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May 9, 2008

Northway cell tower approved

Phone coverage extends betweens exits 28, 29

By KIM SMITH DEDAM

LAKE PLACID -- A fourth new Verizon Wireless cellular-phone tower for the Northway was approved Thursday by the Adirondack Park Agency.

The proposed 94-foot structure would be built at Schroon Falls on private land owned by Daniel Hay near where Route 9 crosses the Schroon River.

Disguised to look like a white-pine tree, the tower at this location will bring Verizon cell-phone coverage between exits 28 and 29, around Schroon and North Hudson -- the southern reaches of the 47-mile Northway dark zone.

A new Verizon tower at Exit 29 to the north was permitted in December.

And an existing Verizon antenna on the Town of Schroon water tower supports cell-phone signals south of the Schroon Falls site.

This review means roughly one-third of Verizon's planned 11 new Northway corridor towers are approved.

Commissioners spent some time discussing how "substantially invisible" the Schroon Falls tower would be.

From one point on Route 9, the tower, even dressed like a pine, will stand out against the sky.

But APA staff said 95 percent of locations where Verizon tested tower heights with a balloon were completely invisible.

The Northway in Schroon Falls cuts through low mountains, so the new tower has a solid forest backdrop.

"This is another good example of where it will be very hard to discern that tree while you're in a moving vehicle," said Mark Sengenberger, APA director of regulatory programs.

Commissioner Jim Townsend asked whether the 94-foot tower height was necessary, "just keeping co-location in mind."

The project goes before the full APA Board today for final approval.

APA Staff Planner George "Skip" Outcalt said it was.

Townsend questioned whether APA could require co-location should another mobile-phone network start looking for sites along the Adirondack Northway.

The question sometimes raises concern over issues of free-market economics.

Outcalt said he spoke with another provider earlier this week who expressed interest in developing a system of cell towers for I-87.

"This site is probably not going to accommodate co-location," Outcalt said.

None of the Northway sites approved so far would likely offer opportunities for co-location, Outcalt said.

"They would have to build another tower at each of these sites to add service."

Verizon Wireless spokesman John O'Malley could not be reached Thursday for an update on tower construction, but the company has previously said that three of the four towers approved so far would likely be online before next winter.

kdedam@pressrepublican.com

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