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Cell service quest gets a helping hand

ANCRAM — The southeastern corner of Columbia County is a little closer to getting cell phone service, thanks to the efforts of some dedicated residents and U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, and her staff.

Ancram resident Robert Roth said he’d been trying to get cell service for the area since March 2007 with little success. From Millerton to Boston Corners is a dead zone on Route 22, he said.

EMS personnel came to cell service committee meetings, saying they are unable to call doctors when emergency procedures are needed, due to lack of service in Ancram, Taghkanic, Copake and Hillsdale.

Residents were unable to arouse the interest of cell phone providers in locating in the area due to a perceived lack of population, Roth said.

“They think we have only 2,000 people,” he said. “But it swells to 4,000 to 5,000 during the summer: We have a lot of city people, but they don’t look at that.”

So the committee met with Gillibrand’s people.

Gillibrand aide Benedict MacCaffree reported on developments at Thursday’s Town Board meeting.

“Using Kirsten Gillibrand’s name, we were able to meet with Greeley Ford, a vice president of AT&T,” he said. Ford got the go-ahead to fast-track cell tower site acquisition and building for Ancram, Taghkanic and Copake.

“There’s a whole blank area without cell service,” said MacCaffree. It’s needed for families to contact each other, for health care and other purposes, he said. “My goal is to have this information to Greeley Ford by Jan. 30 and something operational by 2010.”

Roth told the Register-Star a company specializing in building cell towers could build the tower, lease it to the providers, and split the rents with the town.

AT&T will have the first pick once the tower is built, MacCaffree told the board.

Councilman John MacArthur asked for a show of hands as to how many residents use AT&T and how many use Verizon; the vast majority use Verizon.

“You court the big dog who will build it,” MacCaffree stated. He said he called Verizon numerous times without a response. But he said Verizon’s interest grew after AT&T got involved.

AT&T has all their tower building scheduled for 2009, he said, when asked about the 2010 projected date.

“They prefer unencumbered property,” he said. “I said we need cell service, we’re not going to put hurdles in their way. That made them happy.”

Supervisor Tom Dias said representatives of the Community Rescue Squad were at the meeting as well, and shared the importance and need for cell service.

Roth said only one acre is needed for a tower, and Dias said there’s no cost to the town. He said two possible sites are the current highway garage parcel, and land behind Town Hall.

Roth told the Register-Star it costs Municipal Tower Ownership Program about $100,000 to build a tower, which it then rents to the company for $2,000 a month, which is split between the company and the town.

To cover the area, he said he thought towers would be needed in Copake, Ancram and Taghkanic.

To reach reporter John Mason, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail jmason@registerstar.com.

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