North Adams Airport Sets Deadline For Cell Tower Project
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission set a November deadline for Diamond Communications last week, accepting a contract extension on installing a cell tower through Nov. 25.
After that date, the commission wants some form of compensation.
This initial extension was built into the original contract, and commissioners had no objection to honoring it. However, Diamond's second request for a nine-month extension gave the board pause.
The airport accepted a bid from Diamond in 2024 to install a cellular tower on the airport campus. Diamond offered a $30,000-a-year lease with a scheduled 2.5 percent annual increase. Terms also included a $100,000 bonus and a percentage of the tower's gross revenue if it becomes fully leased out.
Shirin Everett of KP Law, who helped negotiate the original agreement for the airport, called into the meeting. She confirmed the project is on hold because Verizon, which plans to utilize the tower, has yet to commit money toward it. Everett said understands Verizon has potentially budgeted for the project in 2027.
This means that at the very earliest, Verizon might make a decision in mid-2027. Following a standard due diligence period, the airport likely would not begin receiving rent payments until 2028. Everett added that telecommunications projects are experiencing delays nationwide.
The situation did not sit well with Airport Commissioner William Hooper.
"Verizon is not ready to pull the trigger for Diamond, so they are at risk of not having their primary subtenant ready to go," Hooper said. "So my concern is, does Diamond have a real commitment to be able to do this?"
He added that Diamond currently has no financial commitment to the city, making him hesitant to hold potentially valuable land for them without receiving anything in return.
"I would hate to be reserving the rights of Diamond for a square inch of the airport if we don't have real commitment from them," Hooper said. "As I read the agreement, I don't like where I feel we are at the moment."
Everett stated that come Nov. 25, the city could grant another extension — this time accompanied by a request for compensation. She emphasized that Diamond is not entitled to anything beyond Nov. 25, though she noted that in prior conversations, Diamond was not open to providing substantial compensation.
If Diamond and the city simply allow the contract to expire, Diamond remains responsible for paying the city's legal fees, according to Everett. Furthermore, if Diamond eventually completes the process with the city, they must pay an automatic $100,000 to the airport.
Everett added that if the city decides to reopen the Request for Proposals (RFP) process, they would likely still be waiting until at least 2028.
"These leases, for whatever reason, are taking months and months ... it is really between a rock and a hard place," she said. "You can stay with the devil you know and hope it comes through, or we can choose someone else."
In related news regarding land use at the airport, the commission expressed interest in exploring the possibility of installing solar panels.
The Pittsfield Airport unveiled its own solar array in late September. The 17.7-acre solar field is expected to generate nearly $3 million over the next 20 years through lease payments and collected taxes.
"It was exciting for me too, so I am glad you are having this discussion," said Andrew Fitch, city councilor and liaison to the airport. "But I don't know how much land we need, how far away from the runway it needs to be."
Pittsfield's project has been underway since 2016, and the commission acknowledged that any similar development in North Adams would take time. They were also uncertain whether the city would incur costs to prepare the property for solar development.
Hooper noted that the topography of the North Adams airport is quite different from Pittsfield's, leaving him unsure how much land could be utilized and at what scale.
Hooper said he would reach out to the Pittsfield airport manager to initiate a discussion, hoping she might attend a future meeting to discuss solar options more in-depth with the full commission.
The commission officially approved the T-Hangar project, despite previous hesitation.
In September, commissioners were informed that the $1.622 million project was substantially over budget, requiring the airport to contribute $115,000. While the commission informally supported the project in September, they had not officially voted on it until now.
Tags: airport commission, cell tower,
