Dear editor:

I am writing to ensure you are aware of an upcoming public meeting on Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. in the NOTL Community Centre auditorium, and hope that you will consider having a reporter in attendance.

The company placed a notice in your Lake Report, July 24 issue, on page 8, so you may already have been planning to monitor this story as it unfolds.

To address a well-recognized problem with cellular service coverage in the Ricardo Street area, a private company, Signum Wireless, is proposing to erect a 60-foot cell tower at the entrance to Nelson Park — the park beside the river between the NOTL Sailing Club and King’s Point condo.

At the ground level, around the tower, will be an eight-foot-high fence surrounding a large “compound” that houses the equipment, with a chain link fence.

The company has admitted that its community notification pamphlet provided an inaccurate depiction of what the structure would look like and has said that the corrected materials will be presented at the public meeting.

Many owners (and taxpayers) of King’s Point, as well as the Greystones townhouses on the other side of Ricardo Street, are expressing strong concerns about the inappropriate location of this tower.

The site is immediately beside the densest residential area in the Old Town and in a beautiful park, which has a steady stream of walking and biking visitors. Even wedding groups coming to take photos by the river.

Furthermore, we have become aware that the company had been in serious discussions with the sailing club about locating the tower within the club’s property, near the entrance gate on Melville Street — but that the company walked away from the table because they were unable to reach an agreement (possibly about revenue-sharing).

So the company is now proposing to put the tower on town property, specifically Nelson Park. Other possible locations on public land within the area have not been seriously explored.

Many residents of King’s Point and the Greystones plan to attend the public meeting on Aug. 13, and many intend to submit written comments by the deadline of Aug. 25.

A number have already done so. The lord mayor and town councillors are receiving copies, and they would be available to you.

Catherine Cornell
Old Town