METHUEN — Property values have already dropped because of the economy, and people who live on Maplewood Avenue are afraid their homes will be worth even less if T-Mobile builds a proposed 100-foot cell phone tower there.
"We're a blue-collar town. Most of us are in our homes that are worth, in some cases, less than what we owe on them, and this is just another situation where our property values are going to go down," said Mark Paine, a 53-year-old painter and paper hanger who lives with his wife and daughter at 20 Maplewood Ave.
The proposed site for the tower is behind Paine's house, on land owned by Albert and Lorraine Gervais of Lawrence.
T-Mobile has applied for a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals to build the tower at 24 Maplewood Ave., 120 feet away from the closest home (less than the required 250 feet), and to build a tower that would be more than 10 feet above the average tree height in the area, which is 77 feet. The plans also call for three fenced-in cabinets at the site, according to minutes from a recent zoning board meeting.
T-Mobile's attorney, Jennifer Lewis, told the zoning board the tower is needed to address a gap in wireless service along Route 113.
But Stephen Johnson, a 40-year-old Web developer who lives at 26 Maplewood Ave., said the tower is "just not appropriate."
"There's going to be people out there fixing it, maintaining it, right in people's backyards, looking down into their bedrooms," he said.
Johnson also noted that there is a pond near the site that people ice skate on.
In addition to the impact on home values, Paine is concerned about the possible health risks associated with living near a tower.
"What I'm hoping for is T-Mobile will deal with the community in good faith in finding a more appropriate spot for the tower," he said.
More than 100 people have signed a petition in opposition to the tower, according to Paine, including Mayor William Manzi and several city councilors.
"It's just not an optimum site from Methuen's perspective," the mayor said.
Jane Builder, T-Mobile's northeast senior manager of external affairs, said the company is attempting to be "sensitive to the community's needs." She said the company worked with the zoning board to reduce the visual impact of the site by redesigning the tower as a flag pole.
She said T-Mobile believes its proposal "strikes the optimal balance between the needs of local wireless users and the needs of residents — many of whom rely on cell phones today to stay connected to friends, family and emergency services."
The zoning board plans to discuss the tower and possibly vote on it at its meeting on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in City Hall. Chairman Matthew D'Agostino said there's a decent chance the tower will be approved.
"All cell tower companies have a good shot because of the federal laws which forbid us from just banning them," he said.
The city could face a $500,000 civil rights fine if it wrongly rejects the request, D'Agostino said. Still, he said the board relies heavily on residents' input when making decisions.
If the zoning board approves the variance, T-Mobile will then go to the Community Development Board next for its approval.
"If it's denied at the zoning board level, then it stops," D'Agostino said.
Paine is suggesting that T-Mobile consider two other locations — the park and ride facility on Pelham Street and the Department of Public Works facility on Lindberg Avenue, better known as the Town Yard.
"We're going to fight it to the end," he declared.
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