To the editor,

Our landmarks are remarkable ­– Salty the Seahorse at 38 feet tall stands watch at the corner of North Street and Route 6 and the majestic flagpole in Shipyard Park, at almost 90 feet in height, is a dramatic sight. We are fortunate to have a wonderful shoreline and quiet residential neighborhoods. There is a 35-foot limit on structure height in Mattapoisett’s residential areas, but I think we all agree that examples such as these are worthy of exemption. Most would believe that zoning regulations and town boards protect individual property owners from intrusion and work to preserve the nature of residential areas. But wait, what’s this? A 145-foot tall industrial communication tower now looms over residentially zoned east Mattapoisett off Jane Lane and Marion Road?

‘Fraid so! And it’s courtesy of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals. You need only go to the video of their meeting held Jan. 18, 2013 to see four members of the board rubber stamp this structure after limiting debate and bending to the will of a large industrial communication tower developer. Remember the balloon test the developer was told to perform in spring of 2012? Some observers claimed to have difficulty viewing the balloon. Now look at the reality! What visual comparison is there between a balloon at 145 feet and a huge metal pole soon to be outfitted with multiple antennae? Add to that an array of noisy generators at its base.

The board’s decision might have made sense if this monster of a new landmark provided the solution to cell phone communication in Mattapoisett, but alas this is not true. Instead, with this faulty Zoning Board of Appeals decision the door has been opened to spot zoning. If you own property in a residentially zoned area of Mattapoisett you’d best be alert. There may be a landowner willing to make a deal with an industrial tower developer. Add that to a Zoning Board of Appeals that approves of spot zoning and together the result could well be the placement another new Mattapoisett landmark in close proximity to your home.

Sincerely,

Jack Hillier