Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Verizon Wireless has proposed the installation of a small cell antenna on a wooden utility pole on Schoharie Turnpike in the town of Athens. The structure would be 50 feet tall and sited within a 10-by-10-foot area, which Verizon would lease from the property owners, according to the proposal. The project would require usage and area variances, as well as site plan approval. The application has not yet made its way to Athens town officials, Code Enforcement Officer Albert Gasparini said. Greene County Legislator Ed Bloomer, who represents Athens, said cell coverage is an issue for the area, but added that he was unaware of project specifics. According to the proposal, the antennae site would be visited from one to three times a year for maintenance, and it would not have any impact on water and sewer services, or on vehicle and pedestrian access. Verizon Wireless Consumer Public Relations Manager Chris Serico said the company is always investing in the network to improve and expand service. “As more people are doing more things, in more places with more mobile devices, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in voice and data traffic on our network. We only expect that trend to increase,” Serico said. The Athens site is intended to improve the area's 4G LTE coverage and capacity. The towns of Cairo, Catskill, Coxsackie and Greenport; villages of Catskill and Coxsackie; and city of Hudson have received Verizon’s proposal, as well as Greene County Emergency Services and Greene County Economic Development, Tourism & Planning. In Hudson, six antennae are proposed for installation on the roof of Providence Hall on Columbia Street. That project application is still under review. Read more at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.