Cell tower gets okay

By CHARLIE BUTERBAUGH

NARROWSBURG, NY — With a little help from radio communications engineer David Groth, Rick Lander should be able to attract a cell provider to vend better cell phone reception to Tusten and surrounding townships.

The planning board granted Lander a special use permit to erect a 300-foot communications tower on his Royal Oaks Estates property, roughly 100 feet from his 60-foot tower. Lander said he would continue to provide free space for ambulance communications.

The 300-foot tower will be 36 inches in diameter, and soil studies are being done to determine the best way to set foundations for supporting guide wires, Lander said. Some neighbors came to express concern about visual impact of the tower, though no one expressed complete opposition.

Lander said travelers on Route 97 will be able to see the tower, but he compared it to the presence of telephone poles, which become less noticeable over time.

Sullivan County Legislator and Chairperson of Public Safety Kathy LaBuda voiced support for the project, saying that the enhanced communications will help emergency services personnel save lives.

Regarding quality of reception, Groth said the topography of the region poses some difficulties for steady signals, which are fairly consistent with line of sight, but as the wireless user travels beyond the Narrowsburg tower signal, the Beach Lake or White Lake towers should supply reception.

The board also heard from Ronald Meyer, engineer for Eagle’s Nest Estates, who presented revised plans for Robert Wiegers’ proposed 146-acre ridge-top subdivision. Kelly Engineering, P.C. reviewed an earlier version of the plans and expressed concern that road culverts were not shown and that “many of the designated septic areas have slopes in excess of 15 percent.”

Meyer addressed each of Terrence Kelly’s concerns, and he has communicated with Peter Nye of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, who is concerned about disturbance of a bald eagle’s nest; Meyer decided to combine lots 15 and 16 to address Nye’s concern.

The board will consider public opinion in their endeavor to work through Section Two of the subdivision’s Environmental Assessment Form at a public hearing, scheduled for September 15 at 7:30 p.m. A lead agency for the application will also be determined.

Also, a public hearing was scheduled for Laura and Nick Santana’s application for a special use permit to open a second-floor restaurant at Narrowsburg Mews, a renovation project under construction at 15 Main Street.