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A simulated image of what a new pole for communications equipment on Pleasant Street is expected to look like. The Bennington Select Board has approved lease of a town-owned site for placement of the pole.

A simulated image of what a new pole for communications equipment on Pleasant Street is expected to look like. The Bennington Select Board has approved lease of a town-owned site for placement of the pole.

BENNINGTON — The Select Board has approved a lease allowing installation of a metal telecommunications pole off Pleasant Street in the downtown.

The request comes from AT&T Mobility LLC, which earlier this year garnered permits for a 40-foot pole on town-owned land near 117 Pleasant St.

The site is opposite the former Stark Hose Firehouse and alongside the public parking lot.

David Ford, of Centerline Communications, an AT&T vendor in New England, told the board Oct. 25 that three other company facilities already are mounted on utility-owned poles in the downtown area.

However, he said there was no existing pole in that Pleasant Street vicinity to meet AT&T’s coverage and capacity goals for the downtown, including for download speeds.

The board voted unanimously to approve an initial 10-year lease for the land. Town Planning Director Daniel Monks said the lease calls for a $300 per month payment to the town, with a 2 percent increase each year.

The new pole, expected to be about the size of a utility pole, previously received a certificate of public good from the state Public Utility Commission. The certificate was granted to New Cingular Wireless PCS LLC, doing business as AT&T.

The town Planning Commission reviewed the plan for height, antenna, and hardware and aesthetic considerations.

The commission “found no undue adverse impact of the installation and acknowledged enhanced downtown cell service,” Chairman Michael McDonough said in the spring.

“The commission did request that the installation finish be changed from the proposed clear anodized aluminum finish to a black anodized finish to enhance the overall visual quality of the installation,” he said.

McDonough said the suggestion was accepted.

Jim Therrien writes for Vermont News and Media, including the Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal and Brattleboro Reformer. Email jtherrien@benningtonbanner.com

Jim Therrien reports for the three Vermont News and Media newspapers in Southern Vermont. He previously worked as a reporter and editor at the Berkshire Eagle, the Bennington Banner, the Springfield Republican, and the former North Adams Transcript.

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