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Date: 5/10/2023
AGAWAM — “Can you hear me now?” quipped City Council President Christopher Johnson on May 1 as his board agreed to allow Verizon to build a cellphone tower at 1000 Suffield St., the Agawam Municipal Annex.
Sitting two chairs away, Councilor Paul Cavallo didn’t have to ask that question — after years of campaigning, finally he is being heard.
For more than half a decade, Cavallo, who lives in the Castle Hill condominium complex, has been complaining about poor cellphone reception in his neighborhood. Several times he had asked other town officials to solicit bids from cellphone companies to install a tower in the Suffield Street-Silver Street area.
“This is going to solve Councilor Cavallo’s issues,” said Councilor Anthony Suffriti in recommending approval of the lease on May 1. “There’s a lot of people in that area that don’t have the data or the cell service that are required. It’s something the town really needs in that area.”
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, will lease 2,500 square feet in the rear of the municipal property for its tower. The company will pay $21,600 in rent in the first year, to increase 3% annually throughout the 10-year lease. The lease includes options to extend it up to 15 additional years. According to the lease approved by the council, the terms are similar to Cellco’s existing agreement for the cell tower at the Agawam Municipal Golf Course in Feeding Hills.
In order to allow the installation, the City Council had to approve an amendment to the definition of the Wireless Telecommunications Overlay District, to include the property at 1000 Suffield St. The council also added 1070 Suffield St., the future home of the Agawam Police Department, as a property where a cell tower could be built. The zoning change passed a first vote on April 18, with the second and final vote on May 1.
Johnson added that Verizon will also provide space at the top of the tower for Agawam public safety communications equipment, improving coverage in that part of town.
Also at their May 1 meeting, councilors unanimously approved a resolution offered by Councilor George Bitzas to petition the state government for an increase in Chapter 70 state aid to school districts. Bitzas said state revenues have increased 34% since 2020, while municipal property tax revenue has gone up only 3.7%. He added that voters recently approved a 4% surtax on incomes over $1 million, which he said is expected to add $2 billion annually to state revenues.
“As the proponents said, this amendment was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to substantially fund improvements to our education and transportation systems,” Bitzas said. “I hope they keep the promise they made to voters.”
The petition will be forwarded to the governor’s office, as well as Agawam’s state representatives and state senator. Bitzas said he hopes other towns pass similar resolutions.