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Rome, Maine Stands Firm against Cell Tower Intrusion03-24-15 | News

Rome, Maine Stands Firm against Cell Tower Intrusion

It's report the wireless communications company wanted to place a lattice-type tower in Rome, Maine, but is said to be open to considering a less intrusive mono-pole installation. There have been no reports of negotiations for a concealed or "stealth" tower, which are erected for esthetic purposes, or to satisfy zoning regulations.

People love their cell and smart phones and using them wherever they are. This, of course, requires good Wi-Fi coverage. Cell phone towers in the landscape are among the drawbacks to this technology, although the rush is on to develop less intrusive coverage.

The Kennebec Journal in Augusta, Maine, reports Rome, Maine (pop. 1,010) has approved a new ordinance regulating cellphone towers. The ordinance is in reaction to a current federal lawsuit brought against the town by a Winchester, Mass., wireless communications company that claims it is being discriminated against for not being allowed to erect a 190-foot cell tower in town.

The city has spent $42,000 on the lawsuit thus far, and has appropriate up to $50,000 more to continue the fight. City officials object to a tower in the middle of town that would block the skyline.

Rome's new "Personal Wireless Services Facilities Ordinance" increases application fees, from $50 to $1,500, and sets the maximum tower height at 199 feet, except in scenic areas, such as The Mountain (elevation 665 feet), the site of the proposed tower.

A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit on July 31, 2014, asserting the town had not yet reached a decision, and upheld that order on Dec. 30, 2014. The cell service company has appealed those decisions to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.