Improved wireless access in the cards

The Point Roberts water district is poised to earn $12,000 a year renting space to Verizon Wireless, while local cellular phone customers will gain cell phone service in the Point’s many dead zones.

Last month representatives from the telecommunications company visited the district’s reservoir property off Benson Road and found it would be a favorable site to install a monopole tower, agreeing to the proposed $1,000 rent to use the property. District manager Dan Bourks said they were expecting a contract imminently

Verizon representative Georgia Taylor said they didn’t have a timeline for the new tower to be built and put into service yet. “We’re in the very initial phases of a lot of jurisdictional issues,” she said. The decision to build the tower was sparked by requests for better service “in the area and certainly on surrounding waterways,” she said. “Due to demand for our services we want to improve coverage there for our customers.”