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DRAFT OC Board of Adjustment – 11/9/15 Page 119 of 156 1 John Price: There has also been testimony by TowerCom’s experts that the Mellot site is not 2 appropriate because of terrain obstructions. 3 4 Ben Levitan: This one really confused me. If you’ll go forward please to that, there we go, thank 5 you. Alright, the top… You see the circle towards the top. That’s this hill that we’re talking about. 6 This hill, if you are at the Mellot site… You can see where the Mellot site is on the far right. The 7 Mellot site, if it’s pointed to UNC yeah, that hill may block the signal a bit, ok… the thing is this 8 Mellot site, that hill will block it but look… the new proposed UNC site is off the map below it. That 9 hill is also in line of site between this new tower and UNC. So… 10 11 Samantha Cabe: I think the point was in their prior testimony was that the new proposed site was 12 higher itself so the signal went up over the hill, whereas the Mellot site was lower, if I’m 13 remembering correctly. Would that make a difference if that was? 14 15 Ben Levitan: It does to a level, but you’ve got to understand that hill is there so everything behind 16 the hill, I don’t care how high this cell tower is, everything behind the hill is in a shadow. Ok? So 17 both these sites, in fact the Mellot site is actually off to the right, you can see it’s further off to the 18 right so it kind of gives you a better line of sight around that hill. This new site is more in line with 19 that hill. So no matter what, if you’re behind the hill you’re not going to get coverage from this new 20 cell tower. This, you know… it’s desirable……. How about the top of that hill for one? 21 22 John Price: In your opinion, based on your experience and expertise, are the alternatives you 23 have outlined for meeting the identified telecommunication service needs more in line with today’s 24 technology? 25 26 Ben Levitan: Absolutely. We’re rapidly, and Verizon is one of the leaders in this, rapidly going 27 away from what we call those macro cells and going to smaller cells. It’s financially, for Verizon, it 28 makes more sense. For public safety it makes a lot more sense. And for the customer experience 29 it makes a lot more sense. 30 31 John Price: In your opinion are the alternatives you’ve identified all commercial and feasible? 32 33 Ben Levitan: Verizon just signed a 25-year contract in San Antonio. I suspect they do think it’s 34 commercially viable. 35 36 John Price: I believe those are all the questions I have at this time. 37 38 Laura Goode: I have one question… Could you go back to the propagation maps that you just… 39 thank you. Yes, that’s fine, thank you. So you were talking earlier about these circles that were on 40 these propagation maps, is that right? 41 42 Ben Levitan: Yes. 43 44 Laura Goode: Ok, as identified as coverage gap areas? 45 46 Ben Levitan: Yeah, there are coverage gaps there. Anything white. These are your maps, so I 47 don’t want to re-explain what you know better. 48 49 121