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Home My WebLink AboutMiscellaneous - 122 FOSTER STREET 12/14/2017 otrope WIRELESS Thinking outside the sphere Prosp��-�� n�� n�� ects v�^� ��v��_�°� �� v� ~° Foster Street u�^� �� U� �� ~�� nL�� December 14, 2017 At the December 5, 2017 Planning Board hearing on the application for special permit to place a wireless facility and tower at122Foster Street, applicant Varsity Wireless hypothesized that the parcel at 409 Foster Street, North Andover would be difficult to develop because of wetlands, rivers, unanticipated visual impacts, and owner willingness to a||om/ a cell tower near utility infrastructure. |so1rope review/ed town GIS information for mapped wetland locations. This provides insight on places to avoid, but a full wetland survey is necessary to verify wetland locations. (This would be true ofany alternative|ucadom.) |yotrope searched for potentially developable spots that would put the facility ata distance greater than the height ofatower from utility lines,poles and substation.This could address the utility's concern about atower failure affecting critical utility infrastructure.The applicant agreed tocontact the utility tosee what the utility's requirements for protection are. In summary,subject to availability,there are locations on the substation parcel that could satisfy numerous dimensional and aesthetic criteria ofthe zoning bylaw,the stated coverage objectives of the 122 Foster Street applicant's tenants, and a need to keep a tower am/ay from utility infrastructure. In the following images,the first image has town-mapped wetlands and watercourses overlaid on the parcel. The applicant suggests that the Massachusetts Rivers Protection Act 200'fuot "Riverfront Area"applies to the watercourses on the property.This needs to be verified,(Excerpts of the Rivers Protection Act are appended to this memorandum.) It seems likely that Mosquito Brook, which follows the southerly property line, would be subject tothis regulation. Aye||ow/ approximation of the 200-foot Riverfront Area is marked on the second image below. it seems unlikely that other drainage paths from |om|atad wetland areas are year-round continuously flowing bodies ofwater,which places them outside the Rivers Protection Act. Two locations are used as hypothetical spots for awireless facility.They are described below. wvvm/.ixmtrope.im |so¢m»pe, LLC" 5O3 Main Street~ Medfield, MA^O2052 5083598833 i nationalgrid Christopher M. P"arella Sr. Real Estate Representative Real Estate Energy Delivery Support c''hris.parella@nationalgrid.com December 12, 2017 r. Brian Orlandi Varsity Wireless One New Hampshire Avenue, Ste. 125 x I Portsmouth NH 03801 l RE. New England Power Company Fee-Owned Parcels (104.113-0028 & 104,8-0029) Foster Street- North Andover, MA J i Dear Mr. Orlandi, I am in receipt of your recent email, exploring what opportunities may exist for Varsity Wireless to use a portion of the above-captioned New England Power Company, alta National Grid ("NEP") property for the development of a new wireless communications facility. While I certainly understand the attraction to "partnering" with NEP in areas where the development of a new wireless communications facility might otherwise prove difficult, unfortunately I must report that with little exception, NEP does not entertain proposals to lease or license its fee-owned property for commercial purposes. (On occasion, we have been known to allow certain municipal or civic-themed uses, but even then, such activities would not be permitted on NEP substation properties—as is the case here on Foster Street, in North Andover). Given the often-intense scrutiny placed upon public utilities to maintain their facilities/critical infrastructures amid both State and Federal oversight (think Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) and Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) policies), NEP's primary obligation must be to its core mission. i Thank you for your interest in working with NEP, but at this time, we cannot entertain entering into an agreement with Varsity Wireless for commercial development of our Foster Street assets. 1 Thank you, Sincerely, 1 Christopher M. Parella 40 Sylvan Road - E1. 57 ■ Waltham, MA 02451 ■ 781-907-2272 1 11!212017 Town of North Andover Mail-[North Andover MAI Foster street cell tower(Sent by Marilyn Clawson,Mjclawson5611@gmail.com) No pVERI MP• Valerie Cinserull <vcinseruliniorthandoverma.gov> a�saGhus r�- 1 _..___.. [North Andover MA] Foster street cell tower (Sent by Marilyn Clawson, Mjclawson5511@a gmail,com) 1 message Contact form at North Andover MA <vtsdmailer@vt-s.net> Wed, Nov 1, 2017 at 7:06 PM 1 Re:ply-To�: Mjclawson5611@gmail.com grnail.com To: vcinseruli�@northandoverma.gov r Hello vcinseruli, I Marilyn Clawson (Mjclawson5611 @gmall.com) has sent you a message via your contact form (https://www.northandoverma.gov/userl3913/contact)at North .Andover MA. If you don't want to receive such e-mails, you can change your settings at https://www.northandoverma.gov/user/393/edit. Message: WE URGE A NO VOTE 1 i I i https:llmail.google.com/maillu/0/?ui=2&ik=Ba101 eccl5&jsver=ZOgYGgvFjfY.en.&view=pt&search=inbox&th=15f79d668814322c&simi=l 5E7gd6688143... 111 Pam Rivet 67 Foster St. N. Andover, MA October 25, 2017 North Andover Zoning Board of Appeals 120 Main St. N. Andover, MA 01845 Attention: Ellen P. McIntyre Re: Proposed Cell Tower at 122 Foster St. Dear Ms. McIntyre, I am a resident at 67 Foster St. 1 learned about the proposed cell tower at 122 Foster St. just last week. Since my property is -400 ft. from Steve Young's, I was not notified earlier. I attended the Planning Board meeting on October 17, just one hour after I found out about the matter. I was quite upset to learn about this, especially on short notice, where I did not have any time to research. Since then I have done a bit of research and have several points and questions. I would appreciate your consideration prior to the Planning Board meeting on November 7 and Zoning Board meeting on November 14. - Do you know if a public notice has gone out yet as part of the NEPA assessment? have not seen that, but I know that it is required to solicit public comment on impacts to the environment and historic resources. Where the Foster Farm, just across the street from the proposed site, is potentially eligible for listing on the National Register for Historic Places, the State Historic Preservation Officer should be contacted to decide if the proposed tower would impact visually or directly. Based on the criteria for eligibility, believe that Foster Farm would qualify. As written by the Friends of North Andover Trails, "The Fosters farmed there since the 1600s. In 1935, Earl and Bea Foster bought the land and buildings from an aunt, and by the mid-1950s they had 3000 chickens and a herd of over 100 prize-winning Ayrshire cattle, selling milk and breeding stock." The Essex National Heritage Area website also lists the Foster Farm trails right behind the farm house. As you may know, the farm used to send twice-daily milk deliveries out to Glennies Farm on Mass Ave. Additionally, the barn is distinctive because of the bow roof. I am concerned that the tower would diminish the historic nature of this property and the rural,landscape. -Are there specifications in the application that state how many branches there would be on the mono-pine tower? I read in an analysis a warning about making sure that the builder actually executes the tower per the pictures in the application. It seems reasonable that they should be required to provide detailed specifications on what they will build so that the branches would sufficiently cover the antennas and pole. Detailed specifications would avoid surprises and further issues with the community. - Gives Massachusetts landowners an opportunity to reduce property taxes in exchange for providing important public benefits like clean water, wildlife habitat, rural character, wood products, food, and outdoor recreation. - Chapter 61 programs offer a property tax break for landowners willing to commit to keeping some or all of their land undeveloped. -These laws make an important contribution to the quality of life in Massachusetts by helping to control development on productive, scenic and natural lands. - Promotes conservation of agricultural and horticultural lands by providing tax incentives to maintain lands actively devoted to these purposes. ? Would 122 Foster still qualify? Would rollback taxes be required? Does it make sense that the town would have granted this program to this property but then would now approve a cell tower on the site? I am very much against having this cell tower built at this location. There are several alternatives that have been listed in the application that would be much less intrusive from the surroundings, and therefore have less impact on the community. Additionally, if a tower was built on town property, the town could benefit from the land rent. A tower in a neighboring town was to be leased for $27,000/year plus 25% of carrier rent. This could pay for half a teacher! I know that there are cell towers in town, but interesting that I.really don't know where they are since they are tucked away appropriately. Everyone who lives out Foster St. or even just frequents occasionally, would see this tower straight ahead as they drive along in front of my house, and also from the road directly by the tower. If a tower is built at 122 Foster St., I request that it could be built in a location far from the road and not requiring the setback and fall zone variances, as well as at a height that meets the Bylaw criteria. In addition, very clear specifications should be provided on how the tower would be built in terms of amount of branch cover, as well as shielding ground equipment with more than a chain-link fence. Thank you for your time and consideration. Pam Rivet 67 Foster St. Dear Zoning Board of Appeals members. My name is Megan Amtran. My three children, husband .fared and I live at 242 Foster St. I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed cell tower under consideration at 122 Foster Street. I appreciate the opportunity to speak directly to you in the form of this letter to let you know the impact this will have on our lives. First and foremost, I am concerned about the health of my children and the neighborhood children with this tower being just a few hundred feet away. Research indicates health risks remain unanswered. The international recommendation is that towers not be place within 1500 feet of schools and homes with children. I am just about 1000 feet away. Admittedly, this is a very personal issue for my family as we had a cancer death of an immediate family member directly attributed to environmental concerns. My two year old niece died in 2007 from leukemia. A few months after her death, my brother, quite literally, got a knock on his door from the EPA. They were there to tell him his land was contaminated with Benzene. Imagine how devastating that news was. if they had known, they could've taken action. With that as a backdrop, environmental concerns were our number one focus when purchasing this home, as my real estate agent https://mail.google.com/mall/u/0/?ui=2&ik=8al Olecal 5&jsver=Kkobh6whZGg.en.&view=pt&searoh=inbox&type=15f495283aa l bc93&th=15f53e7427f1... 1/3 10/25/2017,, Town of North Andover Maif-Fwd:Cell Tower at 122 Foster Street will attest. We purposely chose a location surrounded by conservation land. We searched high and low for a home we would feel safe in. I did research. I called the power company about the power lines 0.5 miles away. I read scientific studies about emissions from power lines. I researched cancer clusters. We investigated past use of the land to determine our risk. We felt like we were able to answer all of our concerns and proceeded to purchase the home. We thought we would be protected from any environmental concern. To now have to consider electromagnetic radiation in our direct vicinity is very concerning. Secondly, this tower will be visible from my home year-round. The balloon study conducted even includes pictures from two locations around my home (242 Foster and 11 Bridges). From the front and from the back. Since I face Foster Farm, the 242 picture got rated not visible. This is absolutely untrue. I invite you to come to my house and look out my windows A picture was also taken from 11 Bridges.. This is my backyard. This was rated with year-round visibility. Imagine looking at this every day from your home. My third concern is the beautiful and historic land that surrounds us. This proposed tower will be surrounded by conservation land. Essex County Greenbelt Association land behind, and Town land in front and to the side. In addition the land itself is 61A zoned land. All of these factors tell me, I am not the only one who feels this area is special and the land is worth protecting. Recreational users of the land will be faced with this eye-sore also while trying to enjoy the natural setting. The town's children will be exposed to it while playing in the fields. And while there are no plans, the land is earmarked for a future school. The land has not converted to conservation land, so that is a very real possibility in the future if our town continues its grow as it has. What if Amazon actually comes to our area. A new school certainly would be needed. Will we expose our town's children to the tower when it falls within 1500 ft? Lastly, if this tower is erected, we, and my fellow neighbors can expect a 10-20% property value drop. I would expect with lower valuation comes lower tax base. That will negatively impact the town as well. There may be a need for broader cell coverage in the area. But the impact to the people, and the environment is far too great for the proposed location I propose the town works with the tower company to find a better location. A location that is more obscured. I have been pouring over the GIS maps available on the assessor's site. There is plenty town owned land in the area of coverage. Some of it with higher elevation than 122 Foster street. In fact, the Town owns land around the power lines. The elevation is 198 ft (per elevationmap.net) vs. 153 ft on Foster street. My neighbor spoke at the Oct 17th meeting that she use to work for American Tower. She testified that for each carrier placed in a tower, the landowner can expect $2000 in rent per month. If this potential 5 carrier tower is approved, that is $120,000 a year. Why should just one landowner benefit, when the whole town could benefit? That could be two teachers salaries for the town. Please consider this. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I plan to be present for all applicable meetings. Megan Amuan 242 Foster Street 617-877-9931 Uns:llmall.goonle.com/maillul0l?ui=2&ik=8al Oleml 5R1sver=Kkohh6wh7(,n P/]��aa5�,=n+R.�aarnn_nh a.+,, o-1rfA0r')0Q--14...nvr.+h—,CfFa_'nnl-4