Planning board continues hearing on proposed 130-foot Verizon monopole after engineering and safety questions

The Mashpee Planning Board on July 1 continued a public hearing on a special-permit application from Celco Partnership doing business as Verizon Wireless to install a 130-foot monopole and equipment at 524 Great Neck Road.

The board reopened a hearing first convened in November 2025 so peer-review comments from the town'hired consultant Tyen Bond and the applicant's engineers could be resolved. Applicant counsel Jessi of Robinson & Cole said the team had reviewed Tyen Bond's civil comments and would submit written responses and revised site plans; she stressed the construction disturbance would be limited to roughly 2,500 square feet and the pad would be gravel. "We have reviewed Tyen Bond's comments and will file a written response and revised plans," Jessi said.

Gene Christie, principal engineer at Tyen Bond, reviewed outstanding civil items and said Tyen Bond's RF reviewer would issue comments soon. Key outstanding issues included showing the site's archaeological sensitivity area on plans, confirming fire-department access dimensions in writing, and conducting on-site test pits to determine groundwater elevations for stormwater design. Christie said the peer review was split into civil and RF phases: "We're doing a two-part peer review; this evening was the civil side and the RF comments are forthcoming."

Board members pressed the applicant on equipment safety and monitoring. A member concerned about battery chemistry and spill containment asked whether the applicant would provide safety-data sheets for the batteries. The applicant said cabinet enclosure cut sheets were provided and that battery cut sheets or MSDS-style data could be supplied: "We can provide cut sheets for the batteries and will look into where those materials can be stored for first responders," the applicant said. Panelists also discussed cabinet alarms, local sensors and remote monitoring; the applicant said Verizon monitors sites 24/7 through an operations center and dispatches trained technicians if alarms trigger.

The board debated several waiver requests, including reduced fall-zone setback and pole height. The applicant said the 130-foot height is needed to deliver the planned coverage and to allow collocation at lower heights. Project counsel referenced an engineering fall-zone letter and the Cape Cod Commission's prior DRRI decision, which the team argued supports locating the tower closer to the northerly property line to reduce wetland buffer disturbance.

On RF monitoring, the applicant submitted an RF emissions compliance report and asserted federal law limits local regulation of RF emissions. Board members asked their RF reviewer to advise whether local post-operational monitoring should be required as a condition of any permit.

Given the unresolved test pits, outstanding RF review and the need for written confirmations (fire chief confirmation, archaeological mapping on plans, battery data, and decommissioning-condition wording), the board voted to continue the hearing. The board set the next hearing for Aug. 19 at 6:40 p.m. and asked the applicant and peer reviewers to circulate written responses in advance.

Next steps: applicant to perform requested test pits and supply revised plans and documentation; Tyen Bond to provide RF comments; the board will reconvene Aug. 19.