Cell Tower Information and AT&T Proposal Announcements
ARTICLE 19
Article 19 of the 2022 Town of Hardwick Annual Town Meeting was adopted on March 1, 2022.
The article states: “Shall the Town require its government to provide notice on its website to its residents when the Town receives notice that sources of radiation generated by cell towers/transmitters, Wi-Fi tower transmitters, and 5G antennas are being proposed for licensing and installation within the Town limits?”
This page, https://hardwickvt.gov/right-to-know/, is where notices regarding telecommunication projects will be posted when they are received by the town. Please note, the town does not receive information regarding all projects.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*Received in the Zoning Office on June 23, 2026 from Scott Johnstone, General Manager of Hardwick Electric Department.
Hardwick Electric Department, in conjunction with the Vermont Public Power Supply Association, is embarking on a project to provide smart meters across its service territory to modernize the electric grid, improve operations, and enhance information sharing with customers. This is consistent with the policy of the state and the direction of all utilities.
Smart meters, and the associated communications devices to send information back and forth between the utility and customers – DCU’s, utilize occasional radio frequency transmission of a low power. They are safe, with a similar profile to a baby monitor. As the project gets closer to starting, customers will be afforded the opportunity to “opt out” of having a smart meter, though all customers will be receiving a new meter to ensure all customers have the most accurate readings possible.
Additional Information from HED:
“This project initiated at least five years ago with the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority being awarded a grant to have all municipal utilities in Vermont install smart meters. The installation of this technology has long been a priority of that state as it is essential to manage the utility systems required today.
VPPSA filed for statewide license with the FCC for the DCU installations on behalf of all of the utilities participating, including Hardwick. This application would have predated the Town ordinance adoption.
Initially, HED did not sign onto the project for reasons I’m not aware of. That said, VPPSA still got the FCC license covering this area.
In mid to late 2024, the Electric Commission had multiple warned discussions on their agenda regarding the smart meter project, including DCU’s and individual meters. Ultimately this included a vote on a contract with VPPSA to join the project. Both during that time and fairly consistently since, warned agenda items at the Electric Commission have occurred on the status of the project. Further, updates were provided to the Selectboard at meetings, though these were unwarned and provided as part of regular updates of HED
Over the past few months, DCU’s have indeed been installed in our service territory, around 47 across 11 communities served by HED. We can provide a map of these installations. I need to reach out to VPPSA to get one and then will send it along.
To date, these DCU’s are not operational
As part of our grant with the State and VPPSA, HED is to provide a 60 day notice to customers about the smart meter initiative, including information about the RF issue.
For example:
- Smart meters only generate occasionally, not constantly so RF is random
- RF from smart meters roughly approximates that of a baby monitor
- As a second step, we are required to provide notice to customers prior to actually installing smart meters serving their home or business within a couple weeks of the actual installation.
- Each of these notices is provided to enable customers to choose to “opt out” if they wish. HED will public a notice with the process for a customer to opt out and copious amounts of information on the initiative will be made available at the time of the 60 day notice.
- We expect this 60 day notice to go out within the next couple of months so this process will begin soon.
*Received by mail in the Town Manager’s office on November 12, 2024 (dated October 17, 2024): Petition of T-Mobile Northeast LLC requesting a Certificate of Public Good for a de Minimis modification upon a Wireless Telecommunications Facility at 846 Bridgman Hill Road, Hardwick. Case No. 24-3189- PET
*Received by email in the Zoning Office on April 18, 2024: Permit # 2006-608 for Telecommunication Facility
*Received by email in the Zoning Office on April 26, 2024: Act 250 Jurisdictional Opinion JO 7-392
*February 11, 2022 The Hardwick Planning Commission Chair, Dave Gross, has compiled a guide for Hardwick citizens. Helpful links are included. Tower Info Statement by Dave Gross – HPC Chair
*February 25, 2022 New Cingular Wireless PCS (d/b/a AT&T) has filed a motion to dismiss their petition without prejudice. AT&T Motion to Dismiss – Hopkins Hill 21-3784 PET
*February 1, 2022 New Cingular Wireless PCS (d/b/a AT&T) has requested an extension to the public comment period to March 1, 2022.
*December 14, 2021 New Cingular Wireless PCS (d/b/a AT&T) has been granted an extension to the public comment period to February 1, 2022.
*October 12, 2021 – New Cingular Wireless PCS (d/b/a AT&T) has filed a petition to extend the comment period to December 1, 2021.
*September 14, 2021 – New Cingular Wireless PCS (d/b/a AT&T) has filed a petition to receive a certificate of public good to install a wireless telecommunications facility at 1190 Hopkins Hill Road, Hardwick. The petition is 21-3784-PET and has been updated to utilize the existing tower with no height extensions. Documents can be found at ePUC or at the following link: https://drmpllc.sharefile.com/d-sf9a65572088140fcb8b689933f1f567b
*August 6, 2021 – Only the 60-day Advance Notification has been filed in VT PUC Case No. 21-1078-AN AT&T 1190 Hopkins Hill Road. Finalized site plans will not be issued until after a July 14th design visit with Hardwick Electric Department. New Cingular Wireless PCS closed the VT PUC Case No 21-1078-AN and instead filed petition 21-3784-PET which is referenced above in the September 14, 2021 announcement.
*June 3, 2021 – No information, beyond the 60-day Advance Notification, has been filed in VT PUC Case No. 21-1078-AN AT&T 1190 Hopkins Hill Road by this date.
*March 18, 2021 – Please Note that a new AT&T proposal has been forwarded to the Town of Hardwick. This is the 60-day Advance Notification for a Tower Extensio/Collocation. The link to the documents follows: https://drmpllc.sharefile.com/d-scc5e25ae85d144348779b6c92d1048ee
Further information regarding the Public Utility Commission CPG review of VT PUC Case No. 21-1078-AN AT&T 1190 Hopkins Hill Road will be posted electronically on the ePUC. The link to instructions on how to subscribe to a case in ePUC follows:
https://puc.vermont.gov/epuc-information/subscribe-case
*December 9, 2020 – Please note that a Motion to Dismiss has been filed by AT&T in the Public Utility Commission CPG review. AT&T and their collaborators are withdrawing their application for a cell tower on Buffalo Mountain. AT&T Order granting Closure
The information regarding the Public Utility Commission CPG review of VT PUC Case No. 20-3175-PET: AT&T Hardwick 1061 Cooper Brook Drive can be reviewed electronically on the ePUC. The link to instructions on how to subscribe to a case in ePUC follows: