GRANVILLE — The Granville selectboard is seeking public comment on a proposed 100-foot cell tower that AT&T seeks to raise off Butz Road in Lower Granville.
The board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 10, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Granville town clerk’s office. The selectboard would like to hear from residents, renters, businesses and second homeowners in Granville and the surrounding areas. A notice of the meeting said it is an opportunity for people to ask questions or make comments to an AT&T representative regarding the proposed wireless communications tower.
The proposed tower would be screened naturally with the current trees and undergrowth and if necessary other natural plantings as required by ACT 250 and Department of Public Service permits.
Those who would like to see photos from the Oct. 19 balloon test — in which a big balloon was floated above the site to provide some reference for how the tower would look — can do so at the town offices or at the Granville Post Office.
Scott Sargeant, the property owner of the land for the proposed site, said that to his knowledge everyone in town is all for it. Not only would it provide a huge improvement to cell service, but could be a boon for Internet access, as well, Sargeant said.
“The tower will be sited on a ridge where a seasonal camp is currently located overlooking the valley so service will be improved from non-existent to almost everywhere except for in the Granville Gulf Reservation,” Sargeant wrote in an email to the Independent. “We are also hoping to get information on AT&T Connection Cards for wireless Internet service, which will help with the slow dial-up problem we have.”
After Wednesday’s hearing, the next step is for the selectboard to sign the letter of “Public Good.” If state regulators also sign off on the project, construction could start as soon as January.