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The Board of Supervisors on Thursday unanimously cleared the company to begin developing land off Aston Mountain Road for the tower, antennas and an equipment box on a leased 10,000-square-foot section of a 135-acre parcel owned by George Aston.
The board voted 5-0 to approve the company's application for land development. Township officials say the tower is badly needed in the rural municipality known for poor cell phone reception in many parts.
"Let's get this tower built," Supervisor Chairman Jack Flyte said immediately after the vote.
The company agreed to six conditions set by township officials, including the tower be painted brown -- to camouflage the structure in the natural setting -- and the company submits annual proof of insurance.
The board also included a waiver in its vote that releases Verizon from having to provide evidence that taxes on the property have been paid in order to conduct operations.
Mr. Aston owes taxes on the land for 2007, but he said Thursday he has arranged payment.
Company officials started the development process in April, when they filed their first land-use application.
The township is expected to receive licensing fees with each antenna that goes up in the municipality, and Mr. Aston stands to receive lease payments from the company.
Mr. Aston said he is pleased the tower will soon be erected.
"This should have been done six months ago," he said, referring to improved phone coverage.
In other business, township officials were displeased with a contract renewal offer from Comcast cable company. Officials said the company is asking for a 15-year contract for rights to provide cable service to township residents. Officials have asked the company to expand service to households on five roads -- Matthews, Schlittler, Ashgap, Elias and Aston Mountain -- but the company has agreed to bring service to only Matthews and Schlittler roads, and only upon signing the 15-year service contract.
Supervisor Jerry Maglio is against the contract terms put forth by the company. He said the company, which has a local monopoly, is not working to help residents.
"They need to sweeten the deal for the people of the township," Mr. Maglio said.
Contact the writer: jdurkin@timesshamrock.com
To see more of The Times-Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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