Cell tower plan for cemetery dropped

July 10, 2008

A company that sought to build a cellphone tower in a church cemetery in Stoneham withdrew its plans amid a crowded Board of Appeals hearing late last month.

Omnipoint Communications had proposed building the 80-foot tower in St. Patrick Parish's cemetery at Broadway and MacArthur Road to serve T-Mobile. But some neighbors opposed the plan, concerned about the appropriateness of a tower near graves and about possible health risks for children at a neighboring sports field.

More than 100 Stoneham residents attended an appeals board meeting, which usually attracts just a handful of people, said chairman Jim Juliano.

While Stoneham has a district where towers can be built, Juliano said, the cemetery site needed special permission because it is outside that area. The board had asked the company for a signed agreement showing that the Archdiocese of Boston had approved of the tower on its land. When Omnipoint did not present an agreement, Juliano said he proposed voting against it. The company withdrew its proposal. Omnipoint attorney Brian Grossman did not return a call for comment.

KYTJA WEIR