[mcdude]

Quotes from "The Baysider"

The Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment combined on the night of Sept. 12 to jointly hear the site plan and area variances necessary to construct the two communications facilities, one at 486 East Side Drive (Route 28A), and the other at 1439 Wolfeboro Highway (Route 28).

Prior to that meeting, the applicant will perform a balloon test at the proposed site, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30, beginning at 9 a.m. Board members will meet at Town Hall at 8:30 a.m. that morning, to distribute lists of various vantage points from which to observe the balloons.

One of the 18 properties listed in the PowerPoint presentation was shown to belong to David and Marilyn Slade, and Delaney said they weren't interested in doing business with Industrial Communications.

But the Slades were in the audience, and David Slade testified that he had never been contacted by the company. The Slade property abuts the proposed facility on East Side Drive.

Slade questioned that the company didn't perform due diligence in fully exploring all its options, and said the company should use several smaller facilities to provide coverage without affecting view sheds

another indication of the questionable practices of Industrial Communications?

Donald Cody, director of operations for Industrial Communications, described the monopole towers as being five feet wide at the base, and tapering to 18 inches wide at the top, so, he suggested, when the board and public view the balloon test, which will use a four-foot wide balloon, he asked that they keep in mind that the tower won't be that wide.

But resident Russ Wilson said that was misleading. Yes, the tower itself might be only 18 inches wide, but it will be festooned with communications equipment. "Those antennae stick out from the tower about six feet," in three directions, forming a triangle about 12 feet wide, "so when you have a four-foot wide balloon, they're much smaller."

Photo of a recent balloon test conducted on Lake Wentworth in Wolfeboro. Photo by NomdePlume