The Towamensing Township Board of Supervisors denied the conditional use request regarding changes to the cell tower/flagpole next to the township fire company this week.

The request was to revise the 2000 decision to reduce the size of the flag and lower the height on the flagpole. The company asked to modify the existing pole with Dish and wireless equipment.

The plan is to change the size of the American flag from the current 20-by-38-foot flag to a smaller 15-by-25-foot flag, and reduce the mounting position of the flag down to the 119-foot mark, plus adding a metal shroud around the exterior of the tower to protect or shield the exterior bolts, to help reduce the number of times the flag is snagged on the tower.

Township solicitor Thomas S. Nanovic hosted the hearing Tuesday night. Also present were Supervisors Guy Seifert, Scott Mosier and John Kleintop, plus zoning officer Carl Faust and standing president of the Towamensing Township Volunteer Fire Company Eric George.

Paul Peckens, national zoning manager for Crown Castle, based out of their Canonsburg office, represented Crown Castle at the hearing. The applicant, NCWPCS MPL 30 Year Sites Holding LLC, is an entity of Crown Castle.

“We know there have been issues with the flag snagging and wrapping around the structure,” Peckens said. “This is an effort to try to reduce the number of times it snags.”

An issue that arose during the hearing was that in the original agreement from Oct. 20, 2000, the fire department was to have access to the tower compound to be able to maintain the flag. George testified that they had access back when the tower was first constructed, but lost access soon after, and have not been able to access it for many years.

Seifert asked Peckens, “Knowing that your corporation has not really complied with the conditions of the last conditional use, do you have a mechanism in place that would give us every confidence, that if we would grant this conditional use now, that you would fulfill those requirements that weren’t fulfilled before?”

Peckens assured him they would provide access for the fire department.

Kate Smith, a township resident, spoke to the board.

“About six or seven years ago, when the flag was absolutely disgraceful, I called the fire company, and got the answering machine, and I was called back the next day, but I was told that ‘we can’t do anything about the flag, you’ll have to call the 800 number.’ So, I called the 800 number, which the man told me he was in Pittsburgh, and I asked why can’t the fire department go in and take care of it, and he told me AT&T considered it a security threat to have a fireman inside the compound, and that’s why they were not allowing them to go in there.”

Kleintop read a letter sent by a township resident, whose name was not released. In the letter, the resident made a suggestion, “The obvious solution would be for the cellphone company to install a new flagpole, perhaps closer to the fire company building.”

“Crown Castle would be willing to provide an initial flag,” Peckens advised the supervisors, as well as a backup flag to the fire company. “And then, if the backup flag needs to be hoisted, then Crown is obligated to provide another flag to put in reserve.”

After a brief executive session, the board voted 2-1 to deny the request. John Kleintop and Scott Mosier voted to deny the request, Guy Seifert voted to allow it.

Kleintop said, “I’m not in favor of setting a precedent here, because in the future, a request may be made to add more equipment, to lower the flag more, to make it smaller, and detract from the purpose of the flagpole, for the American flag. For that reason, I am not in favor of the request in its present form. If we can work out a better option for the flag, I am certainly open to looking at it.”