OTISFIELD — The Board of Appeals on Thursday night turned down a request to reconsider its Nov. 15 decision not to send the Scribner Hill communications tower application back to the Planning Board for a full hearing.
The unanimous decision was based on the determination that the request from Kristen Roy on behalf of The Friends of Scribner Hill came after the 10-day deadline for reconsideration, Selectman Hal Ferguson said.
On Nov. 15, the Appeals Board turned down an appeal by The Friends of Scribner Hill after nearly three hours of testimony at the Otisfield Community Hall. The group wanted to send the application back to the Planning Board for a full review. The appeal was based in part on the group’s claim that the Appeals Board failed to consider evidence from The Friends group and did not meet some criteria set in the town’s wireless communications ordinance.
The application by U.S. Cellular was approved in January, but construction of the 180-foot tower has been held up by four appeals by The Friends of Scribner Hill and other entities. The group claims planners did not follow town ordinances and the comprehensive plan in making their decision. The three appeals to the Appeals Board have been denied.
The appeal to Oxford County Superior Court in Paris, which took over the case in the summer, asked that it send the case back to planners for a full hearing.
Ferguson said the town still has not had a decision from the court on how to proceed.
The tower is to hold equipment for cellular phone companies and the town Fire Department.
Spokesmen for The Friends of Scribner Hill could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
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