Update: Requesting action by Thursday, Nov 30 - Village wireless survey

Update: New zoning codes covering cell towers proposed to Board of Trustees

Update: Homeland Towers Balloon Test Scheduled for Sat Oct 22 at 9 AM

Homeland Towers, who built the cell tower at the Croton-Harmon train station, is proposing a similar tower at 230 Hessian Hills Rd, in a residential Croton neighborhood. The tower would be a 120-to-140-foot monopole with a 2,400 square foot fenced compound housing generators, batteries, AC units, and other noise- and light-producing equipment—within 200 feet of family homes.

The impending roll-out of 5G will require many new towers, whose placement should be based on a comprehensive study of cell coverage gaps to minimize negative impacts on residents. No such study has been conducted, and Homeland’s proposal is an unsolicited sales pitch that did not include an evaluation of more than one location or co-location options. A new tower at any location would improve coverage for some residents, but that doesn’t amount to a good choice as there are likely other sites that could address multiple coverage gaps.

Croton’s zoning codes covering cell towers, a sparse and antiquated seven pages of text, do not enable wireless carriers to saturate local jurisdictions with reliable service while minimizing the number of cell towers necessary and avoiding, to the greatest extent possible, adverse impacts due to irresponsible tower placement.

Homeland’s claims that the new tower would improve communications for fire and police services by moving rather than upgrading existing equipment ignores the fact that they primarily use UHF and VHF frequencies for which there was no testing.

Our residents deserve a solution to Croton’s inadequate cell coverage, but we also deserve robust zoning codes and a process that prioritizes protecting resident’s homes and neighborhoods. Our emergency services deserve equipment upgrades. Our current zoning codes and this proposal from Homeland don’t reflect those needs.

We are asking the Board of Trustees to:

• Update and modernize Croton's outdated zoning ordinances covering cell phone towers to require independent and comprehensive assessment and planning phases for new towers, including the evaluation of coverage gaps, multiple locations, and co-location options. The codes should minimize the number of cell towers necessary to provide comprehensive coverage and avoid, to the greatest extent possible, any adverse impact on residents due to unnecessary cell tower construction and their irresponsible placement.
• Delay action on the Homeland Towers proposal for 230 Hessian Hills Road until new zoning ordinances covering cell phone towers. as described above, are in effect.