By TOM KANE

DAMASCUS - Over the protest of many residents, the Damascus Township Board by unanimous vote allowed the Princeton Tower Company to erect a cell tower near the hamlet of Lookout.

At a hearing two months ago, representative of the company stated that the town board could not stop it because zoning did not forbid it.

The company requested and got a conditional use permit to erect the tower.

There are, however, several conditions attached, as follows:

• a road must be built at least 16 feet wide to allow access of emergency vehicles.
• a storm water drain plan must be submitted to the board
• a minimum of two pull-offs 50 feet long must be established
• a $30,000 bond must be secured for the tower
• the lease between the property owner and the company must be part of the conditional use.
• an evergreen screen must be erected to hide any buildings.
• a building permit must be sought by every carrier-subscriber.
• a locked gate must be in place with keys to the township for emergency access.

In other township business, the board discussed the possibility of a two-mill increase (or two-tenths of a cent) in the road improvement tax. It took no action on the subject, however.