Glenville Town Board members said it is time to move forward with the installation of a 180-foot communication tower on Church Road following a yearlong discussion during which some residents expressed concerns about neighboring home values and electronic interference.
The board voted in favor of constructing the tower at the Wednesday, May 6, meeting.
Town Supervisor Frank Quinn said the structure will ultimately improve public safety for residents. He said the system currently in place is outdated and that the Church Road tower, which is one of five and the largest, will allow for the completion of the project.
Quinn said the town has put a lot of thought into where to put this tower and it needs to be completed.
We need to finally get this communications system in place. It’s time, said Quinn.
Residents in the Church Road area expressed concerns last month about the tower diminishing the values of their homes and possibly causing interference with electronics. The board had some discussion but concluded the location is optimal for the communications system.
The signal strength on the tower will be less powerful than a cell phone tower, and no type of electronic nuisance is expected for homeowners.
Capital Digitronics was awarded the bid for the project and will begin construction within the next few weeks. Representatives from the company said they believe the work will be done by fall.
Town officials said the new system will be more than 96 percent effective, an increase of more than 70 percent from the system currently in place. The $1.5 million project includes not only the tower, but new radios, dispatch equipment and other various communications improvements.
In other meeting news, the board said the work on Freeman’s Bridge Road that would allow access to Lowe’s still does not have a definite date. The town is waiting for Verizon to work out wiring logistics before a set date can be given. Town administrator Tony Germano said officials know it will be soon, but they are unsure of the exact date.
`It would be unfair to say we know exactly when this work will begin, but Lowe’s is coming and the work should begin soon,` said Germano.
The board also looked at the boundary lines that affect Fire District 4. The area of protection was awarded to the Scotia Fire Department for one year, and now the town is looking at working through the property lines that cut through the Scotia-Glenville Industrial Park. The town is also looking at a portion of the district referred to as `no man’s land.` This area is not covered by any fire department, and Quinn said the town needs to decide whether or not to create a new district for the area.“