The Shandaken Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing June 18 at 7 p.m. to consider Verizon Wireless’ request for a zoning variance to build a new cell tower in Phoenicia.
Verizon is seeking a variance to expand the site’s permitted area by an additional 55 feet to account for slope and topography. In a separate request, the company is asking to exceed the town’s 180-foot height limit, proposing a tower that would stand 199 feet tall.
“We want to make sure it’s done correctly. The biggest thing’s the planning board,” said board member Henry Williams. Fellow board member Christian Lynch added, “We just want to make sure we do our due diligence.”
A second tower at 1470 Wittenberg Road has already received approval from the town planning board.
“I’m not telling you anything you don’t know,” said Scott Olson, an attorney with Young/Sommer representing Verizon. “You do have some service but it’s so poor, it’s not really reliable.”
Verizon aims to provide “blanket coverage” using a 700-megahertz frequency, which allows signals to penetrate homes and buildings.
“It will be blanket coverage to the extent that we can blanket the area with the topography that we have,” Olson said.
The company also plans to integrate the tower with Ulster County’s emergency radio system, enhancing safety for residents, hikers and others in no-to-low service areas.
“We probably want to see this happen because the lack of cell coverage in this community has been a bug-a-boo ever since I’ve been living here,” said zoning board chair Mark Loete.
Verizon’s plan includes backup generators, required by the Federal Communications Commission, that could power the tower for about a week during outages.
The site’s proximity to Esopus Creek means the project must also meet Department of Environmental Conservation stormwater standards. Olson said Verizon is taking extra precautions because of the site’s environmental sensitivity, calling it a “very difficult design.”
At a prior hearing, three to four residents spoke in opposition. Williams suggested the tower primarily benefits neighboring Woodstock.
“A lot of people say they want it but not next door,” Williams said. “That tower is benefiting Woodstock more than it is Shandaken or Phoenicia.”
Pending local approval, Verizon must still obtain federal clearance. Construction is projected to begin in 2026.
“When I first moved here 22 years ago, there was a big opposition to cell towers because they would erode the viewshed,” said Loete. “When these debates first started 20 years ago, cell phones weren’t as ubiquitous as they are now, but now they’re a main tool.”
