The New Scotland Zoning Board of Appeals decided to grant two applications regarding cell towers in the town Tuesday, Nov. 27.
The first request came from Michael Cusack on behalf of Cellco Partnership, or Verizon Wireless, for an appeal of the building inspector’s decision regarding a tower special-use permit application.
The ZBA voted 4-to-1 in favor of Cusack, which will allow an existing 95-foot tower to be extended 15 feet to a total height of 110 feet.
The tower is situated on a parcel owned by the village of Voorheesville on Woods Hill Road.
The other application was decided 3-to-2 in favor of the New Scotland Cemetery Association to erect a 150-foot tower located on New Scotland South Road.
ZBA Chairman William Hennessy Jr. said that cell towers will be an issue in all towns due to the nature of their construction and aesthetics.
They have a visual impact, he said. `Different citizens have concerns with them where they live and visit.`
Zoning Board Member Robert Parmenter said he understands that certain town residents are concerned about heights on structures such as cell towers.
`(New Scotland) is a beautiful town, and people are often concerned about any proposed changes,` Parmenter said.
Hennessy said each cell tower application considered faces concerns about being in ‘lay down’ zones, which means if a tower fell, it would cross personal property lines.
Hennessy said tower height issues are something the town is expected to keep an eye on as New Scotland looks into using wind turbines to produce energy.
`They do not fit into our zoning laws, but we are looking into such things,` he said.“