Meeting of September 25th, 2025 is now in session.

The first order of business is to approve the minutes from the September 4th meeting.

Is there a motion?

Is there a second?

Second.

All those in favor.

Would you make any corrections?

Do you have corrections?

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

And the uh what's your phrase?

There's a reference to the wife of the applicant going to from the porch to the basement, and I believe that's incorrect.

Uh it's got to that line has to be uh either edited or or struck from the uh minutes.

What paragraph are you on?

Right here.

The porch makes it easier for him and his wife to navigate their way to the basement.

What paragraph are you uh?

I think he did say that.

I think I think it's it'll leave it to the Fifth.

Right, yeah, no, it didn't yes, the answer in well.

They don't have to go to the basement with the porch was part of the thing.

Yeah, I think it's I just thought it's fine.

Yeah, I think it's fine.

No?

Yes, we're fine.

Um, all right.

All those in favor.

I die.

All right.

Uh minutes are officially adopted.

Uh we will now do the public hearings uh for today.

First, the applicant or the applicant's representative will state the reasons for the requested variants and present any material or documentation which is to be considered regarding the proposal.

Next, persons wishing to speak in favor of the proposal will be given the opportunity to address the board.

Then persons who wish to speak in opposition will be allowed to address the board.

Finally, the applicant or representative will be given the option to make any closing arguments or comments.

Following the public hearing this afternoon, the board may make a decision on each application heard.

The board may also decide to hold its decision until the next public hearing.

It's in the MX One's own district.

Somebody here to speak for the applicant.

You run such a good public hearing, Jeff.

Just give us your name and address.

Yeah, Jeff Davis.

I'm an attorney with Barclay Damon.

We're at 125 Jefferson.

Here representing T Mobile.

And thank you for the opportunity to speak.

And actually, a little background, two years ago, I got approved replacement of that steeple or cross with new antennas in there at by the planning board.

As we then went to get the equipment to put the antennas in the cross, that equipment was no longer available and no longer made.

So as this industry goes, this is what's known as a three in one antenna design.

So normally you see antenna rays when you drive down the throughway and you look up at a tower, you'll see that there's three on one side, three on another, and three on another.

It's like a triangle, and there's three antennas on each one of those faces of the triangle.

Each one of those antennas is doing a send and receive in a certain area.

Inside a stealth cross, they actually take all three of those antennas and combine them into one antenna that then faces one.

They still have three of them, but one of them faces one way of each one of the asthmoths of the triangle.

When you have a three-in-one antenna, it requires the antennas to be bigger.

So as a result of us trying to keep this a stealth facility at the church and still allow the upgrade in technology for the new antennas.

Um it required a redesign.

And so we worked for the last two years with the church to come up with a redesign that uh works for uh them but also works on a technology side.

Um the redesign is a replacement of the stealth cross.

Um the replacement uh is a taller stealth cross and a wider stealth cross, but it allows the bigger antennas to fit in there.

As a result of us being taller, we now exceed the 20-foot height limit by two and a half feet.

Uh and so the requested variance is the two and a half foot variants above the allowed 20 foot that we we could do in the code um for an antenna.

Um there are currently eight other antennas on the structure.

This structure's been used since 2003 to support antennas for various wireless companies.

There are eight antennas on there that are uh old Nextel antennas.

Next Dell no longer exists.

It was then through a series of sprints and then T-Mobile, it is now all covered under the T Mobile umbrella.

So as part of this application, um, we would be replacing the stealth cross and then removing those eight nextel antennas.

Those are on the exterior, those are visible.

People can see the antennas.

Um, and so those will actually come off.

They will no longer be visible, and all the antennas on the facility for T-Mobile purposes will be contained solely within that stealth cross.

Are we talking about the large cross on the right or the small one on top of the steeple?

Uh, we're talking about the one on the right.

Okay, thank you.

Uh, and so you can see overall the you know, we're well below the overall structure height um when you cat when you factor in the steeple height.

Um, but the cross on the right, uh, and that is a um is that an existing or proposed photo there?

That's existing.

At the bottom, it's yeah.

So that is the proposed, so you can kind of scroll through.

That's what it would look like after um installation.

Um this is what we've been working with the church for approval on for that installation at their facility.

And I can answer any questions that you may have, but that's roughly the gist of it.

We need a two and a half foot height variance.

After that, this is a uh minor site plan, so uh it will be an administrative site plan approval.

Any questions from the board?

I've got uh two.

Uh one being I think you've commented on it, but there's no other technology that would reduce the height that would fit within the variance.

If there was, we would we would have done it over the last two years.

Believe me.

Then uh slightly up to purview, but what is the material of the stone cross that you're you're capping the it will be it will be a new new cross.

The exterior of the material has to be all RF-facing material that allows the the material, the frequency waves to go through it.

So it's not uh uh a solid surface stone material on the exterior.

But it will look, I know that you had commented that the new one is is dirty, right?

It it is you know, uh it's been up there for a while.

This will be an all-new facility, uh, and similar design.

That's this is what you see right there.

But uh where those antennas are, that is an RF transparent material that allows them to go through.

I can't tell you the exact name of it, but um uh if you have something right in front of the antennas that isn't RF transparent, it blocks the signal.

Yep.

So is the intent that this one obviously is new, so it'll be clean, but is it gonna be maintained more than already has been or um it will be maintained.

Uh I mean we're we're when we're there, uh there's not a lot you can do in terms of you know it once it's up.

Yeah, once it's up, it's up.

Right.

Uh uh, you know, there's uh like any structure that's 70 or 80 feet in the air, uh it it will be it I it will get dirty.

Uh but uh they certainly make sure that there's nothing that uh like no nests on it, none of that type of stuff because all that causes interference and issues.

So when they do go to the site and they maintain it, which they do about once a month, um, they're looking for those type of things.

And if there's anything wrong with this with it structurally, something's broken, uh, then that all gets repaired.

Gotcha.

Thank you.

Is it do you have an idea of the lifetime of those antennas?

How long that would be needed?

Yeah, well the ones I mean, actually I I did this original stealth lacrosse, uh Stealth Cross many years ago.

So it it's probably been there 15 years, I think.

Um so the antennas that were inside there were replaced twice since then.

They the antenna upgrades that happened happen quite frequently.

Uh every few years they're going back.

The design of this one is designed, understanding that there's still capacity in there for future antennas and and what they're seeing.

They at their time they may replace those the exterior so it would look fresh again.

Uh I I'm not sure if they would if they would need to do that, but uh the goal is that they don't have to do this again.

This is very expensive uh process to go through.

Mounting antennas on the exterior of a building and pending them to match um is a lot easier than than going through this process.

Other questions on the board.

Great.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Anyone else who wishes to speak in favor of the application?

Seeing none.

Anybody wishes to speak against the application?

It's your shot, Heather.

Just kidding.

All right.

Uh hearing none, I will close the public hearing.

Okay.

Um discussion questions from the board?

I have a general question.

Is the obviously it's a 20 foot, I'm not necessarily against it, but where did with the new rezone that 20 foot item come from?

I mean, I know you weren't part of it, but with the fact that this is probably gonna happen more and more.

Um, you know, is this something that we need to look at and you know, increase the height at a future point, and this is just gonna be one of many, or uh so we will discuss later uh about this one, but uh right now it's um just about this application.

They are requesting the higher so normally we will see the antenna will be less than 20 feet, but this one is uh special.

And um we will discuss later about the code.

Thank you.

Yeah.

All right, if there's no further discussion, does somebody want to make a motion and take us through the area variants?

Well, we have to do seeker.

Damn it.

All right.

Not only is it a little bit taller, but it's significantly larger in mass than the existing one.

So I was just asking.

We don't have any purview over that.

No.

Okay.

Well, to the extent that you're allowing it to be taller.

Uh you have purview over the size, because you could not grant the variance if you believe that with the height and added bulk, it's um not compatible with the neighborhood.

It's not that it's big.

All right, seeker.

What are we doing?

Where's our secret note?

What are we doing?

Sorry.

Has everyone had a chance to review the EAF part one that's contained in your packet?

Prepared by the applicant?

Yep.

Has everyone had a chance to review the EAF part two also contained in your packet?

And prepared by staff on your behalf.

Yes.

Does anyone believe the proposed action will result in a medium moderate to large impact under seeker?

Oh, okay.

Having determined that there will be no moderate to large impacts, I recommend that you make a negative declaration and complete the EAF part three accordingly.

Someone make a motion on the negative declaration.

Motion on a negative declaration.

And a second.

We're moving to declare a negative declaration under seeker.

Moving to determine a negative declaration under seeker.

You're gonna ask me a script.

Gosh.

First, second, okay.

All those in favor of a negative declaration under seeker.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed.

All right.

Seeker carries.

Next up.

Is there a motion on the area variants before us today?

V 2508.

Motion to approve the variance.

Okay.

I'll second.

Liam, will you take us through the uh balancing task?

Uh yep.

I I think as far as neighborhood character goes, I think the uh one, the fact that the church is working with these folks, I think you know they feel strongly that the change is not so significant that it would affect the character.

Um as far as the height goes, it's it's minimal.

Uh as far as feasibility of alternatives, if there were any, um the project would have happened sooner.

There was a delay due to the lack of it.

Um I think this is insubstantial, not substantial, uh with two and a half feet.

Um there are no real adverse effects as far as I can tell.

And as far as it being self-created, I think uh you know it is, but that is not a deal breaker, and also the equipment challenges make it um mitigate that anyways.

Otis, anything else?

Yeah, the only thing that I would add is that uh uh as long as they follow uh the recommendations made.

I think uh it's a home run of I live in that neighborhood drive by the church all the time, and the property is very well kept.

And the uh increase in size is going to be so minimal that I don't know who would recognize it.

I mean, you literally would have to get up there with a measuring tape.

So with those things being stated in uh the recommendations of uh uh the committee here, I concur and think that it's a great uh project.

Um so in addition to uh the balancing test, um the uh motion includes a general condition approval.

Uh sorry, the conditions for general conditions for approval.

I didn't sleep a lot last night for the area variants, and then staff is recommending that they require that the applicant uh obtain all required permits prior to the site plan approval and that they ensure that the tenna and supporting structure are maintained in good condition.

With that's all said, all those in favor.

I opposed.

Okay.

Motion carries one opposal.

Oh, you're opposing.

Okay.

I thought you said aye first.

All right, one opposed.

Uh all right, motion carries.

Great.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

All right.

Any other business?

There is none.

Okay.

Uh motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Second.

Okay.

All those in favor.

Aye.

Great.