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Concept rendering of proposed tower array atop the Regent Theatre flytower.

Council reverses decision, Bell tower array will go on Regent roof

Faced with the prospect of a 98-foot (30 metre) tower rising in the centre of Picton, and the wrath of town residents worried for their neighbourhood, council chose the lesser of two evils last week.

It reversed a decision it made last fall to block a proposal by Bell Canada to erect three or four telecommunications towers, each about three metres high, upon the roof of the flytower that forms the rear of the Regent Theatre in Picton.

It had put a halt to Bell’s plans based upon the recommendation of its heritage advisory committee (PEHAC) that warned that marring the roof with an array of cell antennas, even those less than 10 feet high, would impair the heritage value of the property.

Council urged the national telecommunications carrier to look elsewhere.

But even as Bell was asking council for its permission to enter a lease agreement with the Regent Theatre—it not too subtly advised Council that its alternative was to construct a much higher tower at the corner of King and Elizabeth streets in Picton—a neighbourhood featuring a mix of residential, commercial and institutional uses. Bell owned the property and did not need vouncil’s blessing to proceed.

It’s unclear whether council believed the telephone company was bluffing, or that 98-foot tower in the middle of town might be a more acceptable option. It is possible, too, that some councillors didn’t read or comprehend the autumn report that spelled out the ultimatum.

In any event, when Picton residents learned of the tower rising in their midst, the uproar was heard all the way to Shire Hall. The telephone company was playing hardball and council was out of options.

Seeking a quiet resolution, County officials and representatives urged Bell to consider other rooftop locations.

But on Thursday council at last conceded the inevitable. It would get out of the way of an agreement between Bell and the Regent to put the proposed tower array on the roof of the theatre, provided the telephone company promise to continue working with PEHAC to develop the best design to minimize the impact and ensure that building was structurally sound enough to accommodate the installation.

The reversal came quickly and quietly. No one wanted to dwell on how they had been outmanoeuvered by the telephone company. Nor did they want to ponder the limitations of their new heritage district designation for Main Street Picton.

No, this was about moving past a nest of angry bees. Tomorrow council will worry about how to protect the County’s heritage.