By Joseph Edgerton
Staff Writer

Corporate developments between AT&T and Cingular Wireless have led the two companies to cancel their plans in New Boston.

The cellular providers proposed a plan in 2003 to install two wireless sites, one in the town hall and the other on Wilson Hill Road, but have canceled their plans for two main reasons:They do not meet specific conditions, and the companies are merging.

Cingular did not send a representative to the July 26 planning board meeting. Their attorney, Thomas Welch, sent a letter instead.

“Cingular understands that the conditions for the Town Hall site have lapsed, and that the conditions for the Wilson Hill site will lapse later this month,” he said. “Cingular also understands that the approvals previously granted in both instances will be revoked.”

The letter also said that if Cingular decides to set up wireless antennae, they will have to draw up a new site plan review again.

New Boston Planning Coordinator Nic Strong explained there were a variety of unsatisfied conditions preventing construction.

“There was one condition remaining at the town hall site,” she said. “There was an issue with the bond to cover the cost of removal, if the company decided that they wanted to pull out.”

According to AT&T’s plans, the town hall antenna would have been constructed in a 10-by-20-foot section of the attic.

“The antenna would hardly have been visible,” said Strong. “It would have been attached to one of the windows in town hall.”

The cost of removing the antenna had yet to be determined by an AT&T engineer.

The Wilson Hill wireless site had a number of conditions to be met before construction. Like the town hall site, there was a bond to cover the undetermined cost of removal.

“There were other conditions, too.” Strong said. “The access area is a class-six road. They got a variance to use the road, but still needed to draw up a plan for approval by the road agent.”

A class-six road is a road that is considered public, but not maintained by the town. Strong added that the road was a hinging point for the proposal.

A landscaping easement that would allow the company to trim back existing vegetation as opposed to simply removing dead material was still in the works as well.

AT&T first approached New Boston in 2003 with plans to set up two cellular aerials. The cost of the lease would have increased slightly for every year they were in place.

“They would have paid $900 a month for each facility, and that amount would increase by 4 percent annually,” Strong said. “The planning board was receptive to the idea.”

Strong also said the number of application extensions the planning board granted the wireless provider was unusual. Each site received four extensions on the deadline to meet certain construction conditions.

“It isn’t typical to grant so many extensions, but the AT&T representative explained the need for more time,” she said. “Corporate-level turmoil made it difficult to deal with local-level stuff.

“Typically, a developer will submit one set of revised site plans, to save time and money,” Strong added. “They wait until all the board’s suggestions are in before submitting one final copy.”

It is unknown whether or not Cingular will attempt to construct cellular antennae at a later date.