Eastlink Wireless Site Planner Logan McDaid points to a design showing the proposed tower in relation to one from Bell Aliant that is currently situated in the location. (Healey photo)

Officials explain proposal for Windsor Jct. tower by GreenTree Recycling

LAKEVIEW: Concerns were few from the handful of residents that attended a public meeting put on by Eastlink to detail their proposal for a new monopole tower on April 2 in Lakeview.

The 50 metre tower, if approved by Transport Canada, will be constructed near GreenTree Recycling at the corner of Windsor Junction Road and Cobequid Road. It will be in the same area as the Bell Aliant tower.

Inside the Halifax Ground Search and Rescue building, Steve Banks and Logan McDaid, Wireless Site Planner with Eastlink, provided details to those who came out for the meeting on a beautiful sunny Tuesday night.

McDaid said the tower is being installed to provide improved cellular service to the Windsor Junction-Lakeview area.

The rendering that the six who attended saw displayed at the meeting. (Healey photo)

Banks said there would be no moving parts; no noise from it; and there would be no light, and they would use the existing access to the site during the construction phase.

A man who had a few concerns spoke to the two representatives. One of his concerns was why they chose that location and not further up on top of the hill. He was informed by Banks that the landowner would not permit them to go anywhere else but the proposed location.

The man, who when looking out into his backyard he sees the towers, suggested a different type of tower for the location, one that is stealth—or in other words, hidden, so it doesn’t make it look ugly. Banks said that is something they can look into further.

In documents as part of the consultation, it said that Eastlink considers collocation opportunities before proposing new telecommunications towers. In this case, a nearby Bell communications tower was examined, but was determined to be unsuitable for co-location opportunities.

The public has until April 16 to submit comments, before McDaid has to do a report to submit to HRM Planning.

“They make their decision based on that,” said McDaid.

If approved, they hope construction of the tower could begiun when the warmer weather hits.

“You’re looking at the summer, at the very earliest, or late summer/early fall,” said Banks.