In a worksession on Tuesday, April 9, Greenbelt City Council heard how the replacement of the water tower near the intersection of Lastner Lane and Ridge Road means that the T-Mobile cellphone antenna must be temporarily relocated to continue effective cellphone and data service to Greenbelt. Tim Dwyer, a representative of the company NB+C, which acts as agent for T-Mobile in accomplishing this, was on hand to discuss the temporary relocation. He noted several times that the discussion was specifically about T-Mobile’s antenna and not WSSC’s activities. Planning and Community Development budget items from this meeting are covered in a separate story.
Temporary Monopole
Prior to water tower work beginning, a 110-foot-tall monopole tower (“antenna-on-a-stick”) will be erected several yards northwest of the 80-foot-tall water tower itself. It will be positioned near the Ridge Road right-of-way and the water tower, off the unpaved section of Ridge Road as it curves southwest toward the Lakeside North apartments and the Greenbelt Police Station. Once the water tower work is done, the antenna will be returned to the new water tower and the temporary monopole removed. Dwyer noted that the pole was ugly but fortunately temporary.
The Process
The equipment now on the water tower will first be transferred onto the monopole, with an impact on T-Mobile service of probably two days. During the two days of transfer at the start and end T-Mobile customers and those using Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) that also use its service (carriers that don’t have their own wireless networks) can expect to be impacted. For example Google Fi uses T-Mobile among other networks and Mint relies on it exclusively. The monopole itself is assembled horizontally, with the antenna bolted on around a frame at the top. The pole is then flipped up to the vertical and raised into position section by section using a crane. It is taken down with the same process in reverse.
The T-Mobile antenna is the only cell device now on the water tower and Dwyer pointed out that if T-Mobile cannot make this temporary arrangement, cellphone signal to the local area will be seriously impacted for several months (see coverage maps). T-Mobile is the only cell service with an antenna in that location. City Director of Planning and Community Development Terri Hruby said that city equipment now on the water tower will be removed prior to the WSSC construction.
In response to a question about security from a Julian Court resident, a temporary chain-link fence can be installed to keep people away from the base. Such requirements will be included in the permit specification by city planners working with NB+C.
Tower Mechanics
The tower is placed on a concrete pad necessitating an approximately five-foot-high wooden retaining wall, and is held in place by a heavy ballast (not a foundation dug into the ground). Councilmember Silke Pope requested that attention be paid to adequate ballasting given recent weather trends and Dwyer reassured her that specifying this was a critical part of the planning process.
The temporary tower is taller than the 80-foot-high tank so that the signal isn’t blocked by either the current or the new towers and can reach subscribers nearby. Once the water tower work is completed, the antenna will be mounted back on the tower. Work on the water tower is expected to last about six months but the start date is not yet defined. In response to questions by Councilmember Danielle McKinney, Dwyer assured her that T-Mobile will notify users of anticipated disruptions in service in advance.
Environmental Impact
No trees will be lost though some trimming is likely. About 20 to 30 cubic yards of soil will be disturbed and an approximately 30-foot-square area of crushed stone laid during the project. Both will be restored as defined in the permit.
Right-of-Way Traffic
Concerns were raised both by Councilmember Rodney Roberts and resident Michael Hartman about access to the site by heavy equipment and also continuous access to private property along the right-of-way. Dwyer noted that the antenna work would rarely result in more than a single crew except during the two periods when the crane will add and remove the temporary tower and that access would be dealt with in their formal application. He also said that previous experience with similar temporary towers indicates that construction impacts generate few if any complaints. He reminded listeners, however, that he was speaking only for the T-Mobile monopole part of the project and not for WSSC’s operations.
Other Questions
Numerous additional and technical questions had been received and these were referred to the Planning Board’s April 17, 6:30 p.m. meeting, which Dwyer agreed to attend. When Mayor Emmett Jordan said that there were several questions relating to radiation, Dwyer pointed out that Federal Communications Commission regulations forbid his commenting on matters concerning radiation from a cellphone antenna, though he did reiterate that the antenna on the monopole is the same one that is now on the water tower and that the additional height off the ground will actually reduce any signature at ground level.