CAMDEN — The prospect of another 195-foot-tall telecommunications tower on Ragged Mountain has prompted Camden's Select Board to invite citizens to air comments and concerns on the project when they convene Tuesday evening, Nov. 13, for a regularly scheduled meeting. The proposed tower is sited in Rockport on land abutting Camden.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Washington Street Meeting Room, and the agenda also includes considering approval of a beer and wine-tasting event at the U.S. National Toboggan Championships in February, establishing harbor fees, filling committee vacancies, a discussion of the Select Board Code of Conduct and accepting a donation of $5,000 to purchase a thermal imaging camera to Camden's Atlantic Engine Company No. 2, the nonprofit that raises funds for the Camden Fire Department. The donation came from the family of Charles C. "Chris" Lowe, who served in the department from July 1973 to February 2011.

The proposed telecommunication tower would be erected on a 15-acre parcel of Rockport land owned by Wavesource LLC, in Rockport, at the summit of Ragged Mountain. Charlie Foote III is the president of Wavesource LLC and has hosted telecommunications equipment on the property and existing tower for a variety of public safety and private entities. In 2006, Rockport approved a Verizon Wireless expansion plan of its existing facility on the land there, which is in the town's zone that accommodates telecommunication towers and equipment. The new tower would be erected near the existing 195-foot tower to accommodate 4G communication technology.

With cell phones and mobile devices, 4G is the name for the fourth generation of communication standards, and represents ultra-broadband Internet access for laptops, smartphones and other equipment. The latter could include high definition mobile television, video conferencing and three-dimension television.

On Oct. 17, project proponents, represented by attorneys with the Portland-based Verrill Dana firm, met with the Rockport Planning Board for a pre-application discussion.

Plans call for the proposed 195-foot-tall lattice tower to be constructed near the existing tower, which is secured to the ground with guy wires. Verizon would extend the fenced area and install a new ice bridge (a water-tight cover that covers the cables along the ground) from the new tower to the existing equipment shelter.

After completion of the new tower, Verizon would relocate and upgrade its antennas to the new structure, according to the application. The existing tower cannot handle more equipment on it and plans for the new tower include 12 power antennas on the tower legs. The existing tower will remain, as it hosts the equipment of other entities.

Camden is an abutter to the Rockport property and access to the tower is made via the Camden Snow Bowl's ski trails and a 20-foot-wide easement that runs up to the top of the mountain.

The Rockport Planning Board will consider the tower application in December under a site plan review.

Camden wants to provide Camden citizens the opportunity to comment on the proposed tower and to air any concerns, said Camden Town Manager Patricia Finnigan.

At their Oct. 23 meeting, the Camden Select Board entered an executive session at the end of its meeting, citing public property interests and consulting Town Attorney William Kelly concerning legal rights and duties of the board. Finnigan said Nov. 8 that the board discussed in that session the legal rights the town has as an abutter to the Rockport property. She said the town wants to provide the opportunity for citizens to talk about the tower.

Camden and Rockport select boards and town officials received a letter Nov. 5 from Camden residents Dorie Klein and Dana Strout, who are asking specific questions about the project, including:

1) When 4G becomes obsolete in a few years are there provisions in the application for its removal or maintenance?

2) What is in place to accept or refuse an application from AT&T also wanting to build a tower atop Ragged Mountain. Could Verizon and AT&T occupy the same space?

3) Which Snow Bowl trails would be used, when and how often?

4) Who would pay the costs to repair any damage to the trails from the construction/maintenance equipment?

5) Where is the 20-foot right-of-way located?

6) How might the new tower construction and maintenance be expected to increase helicopter traffic?

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Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@PenBayPilot.com; 706-6657.