure. 

 

However, that determination will have to be made by the Zoning Board of Appeals.The Community Development Board approved the special permit but members added that they would like the ZBA to consider the visual appearance when rendering a decision there. The ZBA meets on Wednesday night.

 

Other features of the plan include a curb cut being created, which will lead to a cul-de-sac for workers to access the tower. The tower will be secured with an 8-foot security fence, which will be covered by the screening. 

 

"The tower will be designed to support four carriers," said Doug Roberts, an architect with Hudson Design Group. "We propose planting trees around the perimeter."

 

The proposal was already changed somewhat to appease city officials. An original plan located the tower within the 100-year floodplain. The tower was then moved further away from the wetlands.

 

"We revised the plans slightly from what you've seen," said attorney Ellen Freyman, who is representing Verizon. 

 

The move out of a floodplain led to the company being able to lower the platform the tower stands on to 2 1/2 feet. 

 

Community Development Board Chairwoman Sheila Irvin also recommended that the company has a maintenance plan for the screening trees. Libertine said the contractor building the compound will be responsible to replace any trees that do not survive the first few years.

 

Not too far from the proposed tower, U.S. Light Energy is building a solar array at 13-15 Betnr Drive. On Tuesday, Community Development approved an alteration to the special permit for that project, which allows the company to build a 4-foot chain-link fence around the project. Previously the plan was for a mesh fence and the chain link now matches existing decorative fencing, according to Bill Heffernan of U.S. Light Energy.

 

One area of that project won't need a fence because there is already a retaining wall standing 10-feet tall.