The Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands this week cleared another step for a proposed communications tower at 333 County Road 43 in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands for Xplore Inc.

The township’s committee of the whole on Tuesday recommended, and council agreed, to direct staff to submit a letter of concurrence to Forbes Bros Ltd., indicating that the agent has complied with the protocol. The letter will also indicate that, in the event that the tower is no longer required, Xplore Inc. shall remove the tower from the property.

Xplore Inc., represented by Forbes Bros Ltd., is proposing to install a new telecommunications tower at 333 County Road 42. The proposed facility will look to enhance wireless signal quality as well as wireless network coverage and capacity for the surrounding area.

The property subject to this application has a lot area of approximately 103.2 hectares with 425 metres of frontage on County Road 42. The property is developed with a single detached dwelling and several agricultural buildings.

The proposed tower will be set back approximately seven metres from County Road 42. The nearest existing dwelling to the tower is located at 427 County Road 42 and is approximately 316 metres from the tower. The property is surrounded by predominantly larger rural and agricultural properties that are developed with residential and farming uses.

The proposed tower is a 45-metre-tall light-duty self-support-tower-style structure. The compound area that surrounds the tower and equipment cabinet will be approximately 209 square metres in area.

The tower’s construction is expected to be completed by summer 2024.

(Keith Dempsey is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Brockville Recorder and Times. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.)

Keith Dempsey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brockville Recorder and Times