[MassHistPres] Bell Tower Telecommunications Antennae

[james howard]

Robin,  Here in Wenham we have approved a cell antenna in the bell tower of 
the Congregational Church in the center of the Wenham Historic District. 
The main antenna is inside of the bell tower and cannot be seen from the 
outside.   There were black wooden louvers on the outside walls of the bell 
tower.  The cell company, T-Mobile requested that these black louvers be 
replaced with fiber glass louvers.  We asked them to send us a sample of the 
fiberglass louvers.  They did and the fiber glass louvers looked exactly 
like wooden ones so we approved them.  They also asked to put a short 15 
inch GPS antenna on the base of the bell tower.  We told them that this 
short outside antenna had to be placed in the rear portion of the bell tower 
so that it would not be visible from the street.  Unfortunately they put in 
the front but of the bell tower but have agreed to move it to the rear. 
There was one other outside component, and AC condenser which has been 
placed on a portion the foundation that is below grade and thus not visible 
form the street.  We approved this also.  All of this has been installed and 
should begin operating in a week or so.

We also have an application for a second antenna to be placed in the portion 
of the steeple that is above the bell tower.  Again the main antenna will be 
inside the steeple.  However the cell company proposed to replace this whole 
wooden section at the top of the steeple with a fiberglass replica.  We have 
been looking at other churches with fiberglass steeples and it is virtually 
impossible to tell the difference.  My guess is that we will approve this 
antenna when we get the formal application.

Jim Howard
Chair
Wenham Historic District Commission
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robin Ragle-Davis" <robin at rrinteractive.com>
To: <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 3:37 PM
Subject: [MassHistPres] Bell Tower Telecommunications Antennae


> Has anyone reviewed a request for installation of antennae (75 ft or  so) 
> within a church bell tower?
>
> If so does anyone have photos of what this might look like?
>
> Robin Ragle-Davis, Chair
> Wareham Historical Commission
>
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