Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper reports that over 100 residents turned out at a Dec. 1 Ancram Planning Board meeting, many opposing a plan to build a 150-foot-tall cell tower near the Gallatin town line. The tower, proposed by Mariner Tower II, LLC, a co-applicant with AT&T, would at 2259 State Route 82, property owned by Stephen Tucker and Heidi Baldwin. To build the tower for the cell antenna, a waiver from the western setback requirement of 150 feet would be needed from the Planning Board. "Chris Ciolfi, Mariner Tower's representative, said that Mariner would be willing to move the tower site 200 feet south of its current proposed location to reduce the number of trees that have to be removed and lessen the visual impact of the tower on the nearest house, about 430 feet away," Valden wrote. Trouble with that plan is, they would then need two waivers, and would be closer to the Gallatin town line. Many residents speaking at the meeting said they would like better cell phone service, but do not want to live near its source. Gallatin holds a public hearing about the project 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at at the Gallatin Town Hall, Columbia County Route 7, Gallatin. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.