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CELL TOWERS 194 o For how many carders do we anticipate needing to provide service? a What is the infrastructure already in place -- here and'in neighboring " _?_a:~._~,Th!, !s .n~t the a,ver.~e three-bedroom colonial house proposed for a communities? , ~iucm~m p~o~ or a suo-oivision request. cs Are there areas you really want to avoid m scenic ridgelines, other " · Great Barrington, Massachusetts, was one oft. he first communities . In the country to incorporate the requirement for such RI: engineering vulnerable areas? ~ detail, as well as thorough monitoring and proof of liability coverage for cs Are them appmpriam and acceptable town-owned sites Where the' town ~, the town, into zoning regulations. (Numerous communities across the could gain some revenue? o How are you going to handle the NIMBY phenomenonV Arc ,,e thc ' country have subsequently used this model, with various adaptations.) It NIMBY phenomenon? ' - set the bar for telecom siting regulation at a .new high for. a local o How have noighboring communities fared in their dealings with the ' municipality'7 carders? ~. Great Barrington is located in the southern Berkshire Mountains of o Do we need a whole new bylaw, or a revamp ofthe existing bylaws? ~ Massachusetts. The area is scenic and laden with historic assets to prOtect. Its economy is heavily dependent on tourism dollars. InaPPropriately cs Is there a process for input from citizens and from experts into the end ' placed telecom towers are seen as a direct threat to the local eCOnomy and product? Who has control over that process7 Is that Board or person on , the underlying aesthetic sensibilities of the community. your side? ' · ' The following bylaw was written while the town and some private cs What sides are likely to be drawn up during this process? Who is likely to be opposing whom? citizens were involved in a court case, appealing a special permit for a , cellular tower on a private schoOl campus near a residential neighborhood. c~ Do you have a consensus about these and other questions as you start? (ARer six years, the case was won by the town.) Or are you going to have to work out these issues 'as you go forward? o Is an application already pending? ~. The following Great Barrington bylaw, with italicized comments, o Are the necessm-y experts in place? Are you going to be.using the town g is fourteen pages long. Some towns have expanded it to 30-40 pages:* The ~ point is to be thorough and adapt it to your town's needs. Note that it is attorney for legal advice as you proceed? What is that person's . written to conform with both Great Barrington existing 'bylaws (so the orientation on thin subject? Are they up to speed on wireless I numbering is Specific to Great Barrington) and with Massachusetts law. telecornmu_ nications issues and case law? If not can theY consult with Any adaptations must be consistent with your own state. another firm that is? The basic attitude you take into the proce~ will often determine what you ge~ out of it. The more professional you are, the better. ' Understand that, according to the Telecom Act, you may have to. allow these facilities somewhere. You are trying to' balance the best interests of your community with those of the telecommunications providers. Tho best way to accomplish that balance is to create a stringent, thorough,, and fair bylaw to locate wireless facilities that will be adequate for the cartie~s, and have the least detrimental impact possible. Gaod Telecom Regulations As mentioned before, tl~ is a different kind of land-use regulation iii : The Great Batrington regulations effecl many of the stone prov/sions used by the mn most planners or. zoners are familiar with. It requires a lot of Connecticut Siting Coun¢il-aslateagcncywith vastly greater resources-i are viewing ngiaeering detail for wireless energy ~ something invisible that exists in ~elecom proposals.