Kennebunk municipal officials recently discussed a proposed cell tower downtown on town-owned land on Factory Pasture Lane.

There are communications issues in Kennebunk that are worsening over time, according to Director of Economic Vitality Stephen Houdlette, who spoke at a neighborhood meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12.

“It’s been known for a long time that, especially on Route 1, cell coverage from some carriers is a challenge,” Houdlette said.

The Economic Development Committee and the town went forward with a request for proposal for a new cell tower in August of 2024. The town received four proposals, and ultimately decided to work with Wireless Edge Towers.

The location at Factory Pasture Lane is ideal for a new cell tower, Houdlette said. It is in an industrial zone, near other utility and industrial uses, and is “tucked away,” he said.

“There are only a handful of places in town that would work for this project,” Houdlette said. “We wanted something around Route 1 and around downtown. Visually, and in terms of distance to other locations, we think it’s a good location.”

Wireless Edge Towers is proposing a brown monopole cell tower to be constructed at Factory Pasture Lane, across from the skate park.

The company will enter into a lease with the town, and will then lease out to wireless carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Dish Wireless.

The project comes at no cost to the town, Houdlette said. All of the due diligence, construction and maintenance for the project is covered by Wireless Edge Towers.

“The town’s public safety divisions plan to have equipment on the tower and be a tenant,” Houdlette told the Post. “Our lease of the vertical space for this equipment is also free and Wireless Edge Towers has pledged to offer supporting resources for this activity.”

The project will be funded by Wireless Edge Towers’ ability to lease other vertical space on the tower to commercial carriers. They will also have a revenue sharing program that will pay monthly income to the town.

At the town meeting last week, residents voiced concerns about the height and visibility of the tower, including antennas that can be up to 20 feet long.

John Arthur, CEO and president of Wireless Edge Towers, said the length of antennas depends on what the town wants to put at the site.

“Visibility-wise, antennas don’t really matter because they’re very hard to see,” Arthur said.

Residents also had concerns about public safety and how that comes into play regarding the cell tower. There is public safety access in terms of cell service, Arthur said.

“Most 911 calls are made from cell phones,” Arthur said. “Having the ability for people to call 911 on their cell phones is very important.”

A full report will be presented during the planning stage of the project. The next meeting regarding the cell tower is a public zoning meeting scheduled for Monday, March 10.