NEW SCOTLAND – In our technologically-savvy world – where television programs can be viewed on a cell phone – the service, along with a broader cell-phone coverage area, will soon have an outlet in New Scotland.

The town’s planning board granted two special-use permits last week, allowing improvements to two existing cell phone towers – one owned by Crown Atlantic Company, and the other by Capital Region Broadcasters.

Cellco Partnership and Verizon Wireless will remove and replace 12 panel antennas and one microwave dish on Crown Atlantic Company’s tower at 106 Tower #3 Lane, off Pinnacle Road. The tower currently has 12 antennas and eight microwave dishes, explained attorney Dave Brennan.
The new antennas and microwave dish would increase the coverage area in the town, he said, adding, "It’s improving service." The antennas would be at 149 feet, and the microwave dish would be at 45 feet.

The board’s approval was subject to the town’s engineering firm, Stantec, being satisfied with the structural analysis of the tower, using the G-standard, which has been adopted by the industry, but has not yet been adopted by New York State’s building department.

The town uses the most current standard, Stapf told The Enterprise.
"We want to resolve it in a manner that is acceptable to the town-designated engineer," Brennan said.
During a public hearing on the application, Thomas Dolin, a former town judge and current Democratic candidate for supervisor, asked what services would be extended. "It’s a positive thing, and I’m just trying to figure out how positive it is," Dolin said.

Brennan said that the antennas would be providing more cell-phone service to a greater area.

The improvements to the tower owned by Capital Region Broadcasters, located at 73 Tower #3 Lane, will provide television service for cell phones.

The special-use permit, granted to Media Flo USA, allows for the installation of a 24-foot antenna on the tower, and for two satellite dishes, and two Global Positioning Systems antennas to be installed on an existing equipment building.

The antenna will be installed at a maximum height of 262 feet, the satellite dishes will be installed on grade, and the GPS antennas will be side-mounted to the building.

Media Flo submitted a G-code structural analysis, but it was stamped by an engineer who was registered out of state. Town engineer Keith Menia told the applicant to provide him with an inspection report, to be sure the tower has been properly maintained.

The applicant must also satisfy the town engineer with respect to the stamp on the engineering drawing.

Other business

In other business at recent planning- and zoning-board meetings:

– The zoning board granted an area variance to Nancy Deschenes, allowing her to install a swimming pool on her property at 38 Maple Road. Deschenes received 13 feet of relief from the 25-foot side-yard setback requirement in the residential agriculture district. Deschenes’s pool will come within 12 feet of the side-yard property line.

When the building permit for the pool was filed, it was approved, and construction began before Deschenes was made aware that she was not in compliance with the zoning regulations.

The board held a public hearing prior to granting the variance, in which Paul Lopez, whose mother resides adjacent to the Deschenes property, addressed the board. Lopez and his mother were confused as to how far the pool would be from her property line, which was confirmed to be 12 feet.
"I’m against it by all means," Mrs. Lopez said.

Deschenes intends to lay crushed stone under a fence that separates the two properties;

– The zoning board approved an application for an area variance submitted by Shawn LaSalle, allowing him to erect a covered entry and attached garage to his house at 1726 Tarrytown Road. LaSalle received 20 feet, 6 inches of relief from the 40-foot front-yard setback for the covered entry, and 8 feet, 6 inches of relief for the garage.

LaSalle said that he intends to keep the lilac bushes in the front of the house as a buffer zone.

There were no public comments during the public hearing held before the variance was granted;

– The zoning board approved an application for an area variance submitted by Robert Denman, allowing him to install a swimming pool on his property at 162 Maple Road.

Denman received 6 feet of relief from the 25-foot side-yard setback requirement; the pool will be erected within 19 feet of the side property line.

There were no public comments on the application at a public hearing held before the board granted the variance;

– Both the zoning and planning boards heard an application for an area variance submitted by Joseph Vogel III. Vogel owns a landlocked parcel on Cliff View Lane, a private road. Vogel has access to his property, where he has been living for about a year-and-a-half, by traveling over another parcel with road frontage on Woodwind Drive. Vogel wants to erect a detached garage on his property, but lacks the required 15 feet of road frontage.

The planning board passed along a favorable recommendation to the zoning board for the application. The zoning board will hold a public hearing for this application at its Aug. 28 meeting; and

– The planning board granted a special-use permit to B.A.R.D. Brothers, allowing the business to expand an existing non-conforming use structure by less than 25 percent. The structure is located within the residential agriculture district at 160 North Road in Clarksville, and has been used for the commercial storage of general contractor materials and equipment, which is not permitted.

Alan Darmurmuth, of B.A.R.D. Brothers, told the board that his company rents space to Helderberg Siding, which needs additional storage for foam used under siding. The space in the rear of the business where a run-down building is located will be used to construct a weather-tight storage shed that is about 110 square-feet larger than the existing building, Darmurmuth said.
The board had no problems or concerns with the application. "His site is neat as a pin," said Elliott. There were no public comments during the public hearing held before the board granted the variance.