Comments on: Ordinance change for Bridgewater College?

By: Bridgewater Buzz | Bridgewater College smokestack antennas

Bridgewater Buzz | Bridgewater College smokestack antennas — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:02:58 +0000

[...] I saw the cellular antennas being installed at the top of the Bridgewater College heating plant smokestack. Does anyone know which carriers are placing antennas up there and when they’re to become active? (Last year, you’ll recall, there were noises about Bridgewater College getting blanket permission to place cellular antennas, but the outcome was a procedure calling for a special use permit in each case. I saw that discussion is still available at http://www.bridgewaterva.com/newbuzz/2008/08/08/ordinance-change-for-bridgewater-college/) [...]

By: Ex Bwater Resident

Ex Bwater Resident — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:14:41 +0000

As a previous resident of Bridgewater AND a previous employee of the airport, I will say that the tower is a good thing!! As an AT&T customer, I was always very aggravated with the reception in Bridgewater (and I do not have issues else where with coverage!!) Standing outside the airport or at home, I had many many times where my signal was so lousy, I could not get a call out. It was so frustrating. Probably the only downside of the tower is that the airport is going to have to reprimand a lot of employees for using their cell phones during working hours because they didn’t have signal before there!

By: Traveler

Traveler — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:49:32 +0000

> Would you rather have the antennas on the smokestack or a tower?

I think the people who posted on this board favored existing structures. That is why the original proposal, apparently giving broad rights to put up towers without further review, caused the concern. I did not see anything I would consider “screaming.”

By: telecomconsultant

telecomconsultant — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:34:07 +0000

I have worked in the telecommunications industry as a consultant for many years, siting towers, submitting zoning, etc. This is a good idea and one that is used over and over again in Northern Virginia, DC and Baltimore. Would you rather have the antennas on the smokestack or a tower? Either way, do you not want to be able to connect with your friends and relatives, whether it is an emergency or just to converse? Do any of you realize that when 9/11 occured that AT&T, Verizon Wireless and numerous other carriers sent “portable” towers to New York, DC and PA so that EMS providers could communicate. This was essential in New York as the public telephones, cell phone systems, emergency commuications systems and any thing else that you could think of were all jammed. Let’s also look at the trajedy at Virginia Tech, I am sure that there are citizens out there that were happy they could contact their children to ensure they were safe!!! As far as the FAA, it is not necessary to notify them of the installation. Before you start screaming about cell phone towers, you should do your homework.

By: Bridgewater Buzz | Smokestack antenna plan approved (new thread)

Bridgewater Buzz | Smokestack antenna plan approved (new thread) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:47:51 +0000

[...] Bridgewater Buzz thread based on the original public hearing notice [...]

By: LadyLeggs

LadyLeggs — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:11:06 +0000

The FAA may not have anything to say about the towers, but I bet the Bridgewater Air Park would. The planes that land over there fly right over the college all the time landing or taking off.

By: Treeman

Treeman — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:56:38 +0000

So far I haven’t see a “NIMBY” response in the above discussion. Several posters have referred to the need to carefully consider an ordinance that does give a significant property holder in town an unrestricted priviledge that could impact the rest of the town and surrounding community significantly. None have opposed the proposed ordinance just expressed caution pending further information on why it is being requested.

And NIMBY is not wholely an inappropriate response when one’s interests may be impacted by the proposed action of another . If we discount NIMBY as inappropriate, then we must also discount YIMBY (Yes, in my back yard) responses. Economic progress can be a good thing. But it needs to be tempered by careful consideration of its nature and other impacts. This is one of those circumstances that requires careful consideration by the community.

By: mcgill

mcgill — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:20:52 +0000

Actually the cell tower part of the water tank come much later. It was not part of the original deal. It’s still a cell tower. Room presented a common sense statement and did it much better than I could, so to Mr. Room I say….amen.

By: snake

snake — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:41:36 +0000

> Does anyone realize that the water tank north of town is a communication tower?

Perfect example. The water tank was sited there after full public disclosure and review. We did not pass an ordinance that said, “The Town will put a water tank anywhere it wants with no further public review of the design and site.” The communications antennas on top are a great example of minimizing the impact by using an existing structure on a naturally sited high piece of land.

To me, the success of the Wayland tower is an argument for case-by-case review rather than an argument for sweeping advance approval of future unknown towers.

By: room

room — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:59:24 +0000

I have to agree with some of the others here, what is the big deal about this tower? I wish I lived a little closer to Bridgewater, they could put it on my land. It would give me better cell and internet reception as well as some income. I can imagine that Bridgewater College could use the money coming from AT&T for this tower.
At&t is a GSM technology and there is little coverage in the county and surrounding counties for this type of signal. I would think that a lot of visitors to the college would appreciate a decent cell signal when coming to see the campus or their kids.
People need to get over this NIMBY thinking. This type of thinking keeps our areas behind the rest of the country. This hurts everyone in the area. Kids graduate and move away, companies hesitate moving in the area – bringing good paying jobs and benefits, etc. Now, no one wants to see the area destroyed but there is a happy medium that can be found with good planning and open mindedness. Cell phone towers, power lines, and even wider roads are just a few requirements of progress. You fight basic 21st century technology and you will end up with nothing. What would happen to Bridgewater if the college moved? Do you realize how many jobs and how much money comes into town because of one college? Today you fight a cell tower, tomorrow what will the fight be? Maybe eventually it will be easier for Bridgewater college to move to Harrisonburg in order to stay current with technology. Where would Bridgewater be then?
I think that if clear thinking people will get together and look at this they will find, first that a cell tower is no big deal, second the cell tower will benefit the college and the surrounding residents and businesses, and thirdly that the college is continuing to expand its horizons which in turn greatly benefits the community.