St. Marys council approves land-lease agreement with Bell for new cell tower on Carling Street

By Galen Simmons

St. Marys council has approved a land-lease agreement with Bell Mobility that will allow the telecommunications company to construct a new cellular tower on municipally owned land near the northeast edge of town.

Council approved the agreement at its March 24 meeting following a staff report recommending the town enter into a lease arrangement for a portion of unused land along Carling Street within the town’s industrial area.

“We received an inquiry from Bell in the fall of last year,” St. Marys public works director Jed Kelly told council. “They are looking to install another cell tower in the Town of St. Marys. They were looking somewhere in the north or northeast. They were inquiring about landowners up there. Ultimately, they’d prefer to deal with the municipality. We went back and forth a bit, but ultimately what we landed on was the very northeast corner of the town. It’s an unused portion of the Carling Street road allowance. Currently the road allowance is open but unimproved.

“Right now, Bell is looking for a commitment to execute the agreement, and the once that is done, they will start the public-consultation period.”

According to the report, the proposed tower is intended to improve cellular connectivity and internet service in the northern part of St. Marys, an area that has experienced coverage gaps and capacity limitations in recent years.

The proposed site was identified as suitable due to its location near existing infrastructure and minimal impact on surrounding land uses.

Municipal staff considered several potential locations before determining the Carling Street site represented the best option for improving coverage while limiting visual and planning impacts on residential areas.

Cellular towers fall under federal jurisdiction through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), meaning municipalities do not have final approval authority over tower placement, but they do participate in consultation processes and review site compatibility with surrounding land uses.

As part of the agreement, Bell will lease the land from the town under an initial five-year term with options for up to three additional five-year extensions. The lease will provide annual revenue to the municipality, beginning at $16,000 per year, with escalation provisions applied over time.

The report notes the tower is expected to support improved wireless coverage and network reliability for residents, businesses and emergency services in the surrounding area.

With the lease agreement now approved, the project will move into the public consultation phase required under federal guidelines. The consultation process includes notification to nearby property owners and an opportunity for public comment on matters such as tower location, design and compatibility with surrounding land uses.

According to Kelly, the tower will be 200 feet high – similar to the cell tower near the St. Marys Cemetery – and Bell will be required to notify neighbours within a 600-foot radius of the preferred site, as well as publish a notice in the newspaper to invite public comment.

“This will be similar to what the neighbours have there, so I really don’t see an issue,” Coun. Fern Pridham said. “This is a really good thing that’s happening here.”

Feedback gathered through the consultation process will be considered as Bell finalizes its tower design and proceeds with the regulatory approvals required for construction.

“We will have one more kick at the can if we have a bunch of people with pitchforks at town hall regarding this,” Kelly said, referring to the fact that final approval of the cell tower won’t happen until after the public-consultation period is completed and the town could identify an alternative site in the event of significant public opposition.