120-foot cell tower proposed on Fresh Pond Avenue in Calverton

A 120-foot cellular tower is proposed for a one-acre parcel on Fresh Pond Avenue in Calverton and the applicant says it will replace two existing towers on that same road. 

Crown Castle is proposing the new tower on the east side of Fresh Pond Avenue, about 3,900 feet north of the intersection of Fresh Pond Avenue and Route 25.

The proposal needs site plan and special permit approval from the Town Board.

The two current towers it would replace are 120 and 122 feet tall, respectively. 

The towers being removed are not on the same property as the proposed tower. They received building permits in 1998 and 1991, according to the applicant. 

Town officials said the removal of the two existing towers must be done before a certificate of occupancy is approved for the new tower. Dave Kenny, the attorney for Crown Castle, said his client would agree to that. 

Mr. Kenny also said they would be willing to speak to the town about keeping space on the tower to house the town’s police or emergency radios, if needed. 

The project will need a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals because the property line setbacks don’t meet zoning requirements, according to town planning aide Greg Bergman. The town also must ensure that the applicant has the authority to remove the two existing towers, Mr. Bergman said. 

He also pointed out that a radio frequency report submitted by the applicant shows that the removal of the existing towers will decrease cell phone coverage in the vicinity of the Enterprise Park at Calverton.