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Public utilities

Vermont Public Utility Commission Approves T-Mobile Northeast, LLC Wireless Telecommunications Facility

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Vermont Public Utility Commission has granted a certificate of public good to T-Mobile Northeast, LLC for the installation of a wireless telecommunications facility in Winooski, Vermont. The facility, located at 31 East Spring Street, will modify the existing telecommunications equipment on the rooftop, expanding and improving wireless coverage in the surrounding area. The commission determined that the project meets the applicable substantive criteria of 30 V.S.A. § 248a and will promote the general good of the state.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Vermont Public Utility Commission approved the petition of T-Mobile Northeast, LLC for a certificate of public good to install a wireless telecommunications facility in Winooski, Vermont.
  • The facility will modify existing telecommunications equipment on the rooftop, replacing six existing antennas with six new antennas and installing two new cabinets.
  • The project will not involve additional earth disturbance and will not have an undue adverse impact on floodways, scenic or natural beauty, aesthetics, historic sites, or rare and irreplaceable natural areas.
  • The commission found that the project qualifies as a "project of limited size and scope" under the Procedures Order, with a total facility height of less than 200 feet and no increase in the width of the existing support structure by more than 20 feet.
  • The commission conditionally waived all criteria under 30 V.S.A. § 248a(c)(1), with the exception of those related to floodways and aesthetics.
  • The facility will promote the general good of the state, as required by 30 V.S.A. § 248a(a).
  • The project will comply with the host municipality's zoning regulations and the Chittenden County Regional Plan.
  • The commission will issue a certificate of public good in conjunction with this order.

Statistics:

  • 140 feet: the maximum height allowed for a project of "limited size and scope" under the Procedures Order.
  • 200 feet: the maximum total facility height allowed for a project of "limited size and scope" under the Procedures Order.
  • 10,000 square feet: the maximum amount of additional permanent earth disturbance allowed for a project of "limited size and scope" under the Procedures Order.
  • 6: the number of existing antennas that will be replaced with new antennas.
  • 2: the number of new cabinets that will be installed.
  • 31 East Spring Street: the location of the wireless telecommunications facility in Winooski, Vermont.
  • August 17, 2022: the date on which the Vermont Department of Public Service filed comments on the project.

Sources:

  • Vermont Public Utility Commission, Case No. 22-2720-PET, Order entered on 08/25/2022.
  • 30 V.S.A. § 248a.
  • Vermont Public Utility Commission's Amended Standards and Procedures Order, issued on September 21, 2018, Case No. 22-2720-PET.

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