Post on 06-Feb-2022
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March 24, 2014
Halifax Regional Municipality
Community Development
Planning Applications
PO Box 1749
Halifax, NS B3J 3A5
Site Selection and Justification Report
RE: Proposed Bell Mobility m Telecommunication Site located off of Three Fathom
Harbour Road, Three Fathom Harbour, HRM, NS
(Bell Mobility Site Code: J1014 Lawrencetown)
1. Introduction
Wireless services, such as mobile phones, are increasingly important for Canadian
consumers. Mobile services are used by the general public, business, police, fire
fighters and ambulance services as well as government agencies, aviation systems and
national defense. Wireless carriers constantly strive to improve coverage and network
quality for their clients and to achieve a reliable wireless network for all users. For
wireless services to work, antenna systems composed of towers and rooftop antennas
are required to deliver services to a given coverage area.
Bell Mobility has built its network to provide wireless service in locations where
demand has been identified. The existing network was designed to meet a certain level
of demand, and over time, as demand increases, the network must be upgraded to
maintain a quality of service. Bell Mobility requires new telecommunication facilities to
service new commercial and/or residential developments and also to meet demand
growth from population growth or greater use of data by new technology such as smart
phones and tablets.
Communication facilities are selected based on critical factors such as existing locations
of communication facilities within the wireless network, assumptions in demand
fluctuations, and topography. Due to the prevalence of coastal inlets, lakes and beaches
the Lawrencetown Beach area represents a difficult environment to identify a suitable
site for a new communications tower. The area has however been identified, through
customer complaints, as requiring improvement to the existing cellular network,
particularly in summer months when the visits to the local beaches swell daily
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populations. More specifically, the beach area is also being targeted for improvement to
accommodate emergency first responder’s communication requirements. As will be
laid out within this report the identified site provides the required coverage to Bell
Mobility and its customers while respecting the sensitively of Lawrencetown Beach.
2. Justification
In order to meet Bell Mobility’s coverage objectives, Radio Frequency engineers have
determined that a site is required in the Lawrencetown area. Bell is proposing to install
a metre self support tower off of Three Fathom Harbour Road (see map below).
Proposed Location
The map on the following page identifies alternate sites that were pursued prior to
selecting the subject site.
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Alternate Sites Considered
The table below outlines the reasons why these alternate sites were disqualified from
consideration.
Map Number Reason for Disqualification
1 Landlord not interested and/or not civil engineering qualified
2 Landlord not interested and/or not civil engineering qualified
3 Landlord not interested and/or not civil engineering qualified
4 Landlord not interested and/or not civil engineering qualified
5 Eastlink Site
3. Coverage objectives
Bell requires a new cellular site is to relieve congestion of existing cell sites along HWY‐
107 as well as improve 4G coverage south of HWY‐107 toward Lawrencetown and
along HWY‐207. Population in the area affected is approximately 3,700 based on 2011
census data. The area has several beaches and tourist locations that increase summer
traffic. Bell is locating the proposed cell site away from the Lawrencetown beach area
and out on HWY‐207 in response to the negative community feedback received by
Eastlink in the area.