Municipal Wireless Consulting Background

Summary

Broadcast Signal Lab provides a full range of services related to the needs of communities under the pressures of wireless proliferation.
Contact David Maxson at 508 359 8833 to discuss your community's needs.

Types of Support Available

Broadcast Signal Lab helps communities through the stages of the wireless development cycle:

1. Communities rely on Broadcast Signal Lab to assist with the development of effective wireless facility bylaws and ordinances.
2. When the wireless applications start rolling in, Broadcast Signal Lab helps de-mystify the technical issues confronting a community board attempting to evaluate a proposed facility and explore alternatives. Local boards are enabled to make informed decisions that best benefit their communities.
3. With careful implementation of local regulations, the chances for legal challenges to board decisions are minimized. However, if an aggrieved party challenges the community in court, Broadcast Signal Lab has experience in providing expert testimony at both the state and federal levels.
4. Finally, as wireless technologies emerge and evolve, Broadcast Signal Lab helps communities re-evaluate their regulations to anticipate the new demands.

1. Consultation to the Cape Cod Commission. Our evaluations have resulted in Commission approval of one facility as proposed, reduction in height by 33% of another proposed facility, denial of a third facility, and withdrawal of another proposed facility in light of the alternatives.
   
   
2. Bylaw Drafting or Revision Assistance. Numerous towns have received Broadcast Signal Lab's advice on new and revised wireless bylaws and ordinances. A recent project resulted in a comparative evaluation of bylaws of eight lower Cape Cod towns and recommendations. ( see the white paper in Adobe PDF format). Broadcast Signal Lab's David Maxson chaired the Medfield, Massachusetts Wireless Bylaw Committee and drafted its bylaw.
   
   
3. Expert Technical Testimony and Case Consultation. Federal cases: Omnipoint v. Town of Lincoln, Massachusetts AT&T v. Town of Concord, Massachusetts, Metro Mobile vs. Town of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, SBA v. Town of Kingston, NH, Tower Ventures v. City of Westfield, AT&T v. City of West Springfield, AT&T v. Town of Milton. Other cases: In Massachusetts, Massey and Company v. Liddell Brothers. Connecticut Siting Council in the matter of Bell Atlantic Mobile and the Town of Marlborough, CT, also Dwyer & Company and the Town of Southbury, CT
   
   
4. Regional Planning. Prepared wireless facility analysis report for Lower Cape Cod Wireless Working Group. LCWWG consists of the Cape Cod National Seashore, eight lower cape towns, and the Cape Cod Commission. The State of Wireless Facilities on Lower Cape Cod ( Requires Adobe Acrobat to view ) contains a review and recommendations on the projected impact of continued wireless development on the lower Cape.
   
   See also other BSL white papers
   
   
5. Wireless Facility Application Review. We've assisted over 60 towns & communities all over New England. Including:
   in Massachusetts... Acton, Ashland, Auburn, Ayer, Belmont, Billerica, Brookfield, Canton, Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Cape Cod National Seashore, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Harwich, Mashpee, Marstons Mills, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Charlemont, Concord, Cummington, Dartmouth, Dighton, Edgartown, Fitchburg, Georgetown, Gloucester, Great Barrington, Grafton, Groton, Hamilton, Leyden, Lincoln, Medfield, Medford, Middlefield, Milton, Montgomery, Newbury, Oakham , Princeton, Rowley, Scituate, Sharon, Somerville, Stockbridge, Stow, Templeton, Wales, Wendell, West Newbury, West Springfield, Westfield, Wilbraham, Worthington.
   in Connecticut... Southbury, Marlborough.
   in New Hampshire... Hudson, Kingston, Hillsborough, Belmont, Conway.
   in Maine... North Berwick.
   in Rhode Island... Little Compton, Glocester, Burrillville.
   
   
6. Wireless Facility Safety Analysis. David Maxson was appointed to a state ad hoc committee of three experts who assisted the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in revising and consolidating its radio frequency energy safety regulations in 1997. Broadcast Signal Lab has evaluated RF safety programs at numerous communications sites, including: Prudential Tower, One Financial Center building, Needham-Newton TV towers, Lynnfield Water District, Carney Hospital, Falmouth Hospital, Faulkner Hospital, Emerson Hospital, Archdiocese of Boston property in Holbrook, Zion Hill in Woburn, Mount Tom in Holyoke.
   
   
7. Wireless Communications Seminars. We have presented "user-friendly" overviews of wireless facility technology and siting issues. Recent presentations include American Planning Association regional conference, Oct 2000, Town of Hamilton public seminar Aug, 2000, Lower Cape Wireless Working Group and Lower Cape Selectmen, 2000. Massachusetts Planning Directors Association, January 2001.
   
   

Corporate Background

Broadcast Signal Lab has been in business since 1982, when partners David Maxson and Rick Levy formed it to provide the communications industry with independent expertise in evaluating communications facilities. The company performs a wide variety of signal analysis, safety analysis, regulatory compliance analysis, and facility development consultation. With the proliferation of cell phone & other personal wireless communications over the past fifteen years, Broadcast Signal Lab has found a niche in the public sector, providing communities with much-needed assistance in dealing with wireless facility & tower development.