Select Board Cell Service Update – January 2024

January 11, 2024 By Mark Cullings

At the January 9, 2024 Select Board meeting, Assistant Town Administrator Art Robert offered two important updates on the town’s ongoing work to address the unsatisfactory state of cell service in Hingham.

First was a proposed revision to the Hingham Zoning Bylaw to do two important things:
1. Add “Small Cell Facilities” to what is already allowed by the “Personal Wireless Facilities” bylaw. These are compact base stations with a limited coverage area, often mounted on utility poles, important for 5G signal propagation and to supplement weak signals or fill “dead-spot” areas.
2. Expand where “Personal Wireless Facilities” can be permitted, extending permission for towers to be constructed in the Official and Open Space zoning districts, and for facilities other than towers to be “…permitted in all zoning districts…provided the facility is either completely concealed within or installed on a non-residential Host Structure.”

In all cases, a Special Permit by the Zoning Board of Appeals is required.

Second, administrators will seek Town Meeting approval to issue an RFP (Request for Proposal) for a monopole structure in the Bare Cove Park area, near the Department of Public Works headquarters building. Mr. Robert and Select Board member Bill Ramsey have had several conversations with Verizon personnel and report significant interest in erecting such a facility. They both note that an RFP is a competitive process and that their interest suggests other providers would be, too.

Mr. Robert also reported on two additional items.
1. Verizon, which owns a property on Green St. near the 3A rotary, is planning to erect an antenna array on the building’s roof. They have completed a  federal section 106 review and it is anticipated that the company will seek local permits at some point during 2024.

2. Second, ATT, which has received preliminary permission for two Small Cell antennae on Fort Hill St., is also interested in placing similar structures at other locations. Mr. Robert and Mr. Ramsey both indicated that these developments should improve on the quality of cell service coverage in the North Hingham and Downtown areas. They emphasized that the Town seeks to partner with carriers to facilitate improvements that benefit everyone.

In response to a question by Select Board member Joe Fisher about potential cost to the town for construction of a new facility, Mr. Robert explained that the monopole construction cost would be borne by the winner of the contract. It will have no budget impact and, in fact, the town may enjoy a revenue stream from it.

Beth Rice, spokesperson for the community group Cell Service for Hingham, thanked the board and administrators for their work and offered the group’s continued support for improved service. She said the group is prepared to engage the community in any  way that will be productive.

Members of the Select Board thanked Ms. Rice and the group, saying that helping to build support for the two Town Meeting articles is important.