SANFORD — The city council approved a contract zone for a cell tower overlay zone Tuesday, opening the door for a 160-foot cell tower on private land off Oak Street in Springvale village.

The proposal drew opposition from half a dozen residents who questioned the planning board’s decision that the cell tower project is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan, as well as the environmental impact and proximity to a conservation focus area.

The approval paves the way for the matter to continue through the planning process. An environmental assessment that includes an inspection for vernal pools is set for April. Following Tuesday’s council meeting, Planning Director Jim Gulnac said the matter is unlikely to come before the planning board until all permits have been secured. He said public hearings will be scheduled at that juncture, and predicted that won’t happen before May.

Mariner Tower of Pittsfield, Mass. proposed to construct the tower on property they intend to lease from the owners, brothers Patrick and Richard Bond. It would be accessed through an existing, but upgraded, gravel road.

Springvale resident Harland Eastman was among those who spoke against the proposal.

“My basic concern is the integrity of the comprehensive plan,” said Eastman. “This is a residential area. I’m worried about what someone else may want to plant there.”

“If I wanted a missile site offering one-way trips to the moon, would the planning board approve?” Eastman queried, again referring to the rural, residential area of the neighborhood.

“You’ve chosen a site we feel is unacceptable,” said Alberta Sevigny. “We just want to keep and preserve what is ours the best way we can.”

The tower is designed to improve cellphone reception in Springvale for AT&T customers.

It would be a lattice-style tower, designed to blend in with the surrounding foliage, said Christopher Ciolfi of Mariner Tower. He said after an initial public hearing in early February, the company floated two balloons, one 7 feet in diameter, the second 5 feet, to try and determine where the tower could be seen. Photographs he showed at Tuesday’s council meeting revealed more than a half-dozen locations, mostly in the downtown section of the village, though it could be seen in the distance from some points on Hanson’s Ridge Road.

The Bonds own 27 acres off Oak Street, where they allow public access for hiking and other outdoor pursuits. The cell tower would occupy a 100-by-100-foot plot.

Jason Clarke, who owns land in the area, said there had been no public input as to possible sites other than the one under consideration. He noted a 1.25-acre wetland on the property, and said the trees in the area will be of a size ready for selective cutting in five years, making the tower more visible.

Resident Bob Rizzo said he and his family chose to live in the area 30 years ago because of its rural nature, although it’s just minutes from the downtown. He noted Hanson’s Ridge is one of the city’s most scenic resources, and worried that the 160-foot tower might expand upward in the coming years.

But resident Gary Pike, who lives across the street from the Bond property and owns a 40-acre wood lot nearby, said he can’t get cell coverage at his house, and he pointed out the tower would be a help to police and fire communications.

“Give these guys the benefit of the doubt,” he urged the council.

Kevin McKeon said he believes there are a number of questions that have gone unanswered, and referred to the possibility of vernal pools and other environmental concerns. Once the tower is up, he said, the antenna array could look a lot different than the photos presented. He said studies show property values decrease when cell towers are placed in residential areas.

Ciolfi said several other sites had been explored, including empty silos at a farm on Hanson’s Ridge Road, but they weren’t suitable. He said the vernal pool examination can only be done in April because that is when the wildlife that live there are active. He said Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has determined there are no endangered species on the property.

Ciolfi said the tower will remain at 160 feet and won’t be lighted, unlike the 400-foot towers on Mount Hope that sport red lights.

Councilor Alan Walsh said the council’s decision is merely to approve the contract zone.

“Everything else goes back to the planning board,” he said, urging residents to voice their concerns in that venue.

The five councilors present voted unanimously. Councilors Ken Burgess and Joe Hanslip were absent.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.