GREENFIELD — The Zoning Board of Appeals voted to continue a public hearing on whether to grant a special permit to Viridi Wireless until Feb. 20 after the company presented its plans to build a 170-foot AT&T monopole on Newton Street.

Speaking before the ZBA Thursday, Michael Rosen, an attorney representing Viridi Wireless, explained that AT&T wishes to install the pole near 112 Newton St. to resolve a major gap in cellular coverage near Interstate 91. He said that in 2017, the federal government designated AT&T the carrier of FirstNet, or the First Responder Network Authority, making the company the primary provider for emergency service agencies.

With a number of citizens opposing the proposed cell tower, citing health concerns as well as fears that the tower would have a negative impact on nearby property values, Rosen introduced professionals representing AT&T to speak to the tower’s safety, expected impact on its nearby landscape and alleged necessity for cellular coverage.

“AT&T identified a gap in coverage along a major federal outlet, I-91 in Greenfield, and it began a search for a location within that gap in coverage that could provide coverage in accordance with the zoning ordinances of the city of Greenfield,” Rosen said. “Some of the opponents to this project, they’re going to present some examples of horrific instances where tornadoes rip through communities, and show you pictures of cell towers on the ground and on top of cars and vehicles. My response to that would be — if there’s a tornado that hits here that’s 180, 190 miles an hour, I think the tower would not be the biggest concern.”

Martin Lavin, a radio frequency engineer representing AT&T, presented a list of other potential sites considered for the monopole, including Longview Tower, which he said is positioned too high; the Tractor Supply Co. lot that spelled “real estate issues,” Lavin said; and the WHAI tower on Woodland Street, which he said would not fill the coverage gap.

The applicant’s presentation also included photo results from a balloon test conducted in late October, in which a balloon was floated to the height of the proposed tower and photographed from a variety of areas throughout the city. Photos showed minimal visibility from areas such as Homestead Avenue or on Munson Street, and other areas in the city where the tower would be entirely obscured by foliage.

Concerned that abutters to the property were not given proper notice and could not see the balloon, ZBA Chair David Singer requested that the applicant conduct another several-days-long balloon test. Rosen argued that given the test’s cost, floating the balloon for more than a day would not be feasible, but he expressed a willingness to conduct an additional test.

“The pictures don’t really do justice to what it would feel like to be any of these places where the folks live or to see it,” Singer said. “You have people here who are concerned. I think if you gave people a chance to see the balloon and appreciate what it looks like for several days, maybe there would be a quieting of some of the concerns.”

Addressing residents’ safety concerns with regard to the proposed tower, All-Points Technology Corp. Senior Engineer Domenic Aversa explained that the tower’s design has a weak point approximately 90 feet from the ground that would cause the tower to bend in half, rather than fall, in the event of a failure.

“If ... the tower collapsed due to high winds, the theoretical method of failure is it would fold over itself at what’s called the hinge point, which is approximately 90 feet above grade,” Aversa said. “As soon as the top section of tower were to fold over itself, it reduces the overall load on the foundation significantly, as the overall height of the tower is much less, and it should limit any sort of full collapse of the tower, where the tower will fall entirely over on its side.”

Rosen said that over the course of approximately 25 years of permitting cell towers, he has never seen a hinge point failure.

Before the ZBA voted to continue the presentation and subsequent public comment period to Feb. 20, after the applicant conducts a thorough peer review study on the monopole, Singer reminded the applicant that the ZBA was doing its due diligence to address safety concerns associated with the tower.

“Your job is to advocate for the applicant,” Singer said to Rosen. “For us, it’s to be certain as best as we can that it’s safe within the context of what we think is safe as well as what you think is safe.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.