THETFORD — In preparation of a planned 190-foot cell tower, AT&T is holding a balloon test in Thetford Center this weekend.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday the company will fly a balloon at 190 feet above the tower’s proposed site off 121 Sawnee Bean Road, according to a news release from the company. They’ll take photos of the balloon from roads around Thetford, which will be used to generate a simulation of the proposed tower.
The simulations, which the company has said will allow devel0pers to assess the visual impact of the project, will be posted on AT&T’s website.
The cellphone carrier announced the proposal in late April, saying the tower will increase cell reception for AT&T customers in the area as well as first responders.
Lawyers for the company will bring the finished tower proposal in front of the Vermont Public Utilities Commission for approval by the end of next month. A PUC hearing to discuss the proposal has not been announced.
The proposed tower has drawn a lot of concern and — in some cases — outrage from many community members in Thetford, largely over the size of the proposed structure and its impact on the surrounding environment and landscape. At a meeting this week, some residents suggested forming a coalition to oppose the tower.